1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

What Paul is talking about here is sexual purity, which is certainly a current topic today. I am absolutely confident that Paul would have no patience at all with a great deal that goes on in the name of Christianity today. He would be immediately branded “intolerant” for that, but as he points out here, that would not be rejecting him, it would be rejecting God. And of course, that means that those who are so stri­dent in defense of assorted sexual aberrations are rejecting God. As it says in Psalm 36:1, there is no fear of God in their hearts. That again is a natural offshoot of the whole atheistic movement that has the theory of evolution as a cornerstone. They deny that there is a God in order to deny accountability before Him. The amazing thing is that so many such people actually call themselves Christian! That at least is on the decline, so much so that what is called “mainstream media” immediately brands any genuine Christian as “extreme” or “fanatic.” I honestly never thought I’d see the day when “evangelical Christian” would be classified as a “niche group” in America, but those days are upon us. Actually labels of all sorts are increasingly useless, because there are people who genuinely love the Lord and seek to serve Him in every Christian group, and there are likewise people who don’t know Him at all in every group.

My own response to all this must of course be personal purity, as well as a commitment to strive for every member of this church to have a vital relationship with our living Lord. Courtesy of the Internet, I am bombarded with news of all the absurdity that is going on. I can have no direct impact on virtually any of it at all, but I can and must be faithful to pray. The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I pray, “Father in heaven, may Your name be hallowed. May Your kingdom come as Your will is done, as perfectly on earth as it is in heaven.” If I were in charge, I would have wiped everything out a long time ago, so it’s a good thing I’m not God! The thing is, I am aware that the seeds of everything I see going on that distresses me are in me as well; I am equally in need of God’s grace. I certainly understand what Peter wrote on the issue. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) I am to keep myself available as God’s agent so that as many as will may indeed come to repentance, for their salvation and God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There is indeed no letup to the flood of evil in the world, but there are also many who love You. I do indeed pray that Your Name would be hallowed, and neither be cursed nor dismissed. I pray that Your kingdom would come, overriding all politics and human government. Above all, I pray that Your will would be done perfectly, because that means correcting every wrong and bringing everything in subjection to and harmony with Christ. Thank You, Father, for I pray in Jesus’ name.