“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Years ago, I came across a brochure that posed the question, “What time is it on the world clock?” This suggests that people are concerned about the end of our time, and that is a valid concern. When our time is over, the time of grace will also have ended. God says: “‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). As long as the gospel of Jesus is preached, we are still living in the time of grace. But one day, the preaching will stop because the end of all things will have come. That is why it is so important to take advantage of the time of salvation now.
Our Bible text speaks of the last days. This is the time before the coming of the Lord. Evidentially, the Bible also refers to the gospel age as the last days. However, the gospel age has a beginning, a middle, and also an end. It is clear from Scripture, however, that the last days, mentioned here, have their own special characteristics. Therefore, it is possible for everyone to orient themselves by God’s Word and prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord.
When you talk to Christians, they speak of the current conditions as the worst of all time. That does not mean that everything went well before and there were no terrible happenings in the past. Far from it. In the past, there were the most terrible persecutions, and not only through paganism. Horrible abominations also occurred in the name of God, and millions of God’s people were slaughtered. A false Christianity ruled with brutal force and brought terror and misfortune upon pious and defenseless people.
Here, however, the description of the last days is different. Paul emphasizes “that in the last days perilous times will come.” Then he describes these days. And if we consider the attitude of today’s people and compare our times with these prophetic words, then everything applies perfectly. Where is the reverence and fear of God today? Who still pays attention to God’s Word in order to live their lives accordingly? Is God’s Word not just reinterpreted according to each one’s own opinion and simply subjected to the viewpoints of our age? It is not God’s Word that is the standard, but human opinion insists that each person should just live according to their own desires and do whatever pleases them. People tend to think very highly of themselves, are proud, and are blasphemers. Moral concepts are turned upside down. People speak of love and mean licentiousness. Purity and chastity are declared outdated. Women act as if they were men, and men try to appear as women. It is a reversal of the divine order. This leads to neglect, slothfulness, and a reluctance to do one’s duty, preferring others to do the work for them.
This also includes disobedience to parents. No amount of gentle persuasion, pleading, or even severity will help the majority to choose a better path. The love of their parents is simply trampled underfoot, as they want to be free and go their own way. They believe that this is the way to create a new world that will be better than the past. God does not fit into their concept. They consider Him to be an obstacle to their ideas, and they blaspheme. They are not afraid to openly oppose God Almighty. They reject His Word because it is too hard for them. They are self-absorbed and self-obsessed, and yet they are stuck in the mire of sin and will go to eternal damnation if they do not repent.
Another characteristic of the end times is the addiction to pleasure. Our text calls them “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Enormous sums of money are spent for pleasure, and even in churches the demonic desire for pleasure often gets the upper hand. It leads people to prefer the easy and carefree side of things. Yet they still maintain the appearance of godliness; however, they deny the divine transforming power whereby a person has died to the sinful way of life. They love pleasure more than God. Is this not an evil time? Jude mentions such people in his letter and writes, “that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit” (Jude 18-19).
And what about the time of Noah? That time is taken to be an image of the end times as well. In Noah’s time, the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh” (Genesis 6:3). Humans did not obey the Spirit. There was a disobedience and striving. Isn’t it the same today? People simply ignore everything God says, and the serious warnings are ridiculed and mocked. People do not turn to repentance, just as in Noah’s day.
What time is it on the world clock? The Lord’s coming is imminent, so let us pay attention to the signs of the times. Save your soul by taking advantage of salvation which is through Jesus Christ!
G. Sonnenberg (1898 – 1980)
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