Message 46: How We Ought To Live Our Lives In These Last Days Before The Coming Of Our Lord And Saviour, Jesus Christ
– Mark Chen 1-18-2015
Dearest brothers and sisters-in-Christ,
The Holy Spirit is prompting me to share this message with you, concerning how we ought to live our lives in these last days before the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. A number of believers have asked questions related to this important subject, and I wish to provide my views on the topic in this pastoral message, according to the wisdom that God has given me. For your information, this message is based on a recent discussion on the topic of Christian living in the end times, which I had with a brother-in-Christ on YouTube. Let’s begin, shall we?
Many Christians believe that they know what is acceptable to God, and what is not, in the context of leisure or fun activities in their daily lives. I wish to humbly caution us not to be wise in our own eyes, as God’s Word tells us in Proverbs 16:25 that ‘there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end the road leads to death’. Not many Christians realise that the world's idea of fun is often different from God's concept of fun. The reason for the difference is simple- the world is currently under the deception of Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4), and Satan will never promote God's holy standard of fun.
Many Christians are happy to spend time with their family and engage in fun activities, such as watching movies or playing video and computer games together. There is nothing wrong with wanting to bond with the family, as long as we don't allow ourselves to be tempted into fun activities that dishonour and displease God. Nowadays, watching a Hollywood movie together can be a challenge to our biblical values, because numerous Hollywood movies today use the holy Name of the Lord Jesus Christ as a swear word, and these movies often promote sinful lifestyles such as fornication, adultery, witchcraft and idolatry etc.
What do we do in such a situation? Do we stand up for God, and inform others that we won't be participating in the family activity, or do we compromise and tell ourselves that God doesn't mind? I pray that we will choose to honour God always in whatever decision we have to make, and ask Him for courage to do so. We have to remember that we all have to be accountable to the Lord for how we had chosen to live our lives during our time on earth as disciples of Jesus Christ. This will take place when we stand before Christ’s Judgment Seat for the judgment of believers (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10).
As for computer games, I have found that even seemingly innocent family-fun games such as Angry Birds can promote sinful habits, such as anger, impatience and frustration. I know because the Lord convicted me of it, and I have repented by His grace. I trust that many other believers would agree with me on how this seemingly harmless game can breed negative, sinful emotions in us. So, where do we draw the line? Do we seek God in this late hour concerning the fun activities we wish to participate in? Do we recognise that the hour is very late, and the Lord wants our full attention on Him, and not to indulge ourselves in what we believe may be innocent fun?
Please permit me to elaborate further, in case anyone should think that I am asking us to become hermits, and stay out of the world by not interacting with the community we live in. That is certainly not what I am saying, nor is it God’s Will for us to become ascetic Christians. Yes, we are in the world, but we are also called by God to be separate from the world and its satanic system (Revelation 18:1-5). Some people who read this message may invariably misunderstand my point. To be sure, I am not saying that we cannot dine out at restaurants or step into a shopping mall. That isn't my position at all. God has not commanded us to be cooped up at home, but to go forth and preach His Gospel and His Son’s imminent coming to all who will listen (Matthew 28:19-20).
God has been sending so many warnings to His children about impending judgment on our sinful world. What He wants us to do now is to mourn for those who will perish without the saving knowledge of Christ, and to pray for them to find Jesus' salvation now. This is a time for the nations to mourn, and to repent and turn to the One True God and Saviour. This is a serious time of seeking God continually for His mercy upon our lands and fellow men (2 Chronicles 7:14, Ezekiel 18:23, 32, Revelation 3:19). We are in the middle of a fierce spiritual battle for the souls of men, women and children everywhere, and we, the soldiers of Christ, cannot afford to be lax or indulge in worldly fun, because the Lord needs us to be focused and to stand in the gap in prayer for our loved ones, friends, strangers, and enemies.
For those of us who believe that we are mature Christians, and think that we have great discernment concerning how to manage our recreation and leisure activities in these end times, I implore you (and myself) to humbly seek the Lord and to ask Him to show you whether you are living according to His Will for you in the present time. As the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT) 'If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.' Moreover, Paul writes elsewhere in 2 Timothy 2:4 (NLT) 'Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of a civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.'
As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:23, 'everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial'. We are under the freedom of the law of Christ, and we can do things without being concerned like the Jews who are still bound to the ritual laws of the Old Testament, but the truth is that not everything we do is constructive in our relationship with Christ.
For anyone who doubts that God requires us to obey His command to be holy and separate from the love of this world's sinful ways, please read and meditate on 1 Peter 1:15-16. God's command to us, His redeemed saints is to 'be holy, just as I am holy'. Scriptures tell us that Christ isn't coming for a Bride who is enamoured with the things of the world (Ephesians 5:24-27), whether it be movies, games, sports or anything else that threatens to take first place in our hearts. There is nothing wrong if you wish to exercise to keep fit, play sports for relaxation, as long as you don't allow it to distract you in your walk with Jesus Christ, because the enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9). We have to resist him, because Satan will use anything that he can find in our lives to gradually ensnare us in idolatry. If this happens to us, it's because we were not careful to guard against his schemes. What happens when we allow something or someone to take first place in our heart? Jesus is no longer enthroned in our hearts! That's not simply my opinion, it's from the Word of God.
