Due to technical difficulties, this sermon was not recorded.
Biblically, the last days spans the entire period from Christ’s first coming to His second coming. How are we to live in these difficult days? Paul’s answer to Timothy is to avoid men who oppose the truth, and abide in the only source of truth.
How To Live In Difficult Times
2 Timothy 3:1-17
I was saved in 1979, and ever since that time I have heard Christians saying that we are living in the Last Days. In the late 70’s and early 80’s there were great expectations that Christ would come very soon. Both Hal Lindsay and Chuck Smith went on record saying that they believed that the rapture of the church would take place in 1981. Keith Green started a little magazine called “The Last Days Newsletter” which we all read avidly every month. Edgar Whisenenant even wrote a book entitled, “88 reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988.”
I remember that in the church that Debbie and I were involved in as new Christians, we watched these old movies about the second coming of Christ. One that I remember was called, “A Thief In The Night.” We would advertise these movies, and try to get unsaved people to come and watch them, and then at the end of the movie give an altar call. Our hope was that people would be so terrified of missing the rapture, that they would become Christians. Well, it was a great way to stir people up to a fever pitch and make decisions for Christ, but sadly it was a bad way to interpret Scripture.
What preachers usually mean when they say we are living in the last days, is that we are right at the end of human history, and Jesus Christ is going to return very soon, certainly within a few years. Now that I’ve been a Christian for 34 years, I can look back with some hindsight and perspective. I have grown impatient and skeptical of those preachers who interpret their Bibles by the newspaper.
The “Last Days” in Scripture is not used to describe a few years right before the second coming of Christ. Rather it is used to describe the entire span of history between the first and second comings of Christ. In other words, Peter and Paul lived in the last days. The people who went through the Dark Ages lived in the last days. Those who experienced the Reformation, lived in the last days. The Puritans, and Whitefield, and Spurgeon all lived in the Last Days. And you and I here in Rancho Cordova in 2013 are also living in the Last Days. How do I know? Well, let’s take a look at some texts of Scripture.
Acts 2:16-17, “but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days, God says, that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind.”
Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son.”
In these texts it is clear that Peter believed he was living in the last days, and that Jesus first coming inaugurated it for the church. Yes, we are living in the Last Days, but so has every person since the time of Christ! Yes, Christ may return in our lifetime, or He may not. The point is not whether Christ is going to return today, but whether we are living as though He might come today.
In 2 Timothy 3, Paul gives Timothy some very important instruction on how he should conduct himself in the Last Days. He gives two imperatives that drive this chapter.
2 Timothy 3:5, “avoid such men as these”
2 Timothy 3:14, “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of”
Avoid and continue – Avoid Evil Men, and Continue In The Word. Since we are living in the Last Days, this section of Scripture is just as relevant and applicable to us as it was to Timothy. Let’s look at these two imperatives this morning.
1. Avoid Men Who Oppose The Truth (3:1-13)
It is important to notice that the people Paul is telling Timothy he must avoid are not irreligious secularists. They hold to a form of godliness (3:5). That is, they operate under the guise of religion. They are nominal Christians, but they really are not Christians at all. All they have is the name, but not the reality. They may go through the religious rituals and routines, but have never experienced the life changing power of the gospel. Today in America, the vast majority of people who call themselves Christians are “nominal” Christians. The divorce rate among those who call themselves Christians and those that don’t is just about the same. The same could be said for pornography, lying, and stealing. How can this be?! These statistics reveal that the vast majority of people who claim to be Christians are really not. Because, Christians by and large are not persecuted in the United States, there has been a blurring of the lines as to what it means to be a Christian. The world has no idea of what it means to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ, because they have seen so many people who have held to a form of godliness, but have denied its power.
It’s important to notice that there are two types of men who oppose the truth: 1) those who oppose the truth with their lives; 2) those who oppose the truth with their teaching.
Those Who Oppose The Truth With Their Lives (3:1-5)
Difficult Times Will Come: The word times means “seasons” or “epochs”. In other words, Paul is telling Timothy that in the future, before Christ returns, there will be many different seasons which will be very difficult. The word for difficult means “perilous, savage, or violent.” It is the word used of the Gadarene demoniacs. Now, why will these seasons be marked by savagery, peril and violence? Verse 2 tells us, “For men…” The reason these difficult times will be thrust upon the world is because of the conduct of evil men. So, what will characterize them?
