We speak of the end times to come, but I say to you all ‘it is here’ the times as described in many places in the Bible are showing themselves all around us. We can see them clearly in a few verses in 2Timothy 3:1-5. These verses show us that the signs of the times are all around us, we need only open our eyes and there they are. Sometimes we need not just to look around us, but at ourselves as well.
The Bible clearly states in the first verse of chapter 3, that we should know this, that in the end times, these signs will come; Verse 2 says, Men will be lovers of themselves, they will think only they are right, the rest of the world could learn something from them. Covetous, lovers of money and things, making excuses that they are serving God by doing so, but really only serving the things of this world. Attempting to prepare for a future by their own abilities and never relying on God to provide, so they miss out on the riches God has to bestow. Boasters, braggarts,people who would rather brag about themselves or others around them, than to tell the truth and give God any credit at all. Pride, the root of most sin, is the most dangerous sin we can play with. It comes on stealthily, and uses our own weakness to cause us to sin.
This is why, over and over again, we are told in the Bible to be humble of spirit, not puffed up or full of ourselves. Blasphemers, Openly willing to give cause for anything to man, but never to God who created everything. Some people may say, ‘If God wanted too, He could have stopped this or that’. They ignore the fact that God has given us free will in our lives, making us responsible for going the right ways, or following the wrong paths and causing hurt to others in the process. Look at Abraham, He chose to try and help God along with the promise God had made to him concerning his offspring. He had a son, Ishmael, who was not the one God had promised to Abraham, but to this day Ishmael’s offspring are supposed to be the fathers of the twelve Arab nations that war against Israel constantly. It’s amazing what one small sin can do over time. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, after he escaped from Sodom, was taken advantage of by his daughter while he was drunk one night because she thought they were the only ones left and her father was the only man left to impregnate her. She had a son, Moab, who became the father of the Moabites, who became long time enemies of Israel. It is amazing what one small sin can do.
Disobedient to parents, As parents and as children, we need to remember that we hold three different positions in life. First, we are to raise our children in the fear, and reverence of the Lord. The best way I can explain this is the greek word for fear is Phobos, the same root word we get Phobia from. We should almost have a Phobia of displeasing God. If we do, we will both fear and reverence Him.
Secondly, we are to recognize when our children become Adults and no longer are under our guidance and tutelage. They migh listen to our advise, but that all depends on how much we have shown them the love of Christ through our lives. Thirdly, to be willing to let our children care for us when we are no longer able to care for ourselves.
Unthankful, Not willing to thank God for ALL we have. Realizing that God made all things and giving Him credit for giving us these things to care for for a time.God is letting us have things, possibly for our own use, possibly for us to bless another. Whatever reason we have these things, we should thank God for them.
Unholy, wicked or immoral without any care as to how their actions may affect others. People who ignore God unless they feel they need Him in an emergency. They ignore the obvious Creator of the Universe and live their lives for themselves, not giving anything, or at least not much, and giving only passing acknowledgment to the Creator of all things.
Verse 3 says; ‘Without natural affection’, meaning they are unable to show others, who they don’t consider important to themselves. Caring only for family and friends and not for anyone else. We were commanded to go out into the world and proclaim to all men the Good News, or Gospel, that is Jesus Christ and Him Resurrected from the dead after dying for their sins.They are people who cannot be counted on to do anything to sacrifice themselves for someone else.
Truce breakers, people who cannot be counted on to keep their word or keep the peace unless it is in their best interest to do so. False Accusers, people who would rather lie than speak the truth about someone, due to jealousy or hatred or self-worship. It is said that when you lie and put another down, it is only in an attempt to lift yourself up above them. Fierce, Having a strong or violent nature, meeting any and all disagreements with violence or anger.As we see in Jesustime, there is such a thing as righteous anger(Jesus showed it with the money changers). This was not just to show us that Jesus as well as we could be rightfully angered by injustice. It was also to show the coming judgement of the Son of God for any and all that profess to be saved but continue to act like the devil. Despisers of that which is good, Openly turning good into evil with their actions, Lovers of themselves and not of God.
Verse 4 goes on; Traitors, treacherous people who value their own desires above God’s or other peoples. People who care only for themselves. Rash to jump to a conclusion or opinion without giving thought or audience to other positions. High Minded, Conceited and full of themselves, not willing to listen or hear any differing opinions. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, wanting things of this world , and not the things of God, things that will pass away. For example, weeat when we are hungry, and in a little while we are hungry again, but Jesus has ‘meat we know not of’ waiting for us if we are only willing to believeand profess Him as our lord before men. See John 4:32. This meat will sustain us and we will never hunger in our souls again.
Verse 5 states; Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof, Those who to have the Holy Spirit and fool the men around them, but never show any outward sign of the spirit indwelling in their souls. In Acts 19:6, Paul baptized the believers who had before been followers of John the Baptist, and laid hands on them, and baptized them in the name of Jesus. They received the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy in tongues. Now not everyone who is baptized will receive the gift of the ability to speak in tongues, but should believe in God’s blessings on us. All people who are baptized in Jesus name will receive the Holy Spirit and be persuaded by It to do good works. We can deny the power of the Spirit by limiting the blessings God wants to give us. The most common way we do this is by not following the Spirit’s leading us to do something and show the Lord’s power, and spread the gospel, so that all may have the chance to be saved. We also deny the power of God by limiting the degree with which God may bestow His Gifts on us. The Bible states that all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed and we can move mountains. In England, there was a man named George Muller who started an orphanage, he was not rich and did not have a lot of money or backers, yet daily he prayed for the children in his care and asked for God to provide their daily bread. By the time he reached old age and died, Mr. Mueller helped raise over 10,000 children and had 7 different orphanages, 115 Christian Schools to help the poor to learn more about Christ. If we only believe in God, He will bless us beyond measure.All this is not to say to quit your job and rely on God to provide your needs, but trust God to provide your needs, your wants are up to you to provide. If God desires for you to have your wants then He will make it possible for you to have them, but if your wants are out of God’s will then God may let you have them, but the price you pay for them in the end will be much greater than they are worth.
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