Terrible Times

Terrible Times
Words of Faith 7-27-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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2 Timothy 3
[1] But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. [2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, [4] treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- [5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Paul warned Timothy about the difficult times that were ahead as well as some of the specific trends in religion. The Bible talks about the "last days" in the writings of the prophets. Peter quoted the prophet Joel on the day of Pentecost, saying that these last days were beginning and the prophecies were being fulfilled. These "last days" are the time from the first century until Christ returns. During this time, there will be terrible societal degeneration.
Paul listed nineteen general characteristics that believers should expect to see in the world around them. The words and phrases need little explanation; we do not have to look far to see these things. While these descriptions are not explicitly labeled as harbingers of the return of Christ, they certainly will intensify as His coming nears.
There will be terrible times ahead, and we are to "mark" this or pay special attention. Any sense that humanity is good and decent will be lost. Any hope that humans will somehow pull themselves up from their lost state will be shattered. Humans and their culture will become more and more depraved.
In these terrible times, people will be lovers of themselves-- self-centered and narcissistic. The "me generation" really started in the first century. They will be lovers of money who are boastful, proud, and abusive. The words could hardly ring more true in our day.
Paul used a series of words that are negative in Greek, preceded by the letter "a," meaning "without." This time will be without obedience to parents, gratitude, holiness, love, and forgiveness. These "heartless" days will also be characterized by slander and without self-control. People will be brutal or "untamed." People will not be lovers of the good.
In these terrible days, there will be an aggressive inclination toward vice. People will be treacherous or "disposed toward betrayal." They will be rash or "disposed toward recklessness."
The final characteristics are particularly telling. People will be conceited or puffed up. They will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. And they will have an outward "shape" of godliness that is really just religion denying God's power.
Paul does not call upon Timothy to reform these qualities from the world. These are simply a state of affairs in the world as it degrades. You know you are in the last days when you see these things. Matters will not be getting better on their own. Don't be surprised because most people will do what most people do.
In all of this, it was the false religion that Paul actually warned Timothy about. Those "having a form of godliness but denying its power" were eroding the faith of believers in Ephesus and other places. Paul was straightforward: Have nothing to do with them.
What can we do in such times? Do we give up? These descriptions do not give us much hope, but we never turn to the world to find hope. We look to Christ Jesus, who is our hope. He is our only hope. When we see a terribly troubled world, we are reminded of the great need this world has for the Gospel of Jesus. The Light shines in the darkness even though the darkness does not comprehend it.

Father God, give me discernment in all that I do. Help me recognize the times we live without giving up hope. Give me the grace to share the Gospel of Light in an increasingly dark world. Protect me from that religion that has a form of godliness but denies the power of God. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.