August 11
“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!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
The apostle Paul begins this chapter with prophetic words of warning. He foretells what is lying in the future as the time of the world runs out. In the last days before Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead, there will be dangerous days on earth, and Paul enumerates a lengthy list of ungodly deeds. Paul is speaking of the days of which Jesus warned His disciples when they asked Him, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3. Jesus’ response might be summarized with His words, “Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold,” Matthew 24:12.
People will be thinking mostly of themselves. Instead of heeding God’s Commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” Matthew 19:19, “Men will be lovers of themselves.” Their thinking and planning will center around I, me, and mine.
People will be lovers of money, against which Scripture warns us: “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For 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,” 1 Timothy 6:9-10. The sorrow and grief caused by the love of money is seen everywhere in the world.
Listen to the braggarts who speak in their pride and who, in their arrogance, blaspheme the name of God by trying to push Him out of our lives, out of our schools, out of our government, out of the workplace, and also out of our churches!
Disobedience is running rampant in the five places where God calls for obedience and respect – namely, in the home, the school, the nation, the place of work, and the church. In all areas of society, people are unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, and slanderers.
In all areas of life, people lack self-control and are brutal. Multitudes are engaged in sexual abuse of both young and old people. People have lost all standards of morality and decency. People are headstrong and haughty and insist on having their own way.
Paul describes our own generation accurately with the words, “Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Like the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai, the people sit down to eat and to drink and rise up to play (Exodus 32:6).
Many have a form of religion, but it is empty and powerless. They have a man-made religion, which does not speak of sin and the Savior as it is revealed in Holy Scripture. The source of their religion is their own thinking, based on their works, by which they think that they can get to heaven – if they even believe in a heaven!
In view of all of these difficult days to come, let us work and witness with God’s Word at every opportunity we have. Let us call sin, “Sin!” Let us call people to repentance, a heartfelt sorrow for sin. Let us direct sorrowing sinners to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself on Calvary’s cross, and with His holy, precious blood washed away all our sins. Invite sinners to believe and trust in Jesus as the risen Savior who conquered sin, death, and the devil for all people. Assure others that by faith in Jesus they will have eternal life in heaven.
God have mercy upon us, and by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word keep us in the faith. Amen.