Polished Brass and a Sinking Ship

There is a particular view of eschatology (premillennialism) which has been criticized for its so-called pessimistic view of the present and future. The premillennialist position believes that Jesus Christ is coming again and will, after a time of Great Tribulation, set up His kingdom on this earth. However, before Christ returns, moral, social, and spiritual conditions will worsen significantly. There will be a time of apostasy in the church (1 Tim. 4; 2 Tim. 3). This apostasy is defined as “a departure from truth previously accepted, involving the breaking of a professed relationship with God.” It is dispensational premillennialists who are especially singled out for criticism. Dispensationalists believe that the kingdoms of this world will fail and come to an end before the millennial kingdom, which is a literal kingdom of a thousand years (Dispensationalists hold to such core teachings as keeping the church and Israel distinct, a consistently literal interpretation of Scripture, and the glory of God in His kingdom plan). During the Great Tribulation the professing church will align itself with ecumenical and anti-God forces (Rev. 17). This scenario is in stark contrast to the dreams of a one-world ecumenical brotherhood of modern globalism One well known evangelist, a premillennialist, from a generation past is widely reported to have said that we should not bother to polish the brass on a sinking ship. The sinking ship is this world which is doomed to be judged by God. The brass polished would be efforts to make this world a better place to live. That is an over simplification, but the idea is, why waste one’s time trying to save the world, when it is sinners who need to be put in the life boats of eternal life?

Those who espouse other eschatological systems prefer to see themselves as more optimistic about the present and the future. Postmillennialists, who believe that Christ will return after the Millennium (but not a literal thousand-year time period) see this world as becoming better and better as the gospel is spread throughout the world. A Christianized world is expected according to this view. But premillenialists have been accused of being unnecessarily gloomy for other reasons. There are those who believe that Christians have a cultural mandate to establish the Lordship of Christ over every area of life; politics, medicine, education, literature, economics, etc. The basis for this view is found in Genesis 1:26-28. Since many Christians who are premillennialists have not been particularly socially active and have concerned themselves primarily with evangelism and world missions, they are seen as having contributed to the secularization of society.

How is the Christian to live in this world in view of his belief in the Second Coming of Christ? A survey of the New Testament yields keys to understanding how the believer in Jesus Christ is to live in a world destined for judgment. The key word is “watchfulness,” which is being alert to the times in which the believer lives. There is the danger of becoming intoxicated with the spirit of the age and of becoming complacent and careless in the seasons of life (Mk. 13:5, 9, 13; 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 1 Pet. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:4). Watchfulness involves commitment to a fervent, consistent, and biblically informed prayer life (Lk. 18:7; 21:36; 1 Pet. 4:7). Watchfulness means that the tears of our grief and earthly sorrows fall into the hands of a loving and returning Savior (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Phil. 3:20-21; Rom. 8:18-23; Jas. 5:7). Earthly affliction is the waiting room for our entrance into the delights of Christ’s kingdom. Watchfulness means that the truth of the coming Messiah and His coming kingdom is to be taught with clarity and consistency, and power (Acts 28:31; 2 Tim. 4:1-2). Watchfulness means that we are to be resolved in our warfare against the tyranny of sin (Rom. 13:11-14; 1 Thess. 5:1-11; 2 Pet. 3:11-15). God’s children will fight sin in the hand-to-hand combat of their personal lives and in the world around them. They will not look the other way while innocent infants are killed and ripped from the womb. The social evils of racism, child abuse, and the break-down of the home will not be allowed to strut around on the stage of life uncontested. Christians owe everyone, saved and unsaved, the debt of love. Watchfulness means that we are to be sobered by our accountability to the returning Savior and driven to please the one who will reward the faithful (Matt. 25:14-29; Heb. 2:5; 10:37, 38; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:5).

Yes, this world is a sinking ship (1Jn. 2:17; 2 Pet. 3:7). It has a rendezvous with the holy God of heaven. This is reason enough for Christians to call all sinners to the life boats of eternal life. Is caring for AIDS patients, adopting orphans, holding up a standard against the pornography industry, challenging the pernicious evil of Darwinism, and helping unwed mothers merely polishing the brass on a sinking ship? No. It is the self-sacrificing love of Christians calling desperate, soon-to-drown sinners to the hope that is in Christ Jesus. Christians, man the life boats - the Savior is coming.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church