AMONG the many moving stories narrated in the Bible is that of Demas. St. Paul writes, “Demas hath forsaken me . . .” (2 Tim. 4:10). What tragic circumstances were connected with these words. The great apostle was in prison, he was lonely, “Only Luke is with me.” And to add bitterness and pain to his sense of loneliness was the fact that “Demas hath, forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica.”
Here, in one brief sentence, is the story of spiritual suicide. Think of it, after being a friend. and companion of a man like Paul, there was a deflection, a failure, a collapse, and the reason given by Paul was, “Demas . . . loved this present world,” or, as Ferrar Fenton translates it, “Demas loving the present age.”
How did this spiritual suicide come about? “Having loved this present age.” Demas had gradually been enticed away from his high calling by the fascination of the “present age.” Gradually the “spirit of the age” cast an awful spell over him. The ways of the “present age” and those of Paul! What a contrast!
THE spirit of the age was one of moral laxity, religious licence and material luxury. The ways of Christ are of self-denial, spiritual discipline and material renunciation.
The age of Demas offered wealth, position, pleasure. These were its enticing gifts. Have things changed so much? Is not the same peril before us to-day? Is not the same sin responsible to-day for many of our spiritual calamities? A love, inordinate love, of the present age. Where is the emphasis being placed to-day? Is it on this present age or on the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ? Demas loved the age, Paul loved the appearing.
EVERYWHERE the disastrous fascination of this age is upon us. Where are we Christians to-day? Are we with Luke helping Paul? Or are we slipping away with Demas? Are we getting tired of the self-denial, the hardness, the loneliness, the stigma of the Cross? Are we being, weakened by the things which are “seen”? Are we hankering after Thessalonica? You don’t go to church? You don’t read your Bible any more? You never think of Christ? How do you fare at Thessalonica? Is there a real satisfaction in your heart?
In loving the present age, have you gained it? Do you own it, enjoy it? No, every moment it is slipping away from you, leaving you a spiritual wreck, a spiritual suicide. Get back to Paul, back to self-sacrifice, self-denial, back to discipleship with Christ, back to the heroics of the Cross, and the love of His appearing. |
