Monday, September 20, 2021

Difficult Times


No one likes to suffer. Hard times are…hard. It is not something anyone looks or wishes for, or hopes will happen to them. It is our human nature to desire ease and comfort, to serve self rather than deny self and serve others. The closer we get to God, the more or a contrast there is between godliness and worldliness, and the more the world will hate us for being different. Life gets both harder and better at the same time.

 

2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13 New American Standard Bible 1995

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these…

But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

 

Part of the reason why life will get harder is because humanity is getting worse. More and more, ungodliness and immorality will become more in vogue. As we can see in our world today, our society praises what it used to recognize as wrong just a few decades ago. All of the things in this list are beginning to be praised. As a result, they will become increasingly more critical of those who live godly lives and reject (in their own lifestyles) this kind of behavior.

 

The danger is that we may be led astray by them, for some parade as pastors and evangelists and enslave those who are not solid in their faith, leading them astray with ungodly teaching that has just enough truth to make it seem good. Many pastors who once held to the truth are now falling away or being caught doing horrible things and destroying their ministries. They vocally speak against godliness and put down those who do not jump off the cliff with them.

 

2 Timothy 3:10-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

Now 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 rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

 

We need to hold fast to the truth and stay the course. We will be persecuted because we are not like them. God’s Word sheds light and reveals the darkness for what it is. That is why they hate it. And those who have turned from it hate it even more because they should know better. That is why they spread the lie that followers of God have easy, happy, successful lives. They are not persecuted by the world because they are of the world and not of God. Jesus said that just as the world hated Him; it will hate us as well. We are not better than He that we should be spared from it. I have actually received more persecution (mild as it is) from worldly Christians than I have from unbelievers because I “make [them] look bad.” They are convicted enough to be offended but not enough to change.

 

2 Timothy 3:14-17 New American Standard Bible 1995

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

 

However, we should not be afraid of the persecution. We need to hold tight to what we have learned, to the Truth, because the Bible is absolute truth and it is trustworthy. It is everything we need. It is light, hope, encouragement, conviction, training, joy, and more. We can trust what God says, even when everyone says the opposite. We can stand confidently because we know that we will be judged by God and not by man, and we will overcome and receive the crown of life!

 

Stand strong! Take courage! The battle is the Lord’s and He has already won!



(sorry I forgot to publish this in time Monday morning)

No comments:

Post a Comment