Paul’s description of the last days sounds like people have lost control. He says “they will consider nothing sacred”….oh, you mean like police officers, government, the electoral process, different races, the unborn, gender or God himself? Seriously, I can’t imagine that our culture is much different from pagan Roman culture at this point.
Behind all sin is self, and in the last days Paul says that self will take center stage. It’s not like our desire to please ourselves has been “backstage” anyway. But now, it seems we have cast off almost every governing factor in our lives. In recent days police have been gunned down in the streets, protesters are marching for 3-4 different reasons, becoming violent and destructive at times, people have decided that they can choose their own gender, an rebellion against God himself. All of these are simply an expression of self. Our fallen nature screams out for more gratification, and much like a fire burning out of control, it will not be satisfied until there isn’t anything of value left.
That’s not a very rosy picture, is it? Well, Paul didn’t claim that the world would become better, he knew it would continue it’s downward spiral…and it has. His advice to his young counterpart is to avoid the person who is pushing that agenda. From my description above you might be thinking that Paul was describing a Neanderthal type person with glazed over eyes and crazy hair…but he goes on to say that these same people have a form of godliness. They seem religious, and they are able to convince some people (Paul speaks of women who are struggling with many sins) to follow them. Since God sees us for what we are, not what we present to the public, He cannot be fooled. These false teachers will fool some, but in the end they will be unmasked as the deceivers they really are. Here’s my concern: how many people will they lead astray before they are found out? Will one of these fakers influence my friends and family? Will one of them come to my town and cause people who could be headed to heaven to abandon their quest? and thinking of that…how can they be stopped?
I think that might have been going through Paul’s head as he points to two stabilizing truths: the Scripture itself, and the people who have followed it wholeheartedly. In these times of instability, we have an unshakeable truth to cling to. God’s Word is alive and active. God’s Word is contemporary and relevant. It teaches us what is wrong and what is right. It guides us to make right decisions. and for those who are just beginning the journey, Paul points to the fellowship of believers. We aren’t given a Bible and a pat on the back when we accept Christ, and then left to our own devices. We have friends. We have fellow disciples who have learned from the mistakes of others, made their own mistakes, and now are willing to pass their accumulated knowledge on to us. What a privilege! Whoever said they can be a Christian without going to church has no idea what being a Christian entails. Fellowship with other believers is part of the process!
Paul gives a couple of pointers to Timothy that will help spot the true disciple. Faith, patience, love, endurance and all these mingled with persecution. Squeeze the true disciple and love comes out… not hate, not bitterness, not a call to rush to judgment.
I desire to be the person who Paul describes himself to be. I know this isn’t possible without the Holy Spirit, so I choose also to be open to His leading and equipping as well. I understand it’s a process, but I also know that this process has expected outcomes at pre-anticipated points, and I strive to meet those expectations with the help of the Holy Spirit.
How about you? Do you live to gratify your own desires, or to allow Christ to live through you?
moving forward,
PR