Christians in the modern era are not like Apostle Paul, who was once in danger from rivers, bandits, the Jews, and Gentiles. However, we should be reminded that there are various kinds of danger in this age too.
There will be terrible times in the last days. (2Tim 3.1, NIV)
Apostle Paul described in detail the dangers in the last age:
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Tim 3.2-5, NIV)
Looking at the world and people around us, these dangers are often seen. Besides these observable dangers, Christians should avoid being trapped since there are so many dangers around us.
The following are detailed descriptions on "trapped Christians".
1 Christians that are half asleep.
I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking:"Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one.My head is drenched with dew,my hair with the dampness of the night."(Song of Solomon 5.2, NIV)
As the bride of Christ, Christians should welcome Jesus as soon as He knocks. However, lazy Christians that are half asleep would not recognize Christ when he comes.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (Rev 3.20)
Jesus is knocking at your door. He is waiting to come into your heart. Christians that are only half awake are in danger. The mind and spirit should be kept clear to recognize Jesus' knock.
2 Christians that are half-dead.
To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.(Rev 3.1-2, NIV)
We are born again in Christ. The new life should always be connected with the life of Christ, just as a branch should remain on the vine to bear fruit.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.For, "In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay."And,"But my righteous[b] one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back."But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. (Heb 10.36-39)
Jesus granted us eternal life so we should endure to the end. Never be a half-dead Christian. We should allow the truth change to our view so we can live a better God-centered life.
3 Christians that are unconscious.
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. (Mat 24.37-39)
God told Noah to build an ark. If a Christian is unconscious, he can not recognize God's will or see the revelation, love, and grace of God, let alone God Himself.
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Tim 6.9-10, NIV)
People who do not know God in the world are busy in their daily routines, unconscious of God's will. Unfortunately, many Christians are also unconscious, their minds occupied by the world. We should have foresight, never being the last person to know.
4 Christians that are lukewarm.
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Rev 3. 14-16)
There are two reasons that Christians become lukeward: forgetting God's Grace and living for themselves and being arrogant due to making a fortune.
Why would these lead a Christian to be lukewarm? The Bible records a story of ten lepers healed by Jesus where nine of them forget to give thanks to Him. The Bible also records Jesus' censure to the church in Laodicea saying that those who are rich in their own conceit are in fact wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
I hope that we could be Christians worthy of the name, receiving abundant blessings from God.
-Translated By: Alice Wang
