August 14
From Such Turn Away
2 Timothy 3:1-5

  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.

He lists all sorts of characteristics and behaviors in people during the last days (These are the last days. The last days began when the Holy Spirit was sent on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:16-17).

He describes people who are selfish, greedy, proud, ungodly, ungrateful, unloving, rebellious, untrustworthy, angry, abusive, have no self-control and are haters of good.  These are people who love pleasure more than God.  People who even seem to be godly or ‘religious’ but who deny the power of it. He says to turn away from these types of people.  He further describes them in verse 8 as those who resist the Truth.

To turn away or avoid people like this means we don’t hang out and fellowship with them.  We really can’t have fellowship with those who love pleasure more than God or those who are selfish, rebellious and proud or who deny the power of godliness because there are no mutual interests.  As we read in 2 Timothy 2:22 we’re to follow righteousness with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

It’s one thing if a person has some behavior such as these but is seeking the Truth, we’re not to turn away from people who are seeking the Truth.  We’re not to wait until someone ‘has it all together’ before we accept them into our ‘group.’  God didn’t do that to us and we shouldn’t do that to others.  The difference is with those who resist the Truth and have put their own interests and pleasures above everything else—including God.

 

Confession:

I will avoid those who resist and reject the Truth.  Even those who seem to be religious but yet behave as Paul describes here.  I will also guard against this behavior and these attitudes coming into my life as well.

 

 

Obedience is a tree of life!