These are Perilous Times
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
2 Timothy 3:1-5
The above verses of scripture were given to us by the Apostle Paul and are so relevant to the day we are living in that they could have been written yesterday! I love the way that the Word of God is so amazingly accurate. Have you watched the news lately? Read any newspapers or magazines lately? If you have,then you have to agree that what Paul declared over 2000 years ago is 100% accurate.
The first thing Paul calls attention to is the issue of selfishness (lovers of themselves). Have you observed just how selfish people are today? Is this not the "it's all about me"generation or what? And the really heartbreaking thing is that the spirit of selfishness is just as prevelant in the church as it is in the secular world. That my friends is completely opposite of what Jesus taught us. So the question must be asked: who changed?
Selfish people also care about money.A lot. And money can be a really good thing to have as long as it doesn't become the driving force in your life. Paul noted in 1st Timothy 6:10 that " the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. " We are living in a day when material possessions are much more important to the average person then the condition of their soul,thus Paul stated that greed is the cause for some that have strayed from the faith. If you don't believe that, just give a listen to the robbers and thieves on "Christian" TV who as a matter of course twist and distort the word of God to entice the poor and unsuspecting to give them their money. Funny isn't it, how Jesus spent His time giving until He could give no more, and instructed His disciple to do likewise,yet the message of today is to get all you can because that's a sign of God's blessing on your life.
To think that money, which will one day be worth nothing, is a reason to lose your soul is mind boggling to say the least.
Some of the other traits that the Apostle Paul used to describe the condition of men in our day include unthankful,unholy,headstrong,lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.I can't think of a more accurate description of many people I know then this. And yes,that includes many in our churches as well! As I have traveled and ministered in many churches I have seen pride of self in so many people to the extent that they are all but unreachable with the gospel.
No wonder then that Jesus said to the church of Laodicea "“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. " (Rev 3:15-18)
Do you not know people like this today thathave this same haughty attitude? Both in the world and in the church!
Finally, Paul mentions that these people have aform of godliness but we are to turn away from them. Now who do you suppose he is referring to here? Who else but people in the church would have a form of godliness? Certainly not the people of the world. No,Paul is talking about people who call themselves Christians. But look closely at what else Paul says about these types of church goers. They deny the power of godliness. In other words, they will not allow the life changing message of the gospel to penetrate their hearts,for to do so would cause them to become new creatures in Christ!
It all goes back to the word SELFISH. Men and women today want everything their way....and that includes their religion. Christians today love to say they believe in the power of the cross, yet they won't get close to it. They love to say we are God's children,yet they want very little to do with the correction that a Father imparts. They want to try to accumulate enough good deeds so that at the end of their life they will have done enough to win God's favor,all the while rejecting the FREE gift of God's plan of salvation!
Paul emphatically declares that we are to stay away from such people,not embrace them!
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
2 Timothy 3:1-5
The above verses of scripture were given to us by the Apostle Paul and are so relevant to the day we are living in that they could have been written yesterday! I love the way that the Word of God is so amazingly accurate. Have you watched the news lately? Read any newspapers or magazines lately? If you have,then you have to agree that what Paul declared over 2000 years ago is 100% accurate.
The first thing Paul calls attention to is the issue of selfishness (lovers of themselves). Have you observed just how selfish people are today? Is this not the "it's all about me"generation or what? And the really heartbreaking thing is that the spirit of selfishness is just as prevelant in the church as it is in the secular world. That my friends is completely opposite of what Jesus taught us. So the question must be asked: who changed?
Selfish people also care about money.A lot. And money can be a really good thing to have as long as it doesn't become the driving force in your life. Paul noted in 1st Timothy 6:10 that " the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. " We are living in a day when material possessions are much more important to the average person then the condition of their soul,thus Paul stated that greed is the cause for some that have strayed from the faith. If you don't believe that, just give a listen to the robbers and thieves on "Christian" TV who as a matter of course twist and distort the word of God to entice the poor and unsuspecting to give them their money. Funny isn't it, how Jesus spent His time giving until He could give no more, and instructed His disciple to do likewise,yet the message of today is to get all you can because that's a sign of God's blessing on your life.
To think that money, which will one day be worth nothing, is a reason to lose your soul is mind boggling to say the least.
Some of the other traits that the Apostle Paul used to describe the condition of men in our day include unthankful,unholy,headstrong,lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.I can't think of a more accurate description of many people I know then this. And yes,that includes many in our churches as well! As I have traveled and ministered in many churches I have seen pride of self in so many people to the extent that they are all but unreachable with the gospel.
No wonder then that Jesus said to the church of Laodicea "“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. " (Rev 3:15-18)
Do you not know people like this today thathave this same haughty attitude? Both in the world and in the church!
Finally, Paul mentions that these people have aform of godliness but we are to turn away from them. Now who do you suppose he is referring to here? Who else but people in the church would have a form of godliness? Certainly not the people of the world. No,Paul is talking about people who call themselves Christians. But look closely at what else Paul says about these types of church goers. They deny the power of godliness. In other words, they will not allow the life changing message of the gospel to penetrate their hearts,for to do so would cause them to become new creatures in Christ!
It all goes back to the word SELFISH. Men and women today want everything their way....and that includes their religion. Christians today love to say they believe in the power of the cross, yet they won't get close to it. They love to say we are God's children,yet they want very little to do with the correction that a Father imparts. They want to try to accumulate enough good deeds so that at the end of their life they will have done enough to win God's favor,all the while rejecting the FREE gift of God's plan of salvation!
Paul emphatically declares that we are to stay away from such people,not embrace them!