2 Tim 3:1-5 (KJV)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
“In the last days perilous times shall come” (1Timothy 3:1)
“αθεοι” (atheoi), Greek for “those without god”, as it appears in the Epistle to the Ephesians on the third-century papyrus known as “Papyrus 46” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I believe these are the last days. The dual threats of atomic and biological warfare, unrest in the Middle East, wars and rumor of war, and the increase in crime are justifiable cause for concern and much prayer. But, what does the Bible mean by “perilous times?” According to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, “perilous times” means “difficult, i.e. dangerous, or (by implication) furious :- fierce, perilous, through the idea of reducing the strength.” So, weakness rather than strength is the peril at hand.
The times are dangerous and fierce (a word much favored by the media today), but they are also weak in love, mercy, and justice. These weaknesses promote poverty, sickness, and death. These end results of the weakening times are created by a loss of a relationship with God and inability to properly love self and others. Inability to love self and others destroys the family as a protective and nurturing unit. When the family is destroyed, society is likewise destroyed. The manifestations of the weakened (loveless, therefore dangerous) individual, family, and society are given in great detail. Men and women of the weakening times are:
lovers of their own selves
covetous
boasters
proud
blasphemers
disobedient to parents
unthankful
unholy
without natural affection
truce-breakers
false accusers
incontinent
fierce
despisers of those that are good
traitors
heady
high-minded
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God
have (perpetually) a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof
Today’s discussion focuses on the term “without natural affection.” For years I wondered what this term meant. According to Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary the term means “hard-hearted towards kindred.” We see evidence of this in the high (and rising) incidences of child abuse, incest, child abandonment, divorce, and spousal and elder abuse. So, destruction of the family structure is one of the many weaknesses that makes our times “perilous.” Weakened family structure such as single parent households, contributes to poverty, sickness, poor education, exposure to crime and drug abuse, medical indigence, and premature death.
The Lord created us to have a natural tendency to cherish our families. Sin breeds moral depravity that causes many to love their own narcissistic desires, safety, money, addictions, and other idols more than God. To love anything more than we love the Lord makes you a willing gardener of evil. The list above is a bouquet of the flowers from this garden.
The remedy for sin is: To love the Lord. It is not possible to love God independent of the “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5). To love and worship the Lord creates emotional and love balance in our lives that infuses our hearts with purity and compassion for ourselves, family members, friends, and neighbors. To have a heart calloused against ourselves and those around us is unnatural. It brings the heart low to the point of having a love-nature that is lower than the beasts of the field.
Let us pray that men and women everywhere come to Jesus and learn how to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Let us pray that the Lord will daily create a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us (Psalm 51:10).
My next blog post will discuss more about how to avoid being swept into and away by the weakening, perilous times. Please continue reading. Click here to read the second part of this post.
Until we meet again: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).
Your friend in Christ,
Verneda
Twitter handle: @vlights
© 2012 Verneda Lights. All Rights Reserved.
Updated 07/18/2015
