“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the one who brings destruction.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, NLT)
Paul’s words to the Thessalonians could have been written yesterday. The rebellion against God is not creeping in quietly. It is standing in the open, loud and proud. And it is not just out there in the world. It is in our schools, in our streets, and even in our churches. I cannot read the news without feeling a righteous anger rise up in me, because what was once unthinkable is now applauded, and what God has declared holy is now despised.
Paul warned Timothy of these days, and we are living them now:
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that.” (2 Timothy 3:1–5, NLT)
This is not a warning to skim over lightly. This is a trumpet blast from Scripture meant to shake us awake. Paul’s words are not theory, they are reality, and we are living in the middle of it. Look at our generation. Perversion is paraded as entertainment. What once was hidden in shame is now exalted in public celebration. Pride is not just a slogan, it has become a season, a movement, a cultural idol. Entire industries have built empires on pornography, exploitation, and the destruction of purity. They poison minds, enslave hearts, and destroy families, all while being applauded as progressive and empowering.
And where is the church? Too often it sits silent. Too often it scrolls past, shakes its head, and says, “That is just how things are now.” That attitude is compromise. That attitude is cowardice. When the church accepts what God has condemned, it loses its voice, its power, and its credibility. Jesus called us the light of the world and the salt of the earth, but what good is salt that no longer preserves or light that no longer shines?
This is not cultural evolution. It is not harmless entertainment. It is sin, it is rebellion, and it is the great falling away Paul warned us about. The evidence is right in front of us, yet too many believers act as if nothing has changed. It is time to wake up. It is time to call sin what it is. It is time to stand with courage, even if the world mocks us for it.
The Disregard for Human Life
The clearest sign of our collapse is the way life has been cheapened. At Annunciation Catholic Church and School, Robin Westman opened fire while children were gathered for morning Mass. Two young lives were stolen, and eighteen more were wounded before the shooter turned the weapon on himself. In Nashville, six lives were cut short at Covenant Christian School by another act of calculated evil.
But this bloodshed is not limited to shootings. In New York and London, random stabbings have terrorized commuters. In Haiti, gangs butcher entire neighborhoods, leaving survivors in fear. In the Middle East, suicide bombers rip apart marketplaces. In Africa, machete attacks leave villages mourning the dead. Violence wears many faces, but it is fueled by the same spirit, one that is cruel, one that hates what is good, just as Paul said it would be.
Every headline is more than a statistic. Behind every number is a family torn apart, a mother weeping over a coffin, a father with nothing left to protect, grandparents left with silence instead of laughter. Yet our culture scrolls past these stories as though they are just another piece of content in the feed. This is what Jesus warned about: “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12, NLT). And church, if our love has grown so cold that we are no longer stirred by this, then we are part of the problem.
Worldwide Decline, Churchwide Silence
Do not fool yourself. This rebellion is not limited to America. It is worldwide. From the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, to trafficking rings in Europe, to mob violence in Africa, to corruption across Asia, the signs are everywhere. Humanity has declared war on holiness, and the church has grown timid. Too many pulpits have gone silent, trading repentance for relevance, conviction for comfort. And too many Christians have grown complacent, more afraid of offending culture than offending God.
A Wake-Up Call
I am angry, not with sinners who are blind in their sin, but with God’s people who ought to know better. We have been warned. We have been told. And yet how many believers keep hitting snooze while the alarms of Scripture are blaring? The falling away is not coming. It is here. If you are shrugging it off, if you are pretending this is business as usual, then you are sleepwalking straight into deception.
Paul gave us our marching orders: “With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15, NLT). That means no compromise. That means no bowing to cultural pressure. That means clinging to the Word of God even when the world mocks you for it.
The Final Word
Yes, my heart breaks. Yes, I grieve. But I will not be silent, and neither should you. The church of Jesus Christ was not called to blend in. We were called to shine like a city on a hill. If ever there was a time for grit, courage, and holiness, it is now. Christ is coming soon. The world is falling away, but the faithful must stand tall.
Stand firm. Hold fast. Refuse to be deceived. God’s Word is still true, God’s Spirit is still powerful, and God’s people must rise from complacency before it is too late.
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