Living as Saints in Tribulation

Introduction

False Prophets and Christs

“See that no one leads you astray.”

Christ’s chief concern when it comes to telling us of things to come is a warning against being led astray. If there is one thing that we are to take away from these chapters, it is this warning.

This warning assumes some things which Jesus goes on to explain going forward:

If you are not careful, you are likely to be led astray. It is easy to become assured of our steadfastness, like we will never be duped by the lies of Satan and the world. However, the devil certainly knows how to present unbelief and falsehood in such a way as to appeal to you and deceive you if you are not careful and humble. Think of the Apostle Peter, who in Matt 26:35 declared so desparately:

Matthew 26:35 ESV

Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!”

Only to deny his Lord a few short hours later. Later, Peter would fall into the lies of hypocrisy and people pleasing where he had to be rebuked by the Apostle Paul (Gal 2:11-14). Peter was the chief of the Apostles, the first Apostle to declare that Jesus was the Christ by revelation from God the Father. If he could be deceived, if could fall into weakness, so can you. In Matt 24:24 Jesus tells us:

Matthew 24:24 ESV

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

It isn’t possible to lead astray the elect to such a degree as to take them from God’s salvation, but if it were even slightly possible they would certainly be successful. Therefore, we are told to watch with great care, for you are certainly vulnerable to deceit if you are not hiding in Christ by faith continually. This is what the elect do, they have faith which drives them to the Saviour and he protects them from these lies. But the one who casually and carelessly walks through this world is much more likely to show himself to not be elect when these temptations come, for they do not rely on Christ with such fervency and faith and so at best the elect may lose all but their souls, and at worst a professing Christian may be shown to never have truly known God as elect. Never use election as an excuse for spiritual laziness, that is the kind of thing the non-elect do.

“For many will come in my name saying ‘I am the Christ’ and they will lead many astray.” false teaching and false christs are not an uncommon occurrence, and it is not uncommon for people to be led astray. This may come in many forms, whether it is the preaching of a Christ that is not fully God, such as the Arians did, or a Christ that is not fully united with mankind, such as the Nestorians did. It may be a Christ that is simply a prophet, such as the Muslims believe, or a Christ that is simply a good teacher, such as many other religions and even many atheists believe. It may be someone who may not declare themselves to be Christ in so many words, but puts themselves forward as a king and Saviour of humanity, whether a religious figure like Mohammed or Joseph Smith, or a political figure and many have put themselves forward as the saviour of the people. Finally, this may show itself in someone who outright says they are Jesus come again. Whatever the case, these preach a Christ or display a saving king other than the Jesus of the Bible. They call you to place your hope in another, and many will be led astray.

We also see this in the many claims of having a date of Jesus second coming. We are told never to believe in a purported coming of Christ if we do not see it with our own eyes. Do not believe anyone when they tell you Jesus is coming back on such and such a date, or Jesus came back come and see him.

Though there burns in us a desire to see our Lord, which the devil will take advantage of when these lies are told, we cannot believe it unless we see it with our eyes. Even if these claims come with signs and wonders and miracles, we are to not give it any credence. We should long for the day and pray for it, but do not believe it until you see it because many will be led astray by all kinds of things, including miracles. When Jesus comes, you will see him in the clouds, he will be the Jesus of the Bible, the dead will rise, and the angels will come and bring us to him. Anything short of that experience must not be given any of our attention at all.

So we see that this warning assumes that we can be deceived if we are not careful, that many will try to deceive us, and that many will be deceived. Friends will be deceived, our favourite preachers may be deceived, our family may be deceived, whole denominations and churches may be deceived, so above all let us take care. Of all the dangers that lurk for the Christian in this life, deception is by far the greatest.

Persecutions

The second warning in this text is the warning of persecution. Persecution is consistently communicated as a normal, expected part of the Christian life in this world before Christ comes again in glory. John 15:20

John 15:20 ESV

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

1 Peter 4:12–14 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

It is clear that this is to be expected, and history has shown us the consistency of persecution against God’s people. Whether it was the Jews in the first days of the church, the Roman Empire in the first few hundred years, the slaughter of eastern and African Christians during the rise of Islam and still today, or persecution of Protestants during and after the Reformation, the brutal treatment of Christians under Communist and Fascist Regimes in the last 100 years, or the continued persecution of Christians around the world today, persecution is part of Christian life. While in the west this kind of brutal persecution seems far away, it is the reality for most Christians today and in the history of the Church.

The danger here is not primarily to our bodies, of which we have assurance of restoration in the resurrection of the dead, but the danger lies in the pressure for our souls; to give up the spiritual life we have tasted in Christ for the temporary, shadowy life of this world. True life is only achieved through a death to self, and this commitment to eternal life is shown in our willingness to lay down what little life we have here.