They Will Love The Wrong Things: In verses 2-4, Paul heaps up 19 expressions to describe these evil men. Notice that the first and the last of these expressions speak of what these men love and do not love. They are “lovers of self”, not “lovers of God.” These men have set their hearts on the wrong things. We read that they are lovers of self, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure, when they ought to be lovers of God. Because they love themselves, they love money and pleasure. Man’s root problem is his self-centeredness. We often hear people say that we can never love God until we love ourselves first. The truth is, when Jesus said we must love our neighbor as we love ourselves, He was simply saying that we already love ourselves far too much. Now, we should go out and love people with just as much zeal. Jesus wasn’t telling us to love ourselves. He was assuming that we already love ourselves far too much! In fact, the Church has enthusiastically accepted the world’s teaching on self-esteem, self-worth, and self-love. These concepts fly in the face of Scripture, and are concepts that come from secular psychology baptized with Christian vocabulary to appear as the truth.
In a book entitled, “Psychology Through The Eyes of Faith” David Meyers and Malcolm Jeeves write, “In virtually any area that is both subjective and socially desirable, most people see themselves as better than average. Most business people see themselves as more ethical than the average business person. Most community residents see themselves as less prejudiced than their neighbors. Most people see themselves as more intelligent and as healthier than most other people… The most common error in people’s self-images is not unrealistically low self-esteem but rather self-serving pride; not an inferiority complex but a superiority complex.” The divine order is for us to love God first, our neighbor second, and ourselves last. The men in 2 Timothy 3 love themselves first, neighbor second and God last. Oh, what a host of evils we create when we reverse God’s divine order!
They Will Possess The Wrong Attitudes: What are those attitudes? “Boastful, arrogant, ungrateful, irreconcilable, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited.” Notice how much pride rears its ugly head. We are told that they are boastful, arrogant, and conceited. Well, what would we expect when men are lovers of self. Self has become their God, so they worship themselves. No wonder men are proud. And this pride makes them irreconcilable, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, and reckless.
They Will Perform The Wrong Actions: They are “revilers, disobedient to parents, unholy, unloving, malicious gossips, without self-control.” There are three expressions that appear to go together – disobedient to parents, unholy, unloving. This seems to describe the relationship of children to their parents. They are disobedient, disrespectful, and lack natural affection for them. I see this everywhere today. In fact, I know of one family in which…
Clearly the people described in these verses are unregenerate. The attitudes of their heart and the actions of their lives betray the fact that they have never been born of the Spirit, regardless of holding to a form of godliness. Listen to the words of the apostle John in 1 John 3:6-9, “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” I am going to go on record here by making a bold statement. I believe that the great majority of church attenders in the United States today are not saved. It is a well known fact that only about 5% of those who go forward at an evangelistic crusade are any different in belief and behavior a year later. A real Christian is a person who is committed to following Christ wherever He leads. His life will prove that He is a Christian. The important thing is not the form of godliness you embrace, but the power of the gospel in your life.
Well, Paul will describe in this section, not only those that live contrary to the truth, but also those that teach contrary to the truth.
Those Who Oppose The Truth With Their Teaching (3:6-9)
Notice, verse 13, “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Paul describes the evil men in 3:2-5, and the impostors in 3:6-9. Notice verse 6, “For among them are those who…” What Paul is going to talk about in verses 6-9 are not all of the evil men he has described in verses 2-5, but some from among them. These difficult times will be characterized by evil men. And from those evil men, some will be false teachers. These false teachers are characterized by two things: captivating the weak, and opposing the truth.
They Captivate The Weak: The word enter carries the idea “to creep, or worm their way into secretly.” The weak they captivate are weak women. They are softies, easy marks for these door-to-door religious salesmen. Their weakness comes out in two different dimensions: moral and intellectual. These weak women are weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses. They are burdened by a sense of guilt. Wanting relief, they seek the help of self-proclaimed religious teachers. They are always learning, but are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. They are naïve and gullible, believing anything these religious hucksters tell them. Yet sadly, they never come to possess salvation. They never come to understand the gospel of grace.
This description is so accurate regarding religious cults today. We all know those who go door to door when their husbands are at work, and worm their way into the houses. It was the same way in the beginning when Satan came to Eve when she was alone to tempt her to sin. These cults just captivate these women, and bring them into bondage. They promote a works-based righteousness. Often these cults will have quotas for how many people their people must witness to each day, how much money they must give, and how often they must attend services. Those that are brought into these groups become enslaved to a human system. However, the way of Jesus is to free people, not to enslave them to a bunch of man made rules and regulations. So, the first thing we see about these false teachers is that their goal is to take people captive to themselves and their own religious sect, rather than to Christ.
They Oppose The Truth: Jewish tradition says that Jannes and Jambres were magicians in Pharoah’s court who duplicated many of the miracles that Moses performed. Their names are never mentioned in the Old Testament. However, Jannes means “he who seduces”, and Jambres means “he who makes rebellion.” Perhaps these are symbolic nicknames given to them. Just as these men opposed God’s representative, Moses, so these men were opposing Paul and the truth of the gospel.
