“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” – 2 Timothy 3:2-4
The Bible gives many examples of signs that will warn us of the coming end of the age. Six such signs are given by Jesus, two characteristics are given by Paul, and eleven other occurrences are given by the prophets – signs that should occur prior to or soon after the end of the age. While we are also told we will not know the exact time of the End, God obviously wanted us to be aware when the time was getting closer. As the Christian church is increasingly drawn into the interfaith movement, and as more and more churches go into isolation, preparing to sleep through the growing attacks on their faith, perhaps God knew it would take a few signs to wake us up and remind us that we have work to do.
So, let’s imagine a time in history when, “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unloving, slanderous, without self-control, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, but denying its power.” (What a description of many inside and outside of today’s churches)
Does this sound like today’s world or not? So, when were these words penned? Around 2,000 years ago in the Word of God. This prediction was prefaced with these haunting words: “But mark this: ‘These will be terrible times in the last days.'”
Sounds like we’re there.
So, how do we respond? God’s Word says, “the Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.” So, study God’s Word. Believe what it says about how to be saved from ungodly character. Live what it says, for we all are running out of time.