Lately I’ve noticed various Christians on social media lamenting pastors, politicians, and everyday Christians who “don’t know what time it is.” By this they mean to indict the same for being insufficiently angered and passive in the face of grave social and political problems facing the country.
But this has got me thinking, what time, exactly, is it, for the Christian? It seems to me our answer, obviously, must come from Scripture.
To answer this we need to know, in the truest sense, what time we live in, and what Scripture says about that time.
I would suggest that the fundamental paradigm we should have is this: We are, and each of us has been since the day we were born, living in the end of the ages.
We live in the period between Christ’s ascension to the right hand of the Father and his coming return in glory to judge the living and the dead.
Paul describes this as “the end of the ages” (1 Cor. 10:11) and urges his readers to be at warfare, spiritual warfare, against the lures of idolatry, discontentment, and sexual immorality:
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ[c] to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
Paul’s extended analogy here is of the children of Israel in the wilderness, delivered from bondage in Egypt, but not yet brought into the Promised Land. Perseverance in the faith is encouraged lest we fall like our forefathers in the wilderness for lack of faith in the promises of God.
Fundamentally, the war we’re waging as Christians is not one against the rot of the culture around us or for building a more just and Christian society — although those aims in and of themselves are noble is one of the mind.
No, the mission of the Christian in the twilight of this present age is to renew our minds by Scripture continually as we combat the flesh, the world, and the devil by God’s Word and with the help of His Holy Spirit. We are at war to capture every though and take it captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)
In hi second epistle to Timothy, Paul describes what it’s like living in the “last days,” an indictment that unmistakenly sounds like life in 2025 (2 Tim. 3:1-9):
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
Note Paul’s confidence that even though false prophets and cunning deceivers will bound, “they will not get very far.” Paul knows that the truth of God’s Word wins out over the lies of Satan. He encourages us to rest in that hope in the midst of our spiritual warfare.
For his part, Peter likewise cautions his readers that they’re living in the last days (2 Peter 3:3-4), mocked by scoffers “following their evil desires” who dismiss the imminency of the Lord’s return by pointing to the calendar and nothing a lot of time has elapsed since the issuance of prophecies about Christ’s return.
What’s Peter’s counsel (2 Peter 3:11-17) ? It’s a lot like Paul’s (emphases mine):
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
James, the brother of the Lord, similarly urges patient endurance, a decidedly peaceable and quiet posture of the Christian, not one centered on political or cultural warring (5:7-11):
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Curiously absent from these epistles is an ethos of agitation and restless energy to get into some sociopolitical fray.
Curiously absent from these epistles is counsel for how to wage a fight of political and social engagement, a fight to command the civil magistrate’s sword for a purer culture and more Christian civil polity.
This is not to say Christians may not engage in those pursuits, but fundamentally any and all political and social activism by Christians must be lived in obedience and conformity to Christ in its execution, bearing the fruit of the Spirit rather than predicated by the corruption of the flesh through sinful pursuits. And done in light of our interactions with other believers who may not always share our politics, yes, we must do so seeking unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:30)
Speaking of said fruit of the Spirit, might I suggest that those who feel called to politics or social action as a vocation do so as happy warriors? Or perhaps better to say joyous warriors? As Paul wrote the Philippian saints (4:4-9):
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
So, if you’re reading this and you, like me, are a Christian, what time is it?
It’s NOT a time to lose our cool or lose our heads. It’s NOT a time to be tossed about by every wave of doctrine, nor blown about by every wind of hot air emanating from charlatans and grifters.
It IS a time to be watchful in prayer. It is a time to be patient in trial. It is a time to be levelheaded and reasonable.
And yes, it’s always a time to rejoice in the Lord.