Notice how they are described – men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. These are unsaved religious deceivers and charlatans. They are impostors. They are posing as prophets of God, but really are servants of Satan. However, Paul tells us in verse 9 that God will triumph in the end, “but they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all.”
Now, remember what Paul’s command to Timothy is – avoid them! Turn away from them. Whether it is the person who professes to be a Christian, but is a lover of self, money, pleasure, rather than a lover of God, or a religious teacher who is seeking to capture people to his own little sect – avoid them! Don’t allow yourself to be corrupted by their debauched lifestyle. As for you, you live a holy, godly life! Don’t seek out fellowship with those that claim to be Christians, but live in sin. Also, don’t allow them to capture you and make you a slave of their false religious sect. If someone is bringing you into bondage to a human system or man-made rules, run! If someone you love is being brought into captivity, urge them to run!
Instead, we should be like Timothy. How did he live? We are told in 3:10-12, “But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me! And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Timothy followed Paul in living a holy life, and enduring suffering for his faith. That is a great example for us as well.
2. Abide In The Only Source Of Truth (3:14-17)
In verse 14 there is a sharp contrast – “You however…” In contrast to the evil men and impostors that will characterize the difficult times that will come in the last days, you must be different. How was Timothy to be different? He was to continue in the things he has learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom he has learned them. Well, what was it that Timothy had learned and become convinced of? We are told in verse 15 and 16. They are the “sacred writings” and the “Scriptures.” From whom did he learn them? We’ve already read in chapter 1, verse 5 that the sincere faith first dwelt in Timothy’s grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice. In verse 15 we read that Timothy knew the sacred writings from childhood. No doubt Mom and Grandma taught Timothy the Scriptures from the time that he was just a very young boy. Later Paul would teach him the Word of God. Timothy, avoid men who avoid the truth, and abide in the only source of truth – the Word of God.
Moms and Dads, teach your children the Scriptures! As parents we have a holy responsibility to bring up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Did you know that it is not the church’s job to teach your children the Bible? It is your responsibility! Listen to the words of Deut. 6:6-7, “And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” It’s not the Sunday School teacher’s job to teach your children the Bible. It’s your responsibility. So, Moms and Dads, how are you doing in this regard? Are you diligent in having family devotions? Do you read the Bible to your children and teach them His Word? Fathers, the buck stops with you with this one. You are really the pastor of your family. Think of your family as a tiny expression of the church, and you are the shepherd. Take the role seriously. And those of you who are single moms, the buck stops with you. If you need help with this, please talk with us. We would love to help you to be diligent in teaching and training your children in the things of the Lord.
In verse 14, Paul talks about “the things you have learned.” Then in verse 15 he speaks about “the sacred writings.” Why? Because the things Timothy had learned had come from the sacred writings. And what are the sacred writings? Verse 16 identifies them as “Scripture.” In 3:15-17 we learn three very important things about Scripture.
Scripture Comes From God
Paul declares, “All Scripture is inspired by God.” That is, all Scripture is God-breathed. What Paul is referring to is not breathing in, but rather, breathing out. God breathed out His holy Word. This simply means that Scripture comes from God. God is the source of the Bible. In one sense, it is true to say that God wrote the Bible. In another sense it is true that men wrote the Bible. You see, truth originated in God’s mind. However, how does anybody reveal what is in their mind? By speaking it out, of course. Thus, God spoke out His Word through men, that we might have an objective written testimony to the truth. True, God used fallible men in the process, and they wrote in their own style, using their own vocabulary. Yet, in the end, God made sure that what they wrote was exactly what He wanted them to write. Scripture is infallible and inerrant, which simply means that the original manuscripts are perfectly true and without error. Jesus even said, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (Jn. 10:35). Many people stumble at this. They reason, if sinful, fallible men wrote the Bible, then it must have mistakes in it. Well, let me ask you this. Since, we know that Mary was sinful, just like every other person, does that mean that the child she gave birth to must be sinful as well? We know that is not the case. Jesus Christ knew no sin, but was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated from sinners. How could something perfect come from something that was imperfect? God made sure of it. The truth is that the Bible is inspired, not the human authors. In other words, just because the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write 1st and 2nd Peter, doesn’t mean that Peter was always without error. We know that at one point, the apostle Paul had to rebuke him publicly because he had separated himself from the Gentiles in the church and would not eat with them. No, Peter was a sinful and fallible man, just like the rest of us. But when the Holy Spirit inspired him, he wrote exactly the words God wanted him to write. 2 Peter 1:21 says, “for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
Folks, you can trust God’s Word! You can bank your soul on it. In the Bible you have something certain, solid, perfect and unshakeable in the midst of a vacillating world. Believe it! Obey it! Live by it!
