DANGEROUS TIMES
“FOR THEN SHALL BE GREAT TRIBULATION,
SUCH AS WAS NOT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO
THIS TIME, NO, NOR EVER SHALL BE” (Matt 24:21).
At this time, our world and way of living has changed a lot for the worst. Ebola, ISIS, ISOL, etc. More threats from
abroad, but here in the USA too. You are probably thinking, Not much longer, “right”. But as we all know, Gods
hand is always in control of the ways of man, for his own good.
These kinds of curses, which are appearing frequently in our day, provoke the expectation in many peoples' hearts
that perhaps we are right at the edge of living in the last days and the promised return of our Lord to earth. It makes
many people feel that we are indeed in the last days before the great tribulation breaks in terrible fury upon the earth.
So people today are asking with great sincerity, "Are these indeed the last days?"
The verses, to which we have to look, are found in Second Timothy. They are one of the many, that some have taken
to refer to the last days before the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Writing to Timothy in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul
said, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural
affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady,
high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Tim 3:1-4).
Many, today feel that these are the last days, when we could expect the return of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Many Brethren take the phrase, "these last days," to refer to the time just before Christ's return. The biblical use of
that phrase indicates that it refers to the whole period of time between the first coming of our Lord and His second
coming. In other words, for 2,000+ years we have been living in the last days.
In the description in Acts 2, we read that, on the Day of Pentecost, The Apostle Peter quoted the prophecy of Joel,
in which the prophet said that "in the last days," God would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh. “ And it shall come
to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). Peter
said, that was beginning to be fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, over 2,000 years ago.
The first words of the book of Hebrews are, " God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds" (Heb 1:1-2).
So it is clear Brethren, that "the last days" is a period, which has now grown to 2,000+ years' duration. The Apostle
Paul is saying in 2 Timothy, that within this extended period of time there will come repetitive cycles of distress,
times of stress, perilous times, when all the conditions which he describes with these chilling words will take place.
Brethren, as we look back through human history during these last 2,000+ years we can see how correct 2 Timothy
3:1-4 is. So these words are not necessarily a prediction of the last days for the church, rather, they are recognition
of the progression of days, until the end.
But what the apostle wanted Timothy -- and us today -- to know, he clearly outlines, "Understand this,” he said,
"these will be dangerous times, times of great stress, times when our faith will be pushed to the limit of its endurance,
when we will be under attack and under threat." Furthermore, Paul reveals a rather surprising thing, these times of
stress will be characterized by and caused by two major factors, which he goes on to describe. The first factor is very
alarming indeed. The striking thing about these verses is not what we read in Verses 1-4, but what is in Verse 5,
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Tim 3:5).
In other words, Paul is saying that the primary cause of these, is the hypocritical lives of some Christians who
outwardly look moral, spiritual, committed and devoted, but are actually unchanged inside and have no power to
overcome evil in their own lives, to begin with.
Anyone of us cannot really understands (without the help of the Holy Spirit), the revelation of Scripture about the
nature of the church. The New Testament everywhere seeks to assure us that the church is the most important body
of people in the world. God builds civilizations around what happens in the church. The church is in control of
history. Our Lord Jesus
Christ said in Matt 5:13-14 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it
be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.. If the salt
loses its savor, becomes salt-less, without flavor, the whole world will go to waste. Verse 14 points out “Ye are
the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." If the light dims, the whole world will sink into
darkness. That is what the Scriptures tell us. Immorality in the world is caused by dishonesty to God.
We must remember, that this terrible list of 2 Tim 3:1-4 is very similar to a list at the close of Chapter 1 of Romans
which describes conditions in the world, is nevertheless really only a description of what is going on in churches and
among called-out Christians who have a "form of faith," of “goodness” " but denying the power thereof."
Let us take a closer look at this assessment by the apostle. It falls into four groupings:
1) The first one, flows out of that first term, "lovers of self."
That is the basic sin of humanity. Self-love, the worship of another god, the lowest form of idolatry. It deprives God
of the worship due to His name, and it places a rival god, oneself, on the throne of an individual life. That is where
some Christians are. Paul said, they have not really been changed; they are still lovers of self.
