(OPINION) Charisma – Have you ever been driving and come upon a road sign that said, “Danger Ahead: No access”? Did you look down the road and think, “It doesn’t look that bad.” Then continue on? I made that mistake one time. The road eventually washed out, and I had to back my way out.
Fortunately, I could back my way out. I have read about some who were not so fortunate. We are facing similar situations in the church of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul put up a warning sign in his second letter to the Church of Thessalonians. “… even him, whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all deception of unrighteousness among those who perish, because they did not receive the love for the truth that they might be saved.
Therefore God will send them a strong delusion, that they should believe the lie: that they all might be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:9-12). The apostle wrote a similar warning to his spiritual son Timothy, “Now the Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith and pay attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their consciences seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:1-2).
The danger for the church today is looking at the warning signs and saying, “It is not that bad.” They do not recognize the extreme danger facing them because they do not love the truth. So many in the church have been steeped in rationalism and relativism they no longer accept the absolute truth of the Word of God. READ MORE