But 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! For of this sort are those who creep into
households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins,
led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 NKJV
We have been discussing this passage for a few weeks now, and
considering what it tells us about many in the body living lives that
certainly don't reflect the priorities God has in mind for His own.
We have also mentioned the fact that this passage describes a
negative progression of behavior once the choice is made to love self
rather than God. Today we find what the final result of these
attitudes are as Paul explains how they are manifested in a persons
relationships with those around him.
If you take the time to closely examine the definition of each of the
words Paul uses to describe these individuals beginning with
“slanderers” and finishing with “haughty” you will find that
they all have a common thread which can best be explained as
describing a person who has become so consumed with self that he is
virtually ungovernable. No one can tell him or show him the error of
his ways because he is totally convinced that his direction and
decisions are above reproach.
The end result is a person who has made the decision that making
themselves happy, “lovers of pleasure”, is more important
than pursuing a closer relationship with God, “lovers of God”.
What Paul tells us here is that somehow Satan succeeds in
convincing believers that they should believe the lie that they can
make themselves happy by pursuing whatever they want rather than
putting God first in their lives and allowing Him to bring us the
true happiness that only He can provide. These people may go to
church, say they believe, and try to give the impression they are
true believers but because of their choice to chase happiness
themselves Paul describes them as “ having a form of godliness
but denying its power”.
How
many people do you know that fit the picture Paul gives us here?
People who want something so much that they totally ignore what God
has said in order to be “happy”? By making the choice to love
self rather than to love God, they begin to become indistinguishable
from the non-believer. Instead of being a light in a darkened world,
they blend into the darkness themselves and do harm to the body. All this because they don't really believe that God will give them what they are seeking. This is denying the power of God and His promises, which is then in reality just giving the appearance of having a true, working relationship with God. It
is because of this that Paul tells us to “turn
away” from
these types of people. The Greek word for turn away is apotrepÅ,
which
literally means to “shun
or avoid”. Why is that?
Paul goes on to tell us that these are
the sort of people who can actually turn others away from God by
convincing them that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing.
Within the body, this is best described as “compromise”. We are told that an even greater harm is done by those who
choose this path when they convince others to do the things that they
have chosen to do. This can happen when they meet a young believer
who is not yet strong or mature in their faith and is struggling with
something in their lives. They then convince the immature believer
that it is okay to compromise just as they have done in order to
bring themselves the happiness they desire. Their advice is to make
the choice of “self-love” first rather than “loving God”.
These people “talk the talk”, but never “walk the walk”.
Let no one deceive you with empty
words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the
sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For
you were once darkness, but now [you are] light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness,
righteousness, and truth),finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:6-10 NKJV
God's
answer to the question of what choice to make in a situation such as
this is perfectly clear.
Then He said to [them] all, "If
anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross daily, and follow Me.
Luke 9:23 NKJV
One of the hardest decisions we make as believers is to deny self.
It just seems so natural to want something and make the choice to
pursue it. What could be wrong with that? Yet God tells us
otherwise. Does it not make sense though that if we pursue whatever
we feel we need, we take away from God the opportunity for Him to
give it to us out of His love for us?
And my God shall supply all your
need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NKJV
I find it very interesting to look back at the introduction of sin
into the world at the Garden of Eden, and see exactly how Satan
accomplished that. Adam and Eve had all of their needs met and were
enjoying a life we can only imagine. Yet Satan was able to convince
Eve of two things; one, there was something she needed that God had
not provided, and two, God really didn't mean what He said when He
told them not to eat of the tree. Do you see as I do that Satan
hasn't changed his approach at all since time began? Simply convince
us that there is something we need that God has not yet provided, and
if we need to disobey God in order to get it then that is okay as
well.
Do you find yourself in that position today? Do you know of others
who claim to be believers but compromise their faith in order to
pursue their own happiness? God is a God of forgiveness, and we have
His promise that if we repent and turn from our sin He will forgive
us. Paul makes it clear in this passage from Timothy exactly what
the result will be if we make the choice to love self first rather
than loving God.
What do others see when they look at you? Someone
who loves God and proves it by following Him, or someone who is
consumed by self love and is lost in the pursuit of happiness? May we all take a close look at the attitudes Paul reveals in this passage and look closely at our own lives to be sure we are reflecting the image that comes from making the choice to love God first, and trust Him to provide all our needs.
"For a good tree does not
bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. "For every
tree is known by its own fruit. For [men] do not gather figs from
thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. "A good
man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an
evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For
out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:43-45 NKJV
"Therefore by their fruits
you will know them.
Matthew 7:20 NKJV
Who [is] wise and understanding
among you? Let him show by good conduct [that] his works [are done]
in the meekness of wisdom.
James 3:13 NKJV
Keep watching.
