Dangerous times

Perilous Times

Have you noticed lately, how ordinary folk no longer have any tolerance for virtually anything outside their own ‘sphere of normality’. By that I mean that usually mild mannered people are getting excited about money; they love to tailor their own ‘image’; they take the Lord’s name in vain and so on. Paul knew about this when he wrote to Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be 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, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” This is a devastating list of the present ills of mankind, including the Church.

How many folk do you know, both inside and outside the church, who are all “Me, me, me”?. How many are obsessed with money? How many openly boast about jobs, cars, children, or money? How many are arrogant or proud – openly telling everyone how good they are; how well they are doing; challenging the rest of us to keep up with them? How many take offence at the least criticism? How many people use the Name above all names as a cuss-word or otherwise take or use His Name in vain – openly blaspheming the Name of God?

How many children wilfully disobey parents, even going so far as to use the law to get their own selfish ways? How many are totally ungrateful for anything, perhaps demanding everything as their “rights” having done nothing to earn anything bar sitting back waiting for everything to be handed to them, and then grumbling that it’s ‘not enough’? How many, even within the church, are living worldly, unholy lives; having a form of Godliness but totally denying its power?

How many do you know who are or were unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. I am certain that we all know one or two who fit into one of these categories. And what does Paul say for us to do? Turn away from such people !! It’s called being in the world but not of the world.

Actually, perhaps a better question might be – How many folk, both inside the church and outside it, do you know who DON’T fit into one of these categories. I think we probably all fit into at least one group don’t we? Living worldly, unholy lives; having a form of Godliness but to a greater or lesser extent, denying its power? The point is, none of us are perfect. If we were, then Jesus died for others but not us. If He didn’t die for us, then we are just as lost as those who deny Him, or refuse His claim on their lives.

This passage then becomes a call to holiness; a summons to a holier life; an invitation from God to us to draw closer to Him; to receive more from Him; to become more real as Christians. To take our places as children of God in the world rather than drifting further away and becoming children of darkness. However, Paul gives us all hope in Galatians 5:22-24 (NKJV)” But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

When we have the Spirit of God in our lives we have hope and the help we need to achieve a little more holiness.