Scripture Leads To Salvation
Verse 15 says, “the sacred writings are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” The Scriptures don’t save. Jesus saves. But the Scriptures are able to give sinners the wisdom that leads to salvation. How do they do that? By directing sinners to Christ! Jesus said in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me.” The Jewish religious leaders had somehow come to the conclusion that the Scriptures brought eternal life. No, they don’t. But they can bring someone to Christ who alone gives eternal life. In the holy Scriptures we have the sole source of all saving truth. We read in 1 Peter 1:23, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.” The Scriptures teach us about the holiness, righteousness and justice of God. They teach us that God hates all evil, and will certainly punish it. The Scriptures also teach us about our own sinfulness because of our rebellion and breaking God’s law. The Scriptures also reveal Jesus Christ as Savior and King, and show us how He wrought out a perfect righteousness for us, and died to atone for our sins as our substitute. The Scriptures reveal us how we can receive forgiveness of sins and be credited with God’s own righteousness through repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters, the Scriptures lead to salvation. Therefore, when you witness, or do open-air preaching, or share your faith with a friend, make sure you wield the sword of the Word. This is why it is so important for you to memorize Scripture. You never know when or where you will be when God gives you an opportunity to share the gospel. If you don’t have a Bible, and haven’t memorized God’s Word, you are like a soldier in a battle with no weapon. Make sure to use God’s Word in your witnessing. When you are gone, perhaps that word will ring in their conscience and heart, producing new life.
Scripture Leads To Sanctification
Jesus said in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” Paul tells Timothy that Scripture is profitable for five different areas.
Teaching: This is talking about doctrine, bringing God’s truth to bear on the mind and heart of the listener. If we want to teach the truth, the only source is the Word of God. It’s sad to me how many so-called “Bible teachers” don’t really spend time expounding the Bible at all! Instead, they spend most of their time telling jokes and stories. What we need is someone to point to the text and tell us what it means so we can do what it says!
Reproof: This means that Scripture is profitable to rebuke in order to convict people of misbehavior or false doctrine. The Bible exposes falsehood and sin. Scripture tears and down and destroys that which is sinful and false. Whenever we come to the Bible, we need to be humble so that when Scripture reproves us, we take it to heart.
Correction: This refers to restoring something to its original and proper condition. The Bible not only points out what is wrong (reproof), but sets forth the way in which we can be made right (correction). Paul has just told Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:25 that he must gently correct those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. In Ephesians 4:28 Paul not only says, “Let him who steals steal no longer” but then goes on to say, “but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.” In that passage the Scripture both reproves and corrects.
Training in Righteousness: This word refers to the discipline and training of children. When we train someone, it always involves a process of time. I had to train myself to play the banjo, read Greek, and clean windows. We will not live righteous lives immediately. It takes time, trial and error, and correction as we learn to submit ourselves to the Word of God. If we want to be godly believers, we need to soak up the Word, saturate our minds with it, consistently take it in day by day, meditate on it, memorize it, read it, study it. Are you a man or woman of the Word? Make it your goal to be more familiar with your Bible than anything else in the world.
Equipped For Every Good Work: The Scriptures can make us adequate. That is, the Word of God is sufficient! We don’t need psychology or philosophy to do the good works that God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in. You may be very ignorant of history, or math, or philosophy, or psychology, or astronomy, but if you have a thorough grasp of Scripture you are adequate to live for God in the last days. Whatever good work you need to accomplish, the Bible is enough. How sad that Christians read it so infrequently, but love to pour over silly novels or TV shows! Whatever the problem or trial or decision you face, God’s Word is enough to equip you for it!
Let me leave you with two thoughts as we close. We are living in difficult days. Evil religious men are everywhere, and their sin abounds. How are we to live godly lives in these difficult days? Avoid false converts. If someone isn’t interested in repentance and holy living, spend your time with others. Avoid false teachers. If someone is teaching falsehood, don’t turn on your TV or radio to listen to them, don’t drink in their teaching from their web site. Just avoid them. It will do you no good. So, is that it? Do we just spend all of our time avoiding false converts and false teachers? No, we continue in the Truth – the Word of God. If you don’t have a regular, consistent time daily when you commune with God in His Word and prayer, you need to make one and stick to it. There is nothing you can possibly do that is more important than that! Let’s pray.
______________________________
© The Bridge
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Bridge.
Follow Us!