Greetings,
In the book of Daniel, God tells of a future time when the fourth successive world ruling kingdom will appear. It is actually a revival of a previous system – the Roman Empire (Daniel 7:23-24). This system will be dominated by a religious power described in Revelation 13 as the image of the beast. This religious power will be awesome. It will perform great signs and will deceive those who dwell on the earth (Revelation 13:13-14). Daniel informs us that this religious leader will not only persecute the saints of the Most High, but will seek to change “times and law” (Daniel 7:25). We are also told that the kings and inhabitants of the earth will become totally enmeshed with and influenced by this powerful governing system.
Stepping back to the present from this overarching view of the future, let us ask ourselves how this might come about. Is it developing now? Are minds being prepared now to accept such change of times and laws?
We need to understand that “morality” in modern times has become a social construct. Morality is a code of conduct adopted by society (just as “eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” determined the code of conduct that Adam and Eve – and subsequent generations – would follow). A few years ago the trend on the moral scene amongst 18 to 23 year olds was studied and a report published in a book, In Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood by sociologists Christian Smith and Lisa Pearce.
In the book’s first chapter, titled “Morally Adrift,” the authors remark, in referring to this group, that they were struck by “how strongly individualistic most of them are when it comes to morality”; the general consensus among young people today “is not to judge anyone else on moral matters, since they are entitled to their own opinions, and not to let oneself be judged by anyone else”. Nearly half agreed that “morals are relative, there are not definite rights and wrongs for everybody”. To these young people, morality is “nothing more than subjective personal opinion or cultural consensus. . . . Morality is purely a social construction.”
Recently a member came across a comment online which he felt is representative of current thinking: “I grew up very religious, and I was taught to think that people with alternative lifestyles were just ‘confused.’ But now it seems to me that gender and sexuality are so bendable and flexible. I’ve been going to a lot of poetry readings lately, and people present themselves in such raw forms. And they don’t seem confused at all. They are being so honest and transparent in their poetry. How are you supposed to object and say that ‘who they are’ is wrong?”
This mind-set readily accepts change because it has no moral roots. Social constructs change with time. In thinking about this, ask yourself how you consider the word “fornication”. Doesn’t it sound so out of date and inappropriate for today? Who uses this word today? Certainly not society, where moral concepts are changing with increasing speed. Already transgender and gender neutral have given way to gender bender and gender fluidity. The influence of societal thinking is powerful and constant.
Our moral foundation is the Word of God which is not influenced by man’s social conditioning. It does not change to suit the times. Fornication still means exactly what it has always meant – sexual relationships between people not married to each other. Test yourself and ask honestly how strongly you feel about this issue. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). In light of what is going on around us this may seem unimportant and outdated, but measured against the mind of God, it is not.
The world we live in is being conditioned to accept the massive changes that a world ruling religious-political system will instigate. Social conditioning is a reality and while we still live in this world, our responsibility was stated by Christ as, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:15, 16). We are sanctified by God’s truth so let us be very familiar with that truth.
Stay close to the moral foundation set forth for us in God’s Word – a foundation that does not change with the times.
Services on the Sabbath will originate for the first time from El Paso, Texas. The techies are sweating it and the speakers are cool.
Warm Regards,
Brian Orchard
