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)
The previous post discussed how the perilous times are actually the days in which men and women become weaker in their relationships with God, and their families. When the love of God is absent, righteousness goes out the window, and the hearts of men and women become hard and cold. Today’s post talks about how to stop the process of cold heartedness that results in cruel acts against ourselves and our families.
Holy Spirit painting (Photo credit: hickory hardscrabble)
Christians have an obligation to cherish family members, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Even in the best of times, we have to be careful to not become insensitive to our kin and to ourselves. But the first step in any love relationship is to love the Lord. This is the first step because God is love. (1 John 4:7-9) Through our faith in Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to manifest the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) which are: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.
The fruits of the spirit give us the proper posture from which we can have God’s perspective on our personal relationships. When we see things as God sees them, we are able to have patience, give wise advice, make sound decisions, and show compassion. Only the Lord can give us the power to be kind-hearted. The next step is to be immersed in and live according to the word of God which is able to renew our minds and hearts. The final step in being compassionate to our kin is to turn away from people who treat their families badly.
The Bible is plain in its warning when it says “from such turn away.” Like sexual immortality, we are to flee the company of those who whose names can be matched with the qualities listed in 2 Tim 3:1-5. One reason why Christians should flee such people is because we tend to become like the company we keep. Being around people who are heady, high-minded, unthankful, unholy, traitors will hardly serve us well in our goal to become more Christ-like.
So it’s time to take inventory. Make a list of the people closest to you. Who or what (TV shows, movies, music, Internet chat rooms, clubs, horoscopes, mediums) do you go to for comfort and advice in life, business and other areas of your existence? Whose and what well are you drinking from intellectually and emotionally? Do your watering holes and water people fit any of the above descriptions? Have you or are you turning away from them? What do you do when the Holy Spirit prompts you about the dangerous people and things in your life? I urge you today to submit all that touches your life to God today. As for everything that is not Christ-like, “from such turn away.”
Until we meet again: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10)
Verneda
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