As I gaze upon the pages of the sacred text, I can’t help but feel a sense of mystery and wonder at the revelations it holds about the end times. As believers, we can rest assured that the Lord has revealed His plan for the future to us through His Word. The Bible tells us that as the end draws near, society will become increasingly wicked and many will turn away from the faith. Though these events may be unsettling, we can find solace in the knowledge that the Lord is sovereign and will ultimately bring about His righteousness and justice.

We don’t have to be prophets to gaze upon the cultural landscape to be able to see that the moral decline we are currently witnessing in the world will likely continue into 2023. The Bible speaks of this decline as a sign that the end is near, as society becomes ever more depraved. In 2 Timothy 3:1-4, Paul writes that in the end times, people will become “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” This passage gives us a glimpse into the various ways in which moral decay will manifest itself in the end times.

But we must not lose hope, for the Lord is sovereign and will ultimately bring about His justice and righteousness, as we read in Psalm 9:7-8: “But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.”

The Bible also foretells of a great falling away, or apostasy, that will occur in the end times. This is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which states that this apostasy will take place “before the Day of the Lord comes.” This refers to a widespread abandonment of the Christian faith by those who had previously professed to follow Jesus. As we near the end, we can expect to see the visible church, both in America and around the globe, experience division and schism as false converts reveal themselves through acts of deconstruction and apostasy, as predicted in the Bible. More and more conservative Southern Baptist churches will depart the denomination as it continues its drift toward liberalism. Same with the Presbyterian Church (PCA).

But the true bride of Christ – those who are genuinely devoted to following Jesus and living according to His teachings – will stand strong and remain faithful. As Jesus says in Matthew 24:13, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” This verse reminds us that it is through endurance and perseverance in the faith that we will ultimately be saved. A handful of strong conservative churches will continue to hold fast to what is good as clear lines are drawn in the sand regarding what is and what isn’t acceptable for churches and Christians to partake in.

The Bible also urges us to be vigilant against false teaching and apostasy. In 1 Timothy 4:1, it says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” This verse reminds us to be on guard against false teaching and to be diligent in upholding the truth of the Gospel. Ephesians 4:14 further advises us to grow in our faith and to be grounded in the truth of the Gospel, rather than being swayed by false teaching and deceitful practices: “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.”

As the year 2023 approaches, it appears very likely that conservatives, particularly Bible-believing Christians, may continue to feel the weight of societal pressure to conform to the world’s standards – even when those standards embrace and celebrate evils like the LGBTQ movement, transgenderism, and abortion. If we do not succumb to this pressure, we may be ostracized and further isolated from society. However, the Bible reminds us that as Christians, we must remain faithful to God and His teachings, no matter what the world may demand of us. Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We are called to resist the temptation to conform to the values of the world, and instead allow our minds to be transformed by the Word of God, so that we may discern and follow His will for our lives.

Despite the challenges that may come our way, the true bride of Christ – those who are truly devoted to following Jesus and living according to His teachings – will stand strong and remain faithful. Through endurance and perseverance in the faith, we can be assured of our ultimate salvation. It is our duty as believers to be vigilant against false teaching and apostasy, and to be firmly rooted in the truth of the Gospel.