But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
As a Christian and follower of Jesus, it’s verses in the bible like this that can cause controversy. Not just among non-believers but more so among Christians. Non-believers may find the words in these verses to be harsh, judgemental, and legalistic.
For some Christians, these verses may not be relevant today, they come across as overbearing and a sure way of scurrying away potential non-believers from Christ, and therefore verses to be avoided for a Sunday sermon.
The time we live in today is evidence that God’s Word is true. Man is a lover of self. When I use the word man, I am referring to men, women, and even children. I am not going to excuse or minimize the bible, as God’s Word is very clear - man is self-centered, egotistical, and self-absorbed.
It’s not who you are but who we are. Every person falls into this category, all due to the fall of our great parents in the garden of Eden. When we read the creation in the beginning chapters of Genesis, it was all intended for Adam and Eve. But, it was not enough, in fact, God was not enough. They wanted to be independent of God - they wanted to be like God.
This desire for independence or to be like God was the motor that propelled them to be alienated from God. We see the evidence in human history and specifically in the bible, once we remove God from culture and society, civilizations are sure to crumble.
Look at today’s headlines, and you are sure to find human behavior that aligns with these verses, evidence that man’s devious evil behavior will escalate in the last days.
Once sin runs out of control, it will create chaos, destruction, and death. The only way to address the issue of sin - is to speak about it and the solution.
God has given us all a conscience to know good and evil, to know right and wrong. We don’t need the bible to tell us that the world is getting crazier every day and that people are self-centered and out of control - we have enough understanding to know this.
The only way to stop the momentum of man’s deepening fall into self, is Jesus Christ. The Bible says, once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become a new creation in Him. It doesn’t mean we are perfect and free of sin; it means the former person's deeds are buried in Christ.
It is now time to lose our lives in Christ, take up the cross, and follow Jesus.
The Bible Speaks - Christians should avoid the behavior in verses 2 Timothy 3:1-5. And the believer is to avoid such people too. Let’s remember we are in this world, but we are not of this world.
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