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, NKJV.
Holy Father, as we continue to contemplate the signs and wonders that are revealed in the heavens, and on earth, we ask that You will speak to our hearts, in the name of Jesus! Amen.
Today we come to our second group of behaviors. I have gathered them under the title of Emotional. These are the behaviors that seem to be the result of an emotional response to the different situations of life. They appear to be based more on impulse than on reason. The first one is: Without self-control. I believe that this behavior involves much more than a lack of temperance. I believe that it is a weakening of one’s will power, thereby producing the inability to make good choices. As such, it could affect every area of our lives. We could lose the ability to say no to destructive habits; and we could also lose the ability to say yes, to the wooing of God’s Holy Spirit! That makes it very dangerous! Brutal. The very root of the word, (brutus), makes evident the fact, that this behavior is not based on sound judgment. Instead, it operates more on a lower, even animalistic, level. As a result, its manifestation could be both insensitive and cruel; bordering on survival tactics! It is hard to imagine such behavior in the church of the living God!
Blasphemers. The marginal reading for this word is Railer; someone who is bitter and harsh with their language. They attack with their tongues, and can be really mean in their denouncing! Despisers of good. This is such an unexpected attribute in a list of behaviors existing among church members. We could imagine this in an office setting; but within the church! Do not be surprised if there are church members who dislike you for doing good! I know it is hard to believe; but it happens! Our final attribute on this list is, Slanderers. It is sad to say, but it seems that no church is complete without the slanderers! These are not just gossipers (which are pretty bad themselves). Slandering is a malicious attack on someone, with intentions to damage their reputation! In Ezekiel 22: 9, the prophet denounced men in Jerusalem, who were causing bloodshed with their slander! Slandering lips, within the church, have caused the demise of many! May God forgive us; and may He help us to love one another as Jesus loves!
As we contemplate this second list of behaviors that has been included among the signs of the end; it behooves us to spend some time in the presence of God, seeking His cleansing. It is time for us to be looking within ourselves, and asking God to create in us clean hearts, and renew right spirits within us (Psalm 51: 10)! It is not a time to be looking around and trying to find who is guilty. It is time to be doing our own soul-searching; our own weeping between the porch and the altar (Joel 2: 17)! If we are searching within ourselves, perhaps each of us will find the sins that we, as individuals are guilty of, and in so doing, bring about a complete cleansing of the body of Christ! It is time to be interceding for one another; and joining our forces in the fight against sin (not against one another); whatever that sin may be. It is time for us to be living as if Jesus was coming back today!
Tomorrow we will look at the last list of end-time behaviors, under the title of Spiritual.