How do we live in the last days of the church? The Apostle Paul wrote that people would become selfish, proud, lovers of money, and disobedient to parents. Paul tells Timothy that the final period before Christ will come. with people acting with intense selfishness, loving money, pride, and pleasure instead of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4).
Warning of difficult times
1) Perilous times will come before Christ returns. He will bring intense moral pressure and hardship.
2) People will become self-centered with a selfish heart. People will love themselves and money more than anything else.
3) There will be pride and harsh words. Individuals will boast, act arrogant, and speak evil of God or each other.
4) There will be broken relationships, with children disobeying and people displaying no gratitude, loyalty, or natural love.
5) Lack of control will cause men and women to act brutally, be reckless, and unable to control their anger or desires.
What is the core problem?
Are we looking at pleasure over God? The root issue is that people prefer chasing temporary fun and selfish joy instead of loving God.
Paul is a prisoner of the Lord and is preoccupied with the future of the gospel. His mind dwells on the evil of the times, not on the diffidence of Timothy. Timothy was so strong.
The word was used to let all know that we should not look to danger, wickedness and depraved ways. We must look at the nature of people in the last days. In his description, he warns of the last days. Paul issued this command: ‘Have nothing to do with such people.’
Paul highlights these attributes
Paul says to Timothy: ‘I have a long list of sinful behaviors [‘de-ob-bi-loy’ in the Greek] this are contrary to God’s will.’ In ‘verse 5’ he tells Timothy to avoid those who state they are Christians with their mouths. They have a form of godliness, but are only acting as believers. As unbelievers, they deny the power of godliness. Those who have only a form of godliness are those who make such an outward display of religion.
They present themselves as godly, but it is all for show. There is no power behind their religion, as evidenced in the face that their lives are unchanged.
They speak of God but live in sin, but they are fine with themselves. All false Christians are destructive, and Paul warns that they will creep into households and make captive gullible women loaded down with sin. They will be led away by various lusts. At best, some were always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
We need the power of God, through the transformation of the Holy Spirit that is in our lives.
