Just a few thoughts after reading many of your post.
The moderation expressed here is commendable.
The 'wheat' & 'tare's' are now to be seen by all mankind, as we were told.
We were also told that things would get much worse before things were wound up.
Isn't this why we have been given armour individually made for us?
Don't you think that every time there is a new 'tare' declared
eg. no virgin birth, no risen Christ, ''Chariots of the gods,'' ''De Vinci code'' etc that it makes people who sit on the fence choose to go Gods way or to reject Him & face the penalties.? Doesn't this sort out some of the 'tare's' from the whole. What makes me choose correctly to go Gods way/ often a kick up the backside. How about you??
Yes, see that is all we can do. Our individual armour is based on our free will. How much each of us wants to learn the word, but the key word here is APPlicaation the of bible doctrine, epignosis doctrine. For it does no good for us to learn it if we don't apply it and in the end only God really know's who has really achieved in putting this armour on for His name sake.
Things I beleive will definately get worse, in my life time I really can't say to what degree for my time is getting shorter.
Of course I think people choose everyday for or against Christ, but after choosing? what are they doing with this new life?, again only God know's? Like I have said in many of my post's, it's free will of mankind to choose one way or the other. We make decisions all day long, but the BIGgest decision we can make is to "Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." MAny don't after salvation, which is very sad indeed.
The tares of this world after salvation (unless they go further into doctrine) don't even know? that they will be disciplined or whatever from the Lord after they chose to beleive, but non the less, they are still guilty of the crime. I am quite sure the Lord's gives ALL of us (mature and baby beleivers) kicks up the backside, I know I have received many of them. But those that are negative to grow after salvation, he kicks and kick's, some may understand the kicking, some may not? I know a couple of christians that pray, but have NEVER confessed their sins, (1 John 1:9) nor studiy the word and yet they beleive that all their WEalth is from the Lord. The most they do is, close their eyes, open the bible and point to a passage, and then open their eyes and look down at the passage they pointed to and say "Ah, this is what the Lord wants me to do", this is the extent of their learning. What they don't know is that they are beleivers OUT of fellowship, working God as some Genie, and they FULLY beleive that this is how the Lord is to be worshipped. But if they knew ANYthing about the Lord at all, they would know that they are apostate and legalist and don't know anything about the plan of God, so they are in reversionism. I also know that they devil gives to those that are very far away from the Lord, so to those that are, they really think these monetary blessings (wealth) are from the Lord, which they are not. After a while they Lord stop's His kicking, He KNEW in eternity past they would NEVER learn His word, and some of these I am sure dies the sin unto death. It still all comes down to free will....are we for Christ? or aren't we? All we have to do is choose to grow after or not, many do not. Sad!