Persecution is where the metal of our faith is tested. It is the refining of our faith where we are forced to choose this world or the next without being able to keep both. For those of strong faith, to die for Christ is an honour as it means to die with Christ in a spiritual sense. To embody his death in the hope of embodying his resurrection. These are things we can discuss endlessly in the safety of our church buildings and seminaries, but is it something we actually believe? Is it something we hold only so firmly that we would give up everything in this life to obtain it? Will we step out and let God catch us? For the faithful, it is an assurance of things hoped for. But for the weak and worldly, it is a devastating experience that can leave our faith broken.

And so, we must be prepared for this too. It is worth taking time to sit down, think about the blessings in our life, our possessions, our health, our family, and our own lives, and genuinely ask whether we are willing to give these things up for the life that is to come. In this, we remember the words of Christ in Luke 14:26-27

Luke 14:26–27 ESV

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

With “hate” here meaning something more along the lines of “disregard”. The word in English always implies hostility, but in Greek it can also imply a passivity or lack of concern for something. While the Scriptures elsewhere calls us to honour our father and mother and to love all, the sense Jesus means here is that when it comes to the relationships of this world versus our devotion to the Kingdom of God, we must disregard these most important relationships and the status they hold in our hearts in pursuit of a much greater calling.

Wars and Disasters

The final two warnings can be grouped together as they are similar in their scope and effect on us, and this is the presence of wars and natural disasters in this present age of tribulation. Certainly, this is nothing new in the world: wars and disasters have been on this planet as long as mankind has been apart from God. However, while before Christ’s coming these things existed with the world being subjected to evil spiritual rulers, in this age the Messiah has taken all rule and authority as his by right and by conquest of the Satanic powers. It may surprise us, then, that these things continue to be. How can such destruction and bloodshed continue to exist if the Kingdom of God has come?

First, wars continue because while the forces of evil are conquered, they are not idle. They continue to rage against God and continue to lead the hearts of godless men into conflict and bloodshed. Just as a wounded animal is most vicious, so a mortally wounded devil lashes out most desperately.

Second, in God’s mercy he has extended the time of mankind on earth before the day of judgement so that they may have many chances to repent. In fact, the text seems to indicate that Christ will come only when humanity will have destroyed itself completely if it were allowed to keep going. Such is God’s patience with us. However, God continues to speak to people, both with blessings and disaster. Just as blessings in this world are but a taste of the life to come, so disaster in this world is but a taste of the final death. Since the wicked share in those blessings, the righteous will also share in the disasters of this age. It is God’s desire that we should avoid these, and so Christ graciously warns his disciples of the coming destruction on Jerusalem. However, to live in this world is to share, for a little while, in this minor taste of death just as Christ Jesus shared in it for our sake. We share in Christ’s ministry, and so we remain on this earth as a witness and bear its griefs of sickness, earthquakes, famines, volcanoes, avalanches, bombing, looting, shooting, and more. Surely Christ got sick in this world, for he bore our sicknesses and to share in the human condition he must have experienced it. Christ suffered hunger, fatigue, he was caught up in the political turmoil of his day, and he experienced grief and loss. If Christ endured such things in this life in his ministry to us, we are are called to the same things because a servant is not greater than his master. They persecuted him, yet, but he bore many other things which we must bear here as well, striving to show through our endurance of these things the hope we have in glory.

If this is difficult to accept, remember the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:18

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

We must trust that, when all is said and done and we see the sufferings of this life from the perspective of the next, we will be able to agree with all our heart. Just as a nightmare is terrifying, but when we awake it seems like a silly thing and does not bother us again, so the sufferings of this life, while very real and threatening now, will be remembered as but a dream compared to the reality of glory.

In all these things as well, we are called to stand firm. Many turn away from the faith because of disaster. “How could God allow this to happen to me?” is asked by many over the years and in all the world. In humility, we must admit we deserve no better, and know that we will get no worse. It has been said that this world is the closest the saint will ever get to hell and the sinner will ever get to heaven. While it certainly is difficult to understand why God allows his church to share in the tribulations of this time, our call to endure in faith stands. In this world you will experience difficult and even terrible things. This is part of living in this world and in this age of tribulation. As the temple of God in this age, as the way in which Christ remains present in this world, the church must endure these things in the hope of the life and glory to which we are striving.

Conclusion

How can we stand fast?

Meditate on the truth so you are not overcome by lies.

Engage in Christian disciplines so that you will be able to endure.

Love the Church so that you may experience glory in a troubled world.

Seek the end!