REVELATION 3:4-5 (NIV)
Yet, I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Please allow me to state clearly now, that it isn't the things in this world that automatically make us sinful, but what we choose to do with them, and how we use them, in view of what God wants us to do with these worldly things. For instance, money isn't evil of itself, but the Bible tells us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Similarly, movies, sports and computer games are not necessarily evil in themselves, and our enjoyment of them doesn't automatically lead to sin. However, the choice we make concerning the kind of movies we watch, for example, can either be honouring to God, or displeasing to Him. The choice we make regarding the type of computer games we play, can also be either pleasing to God, or dishonouring to Him.
In my understanding of Holy Scriptures, any activity that causes us to develop character traits that are contrary to the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), is actually displeasing to God. There is good fruit (Holy Spirit-inspired) and there is bad fruit (demonically-inspired). Which one shall we choose? Is it fine to insist that Christians should be free to continue playing a game with a seemingly harmless theme (regardless of what the game may be doing to them), as long as they are enjoying themselves and having fun? Does fun justify making a decision that is potentially dishonouring to God? I say 'potentially' because I recognise that there are a number of people who may be unaffected when they are introduced to such games, simply because their interest isn't really in such games.
Let us go back to the example of playing ‘Angry Birds’. Is there any difference between such an activity and other daily activities that may similarly cause us to potentially get angry, frustrated or spiteful? For instance, will someone be right to take my example, and then argue that a student shouldn't go to school, simply because he or she will get angry when the school bullies taunt him or her again? Of course not. The crucial difference between these 2 scenarios lie with the fact that we can choose whether we want to play a particular game, knowing what kind of emotions it may breed in us. However, we cannot choose to not go to school despite the presence of bullies there, because education is legally compulsory up to a minimum standard. Changing schools may, or may not, solve the problem either.
My point is simply this-- when and where we have the freedom to make a choice, we should try our best to choose the option that honours God, and pleases Him, because the Bible tells us that whatever we do, whether in word, or in deed, we do it to the glory of the Lord (Colossians 3:17, 23).
On a related subject, some believers claim that God’s Word is not applicable to certain areas of our lives, eg. our choice of hobbies. I believe that Scriptures have indicated clearly enough to us that God's Word governs every aspect of our lives, as we are not to live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Also, Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God's Word is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Simply put, any activity that doesn't require our thoughts and attitudes being involved, will not come under the examination of God's living and active Word. What kind of activities will these include?
Apart from natural biological functions (eg. breathing, beating of our heart, etc), I cannot think of any human activity that does not involve one's thoughts or attitude, can you? If this is so, then God's Word clearly tells us that every aspect of our lives, where we can make choices, is subject to the standard of God's Word. It is the exercise of our God-given free will that determines whether we make choices that honour God, or displease Him. It is in this regard, that Adam and Eve failed when they chose to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Do we see the implications of this whenever we make certain choices in our lives that either displease or honour God, including hobbies and leisure activities? I pray that we do, brothers and sisters.
Moreover, the issue of addiction is always a real risk, and even seasoned Christians can fall prey to the temptation and become obsessed with an otherwise good activity. Some Christians may feel confident about their own measure of self-control, but we must be careful not to try to speak for others on this matter, as everyone has to find out where the line is for themselves. For those who consider themselves to be mature Christians who have a good measure of wisdom and self-control, my encouragement to you is taken from 1 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT) ‘If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.’ As we say, 'too much of a good thing is bad', and any wholesome activity can become an addiction when we can no longer control it, allowing it to control us instead. Addictions can quickly become idolatry, because they will eventually usurp God's place in our hearts.
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that just because something is in the world, doesn't automatically make it a sinful thing. If we can find computer games to play that help us to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the course of playing it, instead of sinful habits and potential addictions, then it is by no means a bad thing. The problem is that very few computer games actually do this, and those which exist are unlikely to be well known to a world which regularly promotes a different set of values, values that often run counter to God's desired values in our lives.
I pray that this message will help to clarify our understanding of how to live right and acceptably in God’s sight in these end days, as we prepare ourselves for the Lord’s coming and the Rapture of His beloved Bride. This message is written in the love of Christ, and it is not meant to judge or condemn anyone. The intention is to spur us onward towards the finish line by staying on the narrow path that leads to eternal life in Christ Jesus (Matthew 7:14), for that is God’s desire for us as well.
Shalom!
Mark Chen
Romans 13:11-14 (NASB)
11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Ephesians 5:5-20 (ESV)
5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,