2 Timothy 3:1-5“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, 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.”
Paul is warning Timothy that difficult days are ahead. We are living in the last days, which we call end times. The “last days” began after Jesus’ resurrection and Pentecost and will continue until Christ’s second coming. Deception of truth has always been throughout periods in history and will increase as Christ’s return draws near. Paul warned that wickedness will increase. Therefore, Paul commanded Timothy to preach the gospel and be more assertive in teaching to “reprove, rebuke and exhort” true doctrine found in God’s Word (2 Tim. 4:1) exposing false doctrine, false philosophy, and savage thinking that becomes accepted and with intensity and boldness as the Rapture comes closer. Paul told Timothy, we are living in “terrible times” (2 Tim. 3:1 NIV) and I think it has been increasingly so in our current time. Just yesterday there was a warning for California that we will have blackouts this Summer due to drought, and capacity short falls. It was labeled as an energy emergency, that will also affect the Southwest and the Midwest as well, discovered on an electric grid analysis.
Romans 1:18-32 describes God’s wrath revealed by unrighteousness and wickedness of people and verse 24 states, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,” and verse 25 states, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” So prophetically and historically, Paul describes declining morality and difficult days ahead as Christ’s second coming draws near. I see this happening every week.
Note the words “lovers of self.” Listen to people’s conversations and note how many times they use the word “I.” Being self-focused is more and more prominent. Lucille Ball is quoted as saying, “Love yourself first and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” I found on the web, “201 Love Yourself Quotes for Happiness and Inner Strength. Loving yourself is one of the best things you can do to improve the quality of your life. It will make your life happier and lighter.” By Henrik Edberg. He is an author who lives in Sweden and has been writing about living a happier life. This thinking has falsely told people that putting yourself first will give you a better healthy personality. However, Proverbs 29:23 declares, “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” C. S Lewis said, “God hates pride because it is a manifestation of the deepest depravity, the root cause of all forms of sin . . . the utmost evil, is Pride.”
One must have a balanced outlook on oneself. Paul said in Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” We all have strengths and weaknesses. God has given you talents and gifts to strengthen the body of Christ. Each of us has a calling from God upon our lives, and we are to live for the glory of God, our creator. “The moment a man makes his own will the center of life, divine and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and charity to men both become impossible. The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement but obliteration of self.” (Barkley). James 4:6 needs to be applied daily, “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
I have to remind myself to live my life one day at a time, to the best of my ability. We are running out of time to share the gospel and be a living example of a life transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. We are one day nearer Christ’s return than we were yesterday. Our political government will not be able to save the day. When one lives in looking for the Lord’s return expectantly, fears of today, and discouragements, all get put back into the perspective Christ desires, because there is coming a day when in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, all will be judged, and every knee will bow before Him. Time is running out. Jesus said in Revelation 22:12, “Behold I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Time is running out. We are living in the “last days” of 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Listen to Danny Gokey – Jesus People (Official Lyric Video) January 13, 2022.