When this condition gets in the churches, it will also be much more clearly and widely exhibited in the world. Today,
we have what is known as the "Me" society. The focus is all on "my" -- my rights, my needs, my views, is all we hear
about on every side. The first question that is asked about anything is, "What am I going to get out of it?" Christians
oftentimes point the finger at non-Christians, saying, "Look how selfish they are," but the apostle points his finger,
and says, that is what is happening in the church. People are not changed; they are "lovers of themselves."
Brethren that is the way many people live -- a self-centered existence. Out of this flows all the other things in the list
we read in 2 Tim 3:1-4.
The first and primary expression of it, is in the next words, "lovers of money."
Why are some Christian people so materialists today? Why do they, like everyone else, seek a constantly increasing
standard of living, a much more luxurious lifestyle? It is because money is a way of pampering ourselves. Instead
of using it as the Scriptures exhort us to -- to meet the needs of others, to be ready to quickly respond to human need
around us, and to delight to use our excess to that purpose -- we oftentimes merely plan to use it to increase our own
possessions, to add to our own enjoyment in life.
Another word to notice is "proud." That is an outcome of this loving of self. The word that immediately follows is,
"arrogant." Proud people are arrogant people. They have a secret contempt for others; they regard themselves as
above them. This is the attitude frequently displayed in many churches and by many called-out-Christians today. It
often takes the form of a self-righteousness, looking down its nose at people who have fallen into open, obvious sin.
They gather their robes of righteousness around themselves and pronounce judgment with the same attitude of
disrespectful cynicism revealed by the Pharisees in our Lord's Day. Now you know why, Our Lord Jesus Christ
spoke so sharply to the Pharisees and so kindly to the laymen.
"Abusive" is the next term.
This word describes people who use insulting, negative terms that put people down. This is the manifestation of an
unhealthy, unwholesome, unchristian spirit within the church.
Then there follows a second grouping that centers on family life. This phrase is directed primarily to the younger.
The first term is, "disobedient to their parents." Today Brethren, there is a total breakdown of the home and a
rebellion against parental authority.
The next word is "unholy." This word means an unwillingness to observe even the basic decencies of life.
Then, the list moves to those areas that touch what we call 'interpersonal relationships.' In other words, "slanderers",
people who are ungovernable, who have to satisfy their lust and their passions immediately, "fierce" -- savage people;
"haters of good" -- that was our Lord's charge to the Pharisees, that though they were morally respectable, within they
were opposers of God and haters of good, and they proved it by putting to death Our Lord.
Finally, Brethren, the last grouping deals with the religious pretensions of such people -- "lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power thereof."Why? Why do people who are
exposed to the Bible, who profess the truth, fail? The answer is in this one phrase: "they deny the power thereof."
We do not have to guess at what that power is. The Apostle Paul tells us very plainly in I Corinthians, 1 where he
says, " For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the
power of God" (1 Cor 1:18). When you let the Lord have its effect upon you then you will experience and realize
the power of God released. It is the denial of the word of Our Lord that constitutes this kind of Christianity, without
Christ, godliness without God, spirituality without the Spirit. The word of Our Lord is that which puts to death the
natural life, in other words, its denies self.
Brethren, Our Lord Jesus Christ put it very plainly in Luke 9:23, " And He said to them all, If any man will come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me "(Luke 9:23), (Matt 16:24), (Mark
8:34). This is saying that until we are willing, as called-out Christians, to say "No" to what Our Lord has denied,
and what it has put to death within us, we cannot enter into that eternal life that is available to us now. Unwilling
to deny self means that we are unable to experience life from God! that is the big problem!
That is why, we most lay constant stress upon the fact that we must practice what we preach. We must say "No" to
all the uprisings of the flesh within us, in order that we might lay hold of the supply of power and life and vitality
which enables us to walk with God in righteousness and truth. Otherwise Brethren, we contribute to, nothing.
