Pastor’s Thoughts – 03-29-2026

A passage of Scripture that is timely for every Christian is found in 2 Timothy 3. Paul explicitly addresses “the last days,” and how life will be characterized by the values and attitudes predominate in the people surrounding us. We have been living in the last days since the Lord Jesus ascended with His promise of returning. Timothy would have known this from Paul’s teaching. Because of this, I believe Paul was here referring to the time encompassing the end of the last days. Now, many who study Scripture believe we are in the last of the last days of which Paul has perfectly defined in this letter to Timothy. Paul begins chapter 3 by stating, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come” (1 Tim. 3:1). Since the fall of mankind which brought the curse upon us, life has always been difficult. The word here translated “difficult” is appropriate, but in Greek it takes a more precise meaning. The word “difficult” is chalepos in Greek, meaning dangerous, furious, fierce, or perilous. This word is only used one other time in the New Testament and that is in Matthew 8:28 where it describes the violent nature of two demon possessed men. So, we see this word means much more than just hard attitudes. Even from its use in Matthew’s Gospel, it is associated with the extreme circumstances of satanic influence.

Beginning in 2 Timothy 3:2 Paul goes into some detail to describe what he is referring to as “difficult times.” He says, “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” (2 Tim. 3:2-4). From here Paul continues to elaborate more of the same through verse 7. When I read this list and attempt to fathom the depth of what is being stated, I am overwhelmed. The Bible addresses the depravity of mankind by sin, and that every person outside of Christ is capable of plunging into the blackness of degradation. But still this description, characterizing the trend of our time, is so intense it is hard to digest. There are no redeeming qualities of anything stated here. To even pick out one of the adjective descriptions and elaborate upon it is stressful. It disturbs our thinking so radically that we can begin to join with the world saying, surely it is not really this bad, but this is from God and it is this bad.

I am of the opinion that even the best of Christians, those who are walking with Christ, and in His Word meditating upon it, cannot fully grasp the depth of displayed sinfulness around us in our society and world. We are so engulfed in the world in which we exist that our expectation framework is gauged within it. We are accustomed to this life as Paul has described and have learned to coexist with and manipulate our way through it. Our expectations are set so low that when God-fearing values are displayed, we tend to say, what was that? I know that when I am exposed to any form of righteous behavior outside the framework of the church, I find myself surprised and prone to be skeptical. It is not that I want to be suspicious, but that righteousness and truth are so rare that when it is seen, I often step back expecting some sort of other explanation or even a scam.

Paul continues to describe the terrible realities of a world that is infested with advanced sin, until we arrive at verse 14, then he provides the essential counter measure we must employ. We know that the Bible speaks of us in Christ as being “overcomers” (1 John 5:4). We are also as overcomers to be the “light of the world.” We are ambassadors for Christ in a world in which we are strangers and foreigners (1 Pet. 2:11). Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). After laying out before Timothy what the world’s growing trend away from God will be like, he says, “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” (2 Tim. 3:14-15). Beloved, this direction given to Timothy is for us today. The only way to overcome this darkness and be beneficial as lights in the darkness is to continue in the Scripture. To counter the evil, we drink deeply from the well of God’s holy Word. The next verse in this important text for our understanding is, “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” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). This is the glorious and only means that God has given for us not only to survive these last days, but to overcome them. And notice again he says, “that the man of God may be adequate.” It is only God’s Word that has the power, to sustain us in this darkness. Thank you Father for Your Word!