First, the delay provides the Lord with the opportunity to test Christians under certain circumstances that would not be possible in any other way. The Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents (motives) of the heart (Hebrews 4:12), but such “discerning” or “judging” of our motives is most “revealing” when exposed in the context of definite events and circumstances in the experiences of our lives.
When contemplating this in light of what I consider the overwhelming evidence and multitudinous signs which been present and increasing over a number of years, most Christians who are aware of this and living in expectancy of the Lord’s return, tend to have a greater motivation to give themselves to seeking the Lord, study of His word and generally want to live in the conscious awareness of how to please the Lord. However, when year after year goes by and the Lord has not returned, the human tenancy, even among Christians, is to lose the “cutting edge” of their spiritual interest and “pursuit” of Christ as the primary focus of their lives, and become somewhat careless and indifferent, or even worse begin to turn to more “worldly pursuits” and like the steward of Luke 12:45 let the carnality of the heart get the “upper hand” in one’s life and attitudes.
The language of Luke 12:45 need not just be taken absolutely literally, but indicative of an attitude of selfish ambition which begins to take advantage of others for one’s own advancement, and the “imbibing” of the “spirit” of this world to where one becomes insensitive to spiritual things. The ultimate in this process is described in Matthew 24:12; “and because lawlessness shall abound, the love of many (Christians) shall grow cold.” The increasing allurements of a pleasure-mad world become too much to resist, and love for the Lord gets put into “cold storage.”
Tragically, I have seen this happen: People whose dedication to the Lord seemed to be solid and steadfast; but time goes by, the Lord delays His coming, allurements of the world increase, gradually these people drift into worldly pursuits, sometimes even flagrant sin, and this “testing time” of the Lord’s delay finds them woefully wanting.
Continued on next posting. . .
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