When God is Forgotten

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the  knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done."--Romans 1:28

According to biblical prophecy, the last days on earth directly preceding the return of Jesus Christ are going to be pretty bad.

How bad? According to the apostle Paul, they're going to be this bad: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Paul recorded that prophecy 2,000 years ago. Without a doubt, that prophecy is being fulfilled in our time.

But why are we seeing such an increase in wickedness in our modern times? Because much of the world has rejected God and thus, has rejected His commandments and His transcendent moral laws. When mankind turns its back on God then depravity reigns.

In another epistle he wrote to the early church in Rome, Paul described what happens to people who reject God: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." (Romans 1:28-31)

A major part of that wickedness that Paul warned would permeate the end times has manifested in gun violence that has resulted in thousands of murders and endless tragedies. Unfortunately, since a growing number of people no longer believe in the existence of evil, they no longer believe in the fallen sinful nature that is inherent in all human beings.

So instead, many increasingly attribute gun violence to the availability of guns rather than to those who use guns to harm and destroy their victims. Yet those who are morally depraved don't need guns to harm others.

During the same week last month that Adam Lanza committed mass murder at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct. a man murdered 22 children at a Primary School in China. Since guns are outlawed in China, the man used a knife to commit mass murder.

The antidote for violence isn't more restrictive gun laws or even the elimination of the Second Amendment. It's instilling the fear and knowledge of God in human beings so that they will understand that they're morally accountable to Him for their thoughts and actions during their lifetimes here on earth. Nearly 3,000 years ago King Solomon wrote: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7)

Maybe leftists should think about what Solomon wrote before they continue to deal with the symptoms of depravity while ignoring the root causes of depravity. Getting rid of guns won't get rid of violence and murder. But getting rid of the sin that dwells in the hearts of moral reprobates most certainly will.