Perilous Times?

I got an email one time with a ‘prophetic warning’ that started out by saying, ‘in these perilous times’. That should have been a tip-off. The warning was useless, and uninformed. But the phrase ‘in these perilous times’ caught my attention, I didn’t respond at the time, but I have since reflected on that phrase. My question is what about these times is more perilous than other times? I think all times are perilous for those rebelling against God and His Christ, but what makes the times perilous for those in Christ. My answer is nothing. If we are in Christ the times are not perilous they are glorious. Paul says, “To live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21) In other words we cannot lose. If we live, we live in Christ and have marvelous friends and great ministry opportunities. If we die we enter our reward. So why the fear about perilous times? I think it comes from bad eschatology, and a distorted image of God. The bad eschatology is based upon a system that thinks things are going to get worse and worse until at the very last second we are raptured away. After that things will get real bad for seven years until Christ returns. I think this eschatology is built around a misinterpretation of scripture which interprets scriptures meant to describe the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. for today. But the bigger problem than the eschatological question is the image of God question. The phrase perilous times given to Christians imply salvation hanging by a thread. It pictures a God who is looking for an excuse to condemn; one slip and you’ll lose it all. I am not arguing here one way or another about eternal security, but I am saying God has revealed His will in Jesus Christ as a God who is willing, able and eager to save. Christians, seeking to do God’s will, living by faith and taking risks are not in peril. It is too bad many live their lives in fear of a God who loves them and miss the largeness of His saving heart.