April 28th

II Timothy 3

RUN!

The emphasis in this chapter is on KNOWLEDGE and RESPONSIBILITY!!!  Paul emphasizes to Timothy the condition of the last days and instructs him how to respond. 

“These last days” began with the ministry of Jesus Christ Heb. 1:1-2 and will continue until He returns.  Within this period of “last days” there will be “times (seasons)” of different kinds, but as the “times” draw to a close, they will become perilous – dangerous, hard to deal with, savage.  Some Bible scholars believe that the violence of the last times will be energized by demons. 

These things began in Paul’s time and have continued to increase in intensity.  Evil seems deeper and of greater intensity…yet accepted and promoted by society in a bolder way.  It is not small pockets of rebellion, but all of society seems to be in ferment and rebellion.  Yes, v. 1 – we are in perilous times. 

Paul’s instructions v. 1-9*

1.     TURN AWAY from the false…faithful believers should have nothing to do with the people that Paul describes in this section.  They operate under the guise of religion “having a form of Godliness…but denying the power thereof.” 

Their characteristics v. 2-5…love is emphasized: lover of their own selves, lovers of money, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.  THE HEART OF EVERY PROBLEM IS THE HEART!  If we love ourselves supremely, we will not love God or our neighbors.  We should worship God, love people and use things.  But if we start worshiping ourselves, we will ignore God and start loving things and using people.  When someone loves and worships himself, the result will be PRIDE.  “Ye shall be gods” was Satan’s offer to Eve.

Children do not obey their parents…ungrateful!  No respect. 

Without natural affections – The family is under attack these days and as go its families, so goes the nation.  Unnatural love has come strongly to the forefront. 

So that they may defend their behavior, they become slanders…tear down the reputations of others. 

When they cannot have their way, they become much like savage beasts.  Instead of honoring what is good, they despise what is good and honor what is evil.  Isaiah 5:20 “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil. 

Untrustworthy…high minded…lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God…The choice is between loving please or loving God.  If we love God, we will also enjoy fullness of life here and forever, but the pleasures of sin can only last for a brief time. 

This description of the FALSE ones would consider themselves religious!  “Having a form of Godliness v. 5”  NOT true Christian faith…for they have never experienced the power of God in their lives.  Form without force.  Religion without reality. 

Their converts:  v. 6-7 The fact that Paul describer silly women does not suggest that all women are like this or that men are not vulnerable.  Women were especially susceptible to this kind of experience since they had a low status in society.  Whether men or women, people who fall for this false religious system, have the same characteristics.  Burdened with guilt and looking for some escape from it.  Unable to control their desires…searching for truth, trying this approach and that; yet they are never able to be satisfied.  They become fair game for the cultists and the religious racketeers. 

False religious leaders take advantage of the problems people have and promise them quick and easy solutions.  They worm their way in and soon have control. 

“For such turn away!” 

Their religious leaders:  v. 8-9 The two men named here are not mentioned anywhere else.  They seem to be part of the group written about in Exo.7-9.  Moses’ miracles and the magicians’ imitations…but when it came to the miracle of the lice, the magicians could not imitate…8:16-19. 

Satan is an imitator.  Of what God does, Satan counterfeits.  Paul calls the religious leaders Re probate – tested and found counterfeit. 

These religious leaders will be exposed in the last days.  When God’s judgments fall, the true character of these counterfeits will be revealed to everyone.

2.    FOLLOW THOSE WHO ARE TRUE.  V. 10-12  Paul reminds Timothy that he is unlike these false teachers and has been a faithful servant of God. 

Lives open for All to see v.10a  Paul had nothing to hide!  Timothy had lived and labored with Paul and knew the man well…he had not hidden behind extravagant claims or religious propaganda.

Teach true doctrine v. 10b  No matter how appealing a preacher may be, if he does not preach the truth of God’s Word, he does not deserve our support.  Pseudo-Christianity…mixture of psychology, success motivation, and personality cults with a little bit of Bible thrown in to make it look religious.  BEWARE!

Practice what they preach. V. 10c  Pauls’ life backed up his messages.  He did what he instructed others to do. 

Purpose is to glorify God v. 10d  Paul wanted to do God’s will and finish the work He gave him to do.  Endurance…the ability to stick with it when the going gets rough.

Willing to suffer v. 11-12 Paul suffered for others.  People today think that Godliness means ESCAPING persecution, when just the opposite is true.

 

3.   CONTINUE IN GOD’S WORD V. 13-17

The only way to defeat Satan’s lies is with God’s truth.  “Thus saith the Lord.  Evil men and women will continue to get worse, deceive more…Why?  Because they are being deceived by Satan.  In these last days, there will be more deception and imitation; and the only way a believer will be able to tell the true from the false is by knowing the Word of God. 

The Truth of the Word is not only for our children early in life, but adults need the guidance of the Word far more than children do because adults face more temptations and make more decisions. 

We must teach our children and grandchildren the Word.  As soon as a child is born, surround him with the Word of God and prayer.  You will not have this opportunity in quite the same way after he grows up.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD:

They are the Holy Scriptures v. 15a  The sacred letters! The way we treat the Bible shows others how much or how little we respect it.  I Thessolonians 2:13

 

Lead us to salvation v. 15b We are not saved by believing the Bible but by trusting the Christ Who is revealed in the Bible.  Satan know the Bible but he is not saved.  The Bible reveals our need for salvation.  It is a mirror that shows us how filthy we are in God’s sight.  Ex plains that every lost sinner is condemned NOW and needs a Savior NOW and that a lost sinner cannot save himself.  Gives us assurance of our salvation…becomes our spiritual food to nourish us…our sword for fighting Satan and overcoming temptation.

 

Are true and dependable v. 16a  “All Scripture is God breathed”…(Yes, hath God said????)   Used men of God to write the Word of God.  The supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit on the Bible’s writers, which guaranteed that what they wrote was accurate and trustworthy.  Revelation means the communicating of truth to man by God…Inspiration has to do with the recording of this communication in a way that is dependable.

 

 Are profitable v. 16b  They are profitable for DOCTRINE (what is right), for REPROOF (what is not right, for CORRECTION (how to get right), and for INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (how to stay right). 

 

Eauips us for service v. 17 By studying the Word, obeying it, and letting it control life…  Perfect…complete, in fit shape, in fit condition.  Not sinless perfection…rather it implies being fitted for us. 

 

Furnished = similar meaning “equipped for service.  The Word of God furnishes and equips a believer so that he can live a life that pleases God and do the work God wants him to do.  The better we know the Word, the better we are able to live and work for God.  The ultimate purpose in Bible study is equipping of the believers who read it.  It is the Word of God that equips Giod’s people to do the work of God. 

 

The times are not going to get better, but we Christians can become better people, even in bad times.  We must separate ourselves from that which is false, devote ourselves to that which is true, and continue in our study of the Word.  Then God can equip us for ministry inn these difficult days, and we will have the joy of seeing others come to a knowledge of Truth.