The Last Days, Part Two

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive,

disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable,

slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless,

swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the

appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among

them are those who creep into households and capture weak women,

burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and

never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres

opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind

and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly

will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. You, however, have followed

my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my

steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch,

at Iconium, and at Lystra--which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the

Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will

be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse,

deceiving and being deceived.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,

knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been

acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for

salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and

profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in

righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good

work.” (2 Timothy 3:1-17, ESV)

When exactly are the last days? That's the question that keeps popping up, year

after year, century after century. Due to the almost instant availability of news

from the tv or from newspapers, we are bombarded with news of natural

disasters, wars, possible wars, famine and poverty, and the rapid spread of

disease, not only on a daily basis, but even hourly. The human mind cannot take

in so much news about so many disasters, worldwide, without succumbing to

apathy or panic. What can I do? is the question often heard. Because of the

intricate meshing of world business and politics, a small problem on one side

of the globe can have far-reaching consequences thousands of miles away.

The thing I hear more and more are the voices of hopelessness, from people

who are able to put food on the table and live peacefully. I see looks of

hopelessness in the faces of people on their way to work, eating alone in

restaurants or even shopping. Life has become unbearable for many. The

news in Japan, a country free of wars for over half a century, is of an increase in

the number of suicides. More than 30,000 folks end their lives in desperation

every year, believing theirs is a future without hope.

Before the latest prophet or guru gets your mind worked up about the last

days, take a look at the scriptures in 2 Timothy 3. These are not quoted by those

who believe they have a special understanding of prophecy. “For people will

be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive,

disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable,

slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless,

swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the

appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” Sounds like a diagnosis for

our society, doesn't it? Politicians surely fit the description of those “having

the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” Sometimes I wish the

politicians would quietly go to church, if they believe in God, or not go at all.

It's interesting that Paul starts this list off with people who love themselves. I

think, if anything, that describes the current situation better than any other.

Selfishness and greed have brought disaster on the world, more than once. But

Paul started this chapter with the point that this would be the situation in the

“last days.”

He makes another point that is often overlooked. The very next sentence says,

“avoid such people.” Notice that? Slipped right by you, didn't it. It slipped by

me once or twice. But there it is. Timothy and Paul were in the “last days.” The

situation Timothy faced was in the “last days.” Timothy was admonished to

avoid people who were self-indulged, greedy, narcissistic and liars. The last

days began when Jesus sealed the new covenant with His blood on Calvary.

Paul and the other apostles, outside of John, were persecuted and murdered as

was our Lord Jesus, just for being Christians, for believing in the One True God,

for promoting selflessness rather than selfishness, for promoting love instead of

brutality, for promoting joy rather than despair. Jesus even said to rejoice and be

really glad when evil things are done to you because of your faith in Him,

because your reward in heaven was really great. James later said to count it all

joy, not just a part of it, when you are tested by various trials in this life,

because that produced steadfastness, “stick-to-it-iveness” as some have called it.

We are being perfected through the trials of this life in order to receive a better

life in heaven with our Savior, Jesus Christ. The more we endure for Christ in

this world the better we will be able to appreciate heaven.

In 2 Timothy, Paul says the scriptures, our Bibles, are able to make us wise for

salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All of the Bible was God-breathed,

from God, His very words, and those words are able to strengthen our faith

in order for us to hold fast to Christ. By holding fast to our Savior Jesus, we

can weather these turbulent times and keep our hope in Him. Our hope is an

everlasting hope, borne from One who could look down in compassion on His

tormentors and murderers and ask His Father to forgive them. His was not a

selfish scheme to get rich or to gain power or to be a world idol, but to be the

Savior of those who call upon His name. He lived His life incarnadine and He

calls us to do the same, in these last days.