Another interesting fact is that the Bible divides life into four divisions of humanity:
1. The first group is those who are not saved and know they are not saved. They are the godless, the pagans,
we call them, the people who do not profess any form of religion, who have no interest in the things of God,
and say so openly.
2. Then there are those who are saved, but they are not sure of it. They really have been called by God, they
really do love the Savior, but, because they have not been taught properly, they do not understand the
promises of God. For one reason or another they think that they will lose their salvation if they slip or fall
in any way. This group is not sure of anything about their faith or calling.
3. Then there is the group who are saved and they know it. These are the ones we would call the strong, mature
called-out-Christians who are growing, living a new, changed life. Though they have the normal struggles
of everyone else, they show from year to year evidence of progress and growth in these areas. They know
they belong to God; they have no doubts about it.
4. Finally, there is a great group, which Scripture faces, of those who are not saved but think they are. That is
the group that is being confronted in these verses in second Timothy. Jesus Christ said, in Matt 7:22-23,
“Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name
have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt 7:22-23).
The second reason is described in Verses 6-9 of 2 Timothy. In these verses the apostle is describing the rise of strange
cults, which hold very confusing concepts and immoral practices. These are begun by people who have been
hypocritical Christians. “For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden
with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now
as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate
concerning the faith” (2 Tim 3:6-8).
Brethren, in these verses, Paul reveals two favorite tactics of the devil. One is growing out of a morally corrupt and
hypocritical church, Christians who talk one way and live another way will come infiltrating into homes-readings
that may not be connected with the church at all. This always happens in times of stress. It happened before, and is
happening again in our days. Out of these times of stress are emerging new cults every day. Notice the tactics that
are employed:
1) The first is infiltration.
There are some, who are morally weak and vulnerable; and they are intellectually weak -- they will believe anything
that is told them, so they can never arrive at the truth. Remember this: when you believe everything you hear you
will never arrive at truth because you are taking in a lot of error along with the truth. With these infiltrative tactics
new cults arise.
2) The second tactic employed by the enemy is imitation, counterfeit faith. Paul says, "Like Jannes and Jambres
opposed Moses, so these people will oppose the truth" (2 Tim 3:8).
That kind of corrupt, counterfeit faith is what we run into in times of stress, such as we are living in today. The cults
offer to do what only God in Christ can do -- give peace of mind, an untroubled heart, forgiveness of sins, a sense
of purpose in life.
As the apostle goes on to say in Verse 9, “But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto
all men, as their's also was” (2 Tim 3:9).
Brethren, when the serpent which Aaron's rod had formed saw the other two snakes, it ate and swallowed them up.
This was a visible sign that God's power is always more powerful than the devil's. The apostle says that this is what
will happen with counterfeit groups. Do not panic, he says to Timothy, evil has its limits. The devil always
overreaches himself. His very success at winning call-out-Christians will ultimately leave people so empty, so hungry
of heart, so searching for ultimate truth they turn back to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is what is happening in our
day.
Times of stress are also times of great opportunity, when God uses the devil's very deceitfulness, to outsmart him,
and to prepare the hearts of call-out-Brethrens for a genuine pouring out of the blessings of God.
Remember then, that hypocrisy and insincerity in the church is what was produced during the times of crisis that are
described in 2 Timothy 3. We are living heirs today, of the lukewarmness of the churches of the past. God's righteous
judgments always are based upon reality. He knows what is in the heart, of each of us. If we think we are fooling
God by our belonging to a church, by singing hymns, but not allowing the Word of God to get at our self-indulgent
lives and change us, we will awake sooner or later only to find we are fooling ourselves.
These are strong, searching words from the apostle's pen, we had read today. He goes on in the next chapter to tell
us how to oppose these conditions, what to do in the midst of them, and how to live in these times of stress.
Hosea, chapter 4 and verse 6 goes along with the problem that the “Churches Of God” are facing today, regarding
the knowledge of Postponements of the Holy days!
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
that thou shalt be no priest to Me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of Thy God, I will also forget thy
children.”☜
Martin Martinez