One Approved

Okay, the fact that I'm writing this post is proof that Harold Camping and his misguided prediction of the end of the world on May 21 at 6 p.m. was dead wrong. But I'm not rejoicing over the fact that he has once again been exposed as a fraud. I'm not rejoicing over the fact that he managed to get people talking about end times. I'm not rejoicing because he gave Christianity an undeserved black eye. Not to mention that he misled so many people who I do believe are Christians but lacked spiritual depth and maturity.

Our response to Harold Camping should be a desire to share the real truth with those who don't know it. Yes, Jesus lived a perfect sinless life. Yes, Jesus died to pay our sin debt and accepting his sacrifice for us is the only way to Heaven. Yes, Jesus rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Yes, Jesus is coming again to take all those who believe in Him to Heaven where they will live with Him for eternity. Yes, there is terrible judgment coming for all of those who reject Jesus' free gift of salvation.

When will all of this happen? Matthew 24:36-37 reminds us that no one--not Harold Camping, not any false religion that has incorrectly predicted the end times before, not even our Lord Jesus Christ--knows the day or the hour when these events will occur. A lost and dying world needs to know these things and not be left guessing or susceptible to false prophets.

When the apostle Paul was discipling Timothy, he told him: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). We need to embrace these same instructions. Let us stay grounded in the Word and seek after righteousness that pleases our Lord. Let us not be ashamed that we are children of God that were adopted into God's family through the shed blood of Christ and share the Good News that Jesus saves. Let us handle the truth of Scripture carefully; making sure that we never water down, embellish or distort in any way what God has spoken to us. Let each of us be one approved.