We Cannot Let Up
June 2017 |
“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (II Timothy 3:13).
After the attack of Sept. 11, 2001, there was a tremendous, immediate reaction of national and spiritual unity in our country. It was common for people to talk about and pray to God. But within a few weeks or months much of the unity and spiritual urgency wore off. A similar apathy and indifference must not be allowed to happen after the presidential election of last November when a large segment of the Evangelical Christians stood up and rejected the direction this country has been going. Even though it is the natural tendency, Christians should not only not let up or decrease their efforts in standing up for biblical principles, but their efforts should increase because the enemy will not back down, has not given up, and is doubling his efforts.
Paul wrote to Timothy about the times and people in which we are now living (II Timothy 3:1-14) as the following:
- Last days: right before the Rapture and the Second Coming.
- Perilous times: dangerous, difficult, hard and grievous times.
- Lovers of their own selves: selfish.
- Covetous: greedy.
- Boasters: braggarts.
- Proud: arrogant; exalting self; thinking they are superior.
- Blasphemers: speak evil of, defame, slander, and speak abusively to others.
- Unthankful: ungrateful.
- Unholy: totally depraved; opposite of holy within and without.
- Without natural affection: involved in sexual deviations and perversions; homosexuals.
- Trucebreakers: not morally bound to keep promises.
- False accusers: slanderers; adversaries of God and man.
- Traitors: betrayers.
- Heady: rash, hasty, and reckless.
- High-minded: conceited; lifted up with pride.
- Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: sensual gratification is their god.
- Having a form of godliness: only have external religious activities and not a Godly heart.
- Denying the power of God: do not believe in the supernatural power of God.
- Ever learning: go to great lengths to know the wisdom of the world.
- Never able to come to the knowledge of the truth: reject it as foolishness (I Corinthians 1:18,23,25)
- Resist the truth: oppose and withstand God’s truth.
- Corrupt minds: depraved and perishing thought patterns.
- Reprobate: rejected by God because they have first rejected Him.
- Persecuted: chase those who want to live for God to harass, hurt, and trouble them.
- Evil men: wicked.
- Wax worse and worse: grow, increase, and advance in being evil.
- Deceiving and being deceived: lead others astray into the same error they accept.
- Not endure sound doctrine: reject Godly truth.
- After their own lusts: evil desires.
- Heap to themselves teachers with itching ears: look for those who excuse their sins.
- Turn their ears from truth to fables: follow false doctrines that pamper the flesh and condone sin.
The following is God’s answer for how Christians can counteract and oppose these trends (II Timothy 3:4-1,5): Continue (abide and remain) in the Scriptures which:
- Make wise: give understanding.
- In Salvation: deliverance from sin.
- Are inspired by God: writers were guided by the Holy Spirit so the Scriptures are infallible.
- Are profitable for doctrine: teaching the principles of God.
- Reproof: proves and convinces thing as right and wrong.
- Correction: restoring people to being right with God.
- Instruction in righteousness: showing how to be right with God His way.
- Make perfect: complete, mature.
- Thoroughly furnished for all good works: equipped.
Also, God commands to:
- Preach: (proclaim) His Word.
- Reprove: admonish, warn and expose sin.
- Rebuke: Point out sin.
- Exhort: comfort and encourage.
- With longsuffering: patience.
- With doctrine: Godly principles.
- Watch in all things: be sober, and temperate.
- Endure afflictions: suffer troubles and hardships.
- Do the work of an evangelist: proclaim the Gospel to win souls.
- Make full proof of your ministry: fulfill and accomplish what God called you to do.
If there was ever a time Christians must be about their Father’s business (Luke 2:49), it is now. We must occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13).
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