2 Timothy 3 gives us an outlook of what it will look like in the last days. Basically, the masses will have turned away from God, and it is visible in their actions.
For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.
Let's go over these in more detail.
The funny thing is that people don't think these things are wrong in today's society. Most people would read the passage and say, "uh, so what?"
People will love themselves and money. Loving money should be thought highly of. Financial success should be everybody's #1 goal.
Boastful and proud? Why should I not be? I'm the one responsible for my success, and people should know about it, right?
Disobedient to their parents. Our parents don't know what's best for us most of the time. They're closed-minded and intolerant. We all know better, anyway.
Ungrateful: Well, when you're the one responsible for your own successes, who is there to thank? I'm a self-made man. We're in control of our own destinies. Really? Let me see you stop your own death when you get hit by a bus you didn't see coming.
They will consider nothing sacred. What does sacred mean?
Unloving and unforgiving: People claim they love everybody. But watch what happens when somebody is rubbed the wrong way. We'll hold a grudge to our grave.
Slander others: This one's easy. Look at any political campaign. Hang out around the water-cooler at work.
No self-control: School shootings, drug addiction, compulsive gamblers (dot dot dot)
Cruel and hate what is good: We need to take down the 10 commandments from public places, especially government buildings. Not only is it separation of church and state, they're intolerant. We villainize our police and elevate our criminals. At the same time let's say that we're tolerant, but demean anybody who doesn't see the world the way we do.
They will betray their friends: Well, it's their own fault, they should have been smart enough to know better. Trust no one!
Reckless: Anything for an adrenaline rush! I'm invincible!
Puffed up with pride: Should I not be? I'm smarter than 90% of people I know. I make a good living. If God didn't want me to be smarter than him, he wouldn't have given me the ability to reason. He gave us our brains for a reason.
Love pleasure rather than God: Hey, don't judge me. I was made this way. If God didn't want me to do it, he wouldn't make is so fun, right? And why would I love a god that is so cruel? I don't want a god that would send somebody to hell. You want me to enjoy this, and then punish me for it?
Act religious, but reject the power that would make them holy: It's easy to say I'm a Christian. I read the bible every day. I go to church, ask anybody there, they see me every Sunday. I can quote scripture. I always donate to the collection plate, or my favorite charity. Guess what? It's all empty if you're doing it without the Spirit. If we're doing it and it's not to glorify God, then we're doing it for ourselves. Does that make you holy? No. It gives you more ammunition for your ego. Thanks again, pride!
It always comes back to pride. We think we know better than God. We define Him. He doesn't define us. He gives us the shell, and it's up to us to fill it up on earth. This is the way most of us think and feel. In society-even in Churches, we're rejecting God more and more every day. The focus is on the self. Doing anything we can to feel good about ourselves, even when we know what we are doing is wrong. Yet, we sure are quick to blame God when something goes wrong. Something goes right? Man, I did a great job!
How often do you find yourself asking, "How much longer can He possibly wait?"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Great piece Mcq...I agree 100%. It is so frustrating in our society to stick up for what is good...because the definitions are being skewed. What is bad is being called good, and what is good is being called bad. Pride will lead to self-destruction and its amazing how people fall into the trap of the "accolades of men" and not God. I believe godlessness leads to hopelessness and drives mankind to act lower than what they truly are. When you have an understanding of who you are and who created you, you follow a course that will not destroy self and others. Enjoyed the read! :)N
Mcq, so many truths in your piece. God hates pride. It is like smoke up His nose and He will actively come against it.Why, because it seperates His children from Him. Pride keeps the unsaved from becoming saved. It causes arrogance against Him. It turns His Way backwards. It justifies trying to change Him, who is unchanging, into a god that we can all live with, without sacrifice. Isaiah talks about this in 5:20-21."Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"
What you say is true. My only response is 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."
Christ return is the only comfort that we have.
How much longer can He wait? I think we got some more time.
God told us what to watch out for, and I think you have listed quite a few here, but I'm not sure we have peaked just yet.
We will see more truth in this in the Nov. elections. We have two candidates, one of which still believes in truth. We have a chance to hold on a little while longer, and I believe this election will prove that.
Let us look forward to God's will, and not just His Return.
I agree these are all bad things, but I don't believe there's anything new about any of them. We saw this kind of a generational disconnect of values with the hippies, too. That's not defending the movement-if anything the opposite-but it has happened before. The 1920's saw a similar separation of values.
Previous clashes were over the usage of drugs and free love. While I don't agree with all the modern movements, at least they are for rights or freedoms that are less selfish.
As for loving money, historically it was Protestantism that really made it "okay" in the first place. From Calvinism's "elect" to the American work ethic, our culture is fundamentally tied to the pursuit of the acquisition of wealth. For good and for ill.
Rob, to your first comment: The hippie era, and for that matter- the 1920's wasn't that long ago when you consider when Jesus was here. The end of days could be hundreds or thousands of years, or maybe just decades. Who knows?
What does Calvanism's elect have to do with money? It refers to God choosing the saved and dismissing the notion of free-will.
And wasn't it Protestantism that arose out of a disdain for the Catholic Church collecting indulgences?
Wow, I've neglected this blog.
Rights and freedroms that are less selfish? From whose viewpoint-man or God's. Any right or freedom sought that pushes away one's purpose by God is not less selfish. It is more selfish. God placed man on earth to honor and serve Him first and foremost, not serve and honor oneself first. It goes right directly into the heart of McQ's post. The self is more important than God's way and man is more than agreeable to find new more expedient ways of disohonoring God.
His word is pretty clearcut regarding our role on earth. But we like to choose our own 'idea" of what God is rather that who He really is. And that in itself is idolotry. Culture changes, God does not.
Where are you?
Post a Comment