Be Lovers of God

As the scriptures predicted, we truly live in perilous times.  Some people wonder if we are in the "last days," and it is clear we are in them based upon Hebrews 1:1-2 which says, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds..."  The revelation of God through Jesus Christ was the beginning of the last days which have continued until now.  The rapture of the church, the great tribulation, the judgment of the world, Christ's millennial reign, final judgment and the establishment of the new heavens and earth has yet to occur.  Let there be no doubt Jesus is alive and will return for His church and will judge the nations He will rule with a rod of iron.

Paul wrote this to 2 Timothy 3:1-5:  "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"  I hail from a generation where self-esteem has been paraded as the greatest need of young people rather than the love of God.  The corrupt fruit borne of this distorted view demonstrates what Paul warned Timothy about:  people, being lovers of themselves, money and pleasure rather than God, fall into grave sin and error.  It is seen by some as a triumph these days to break off marriage vows made before God due to adultery, file for divorce, and leave children to a spouse to pursue a "true love."  Those who claim "Love is love" must omit God's love from this equation, because God's love is not at all about Him but is selfless, righteous and continually extended to all.

As believers, we can easily fall into the trap of looking at others to identify the faults listed here and give ourselves a free pass because our faults are not as evident.  But Paul pulls no punches, for he says those who are guilty of these sins have a "form of godliness but denying its power."  Through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, He has provided victory over the power of sin.  The presence of the Holy Spirit empowers us to walk uprightly and put off the lusts of the flesh.  Having received the love of God through the Gospel, we are to be the antithesis in our hearts, minds and conduct of what Paul describes:  lovers of God and others, generous, humble, giving praise and thanksgiving to God, obedient to parents, submitting to one another in love, speaking words to edify others, exhibiting self-control, gentle, lovers of what is good, faithful, teachable and loving God completely.  This is the manner of character and people Christians ought to be, and we should join ourselves in fellowship to those who seek to thus honour God with their lives and future.

The only person you will be required to provide an account for before God is you.  We will be required to give an account before our KING Jesus for the words we say (Matthew 12:26), our stewardship of the authority given to us (Hebrews 13:17) and our conduct.  Instead of standing in judgment of others, we are called to examine ourselves as it is written in Romans 14:10-13:  "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹ For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." ¹² So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."  The result of judging others is to look down on them, to view them with contempt.  Everyone who is standing today can potentially fall, and thus we ought to be clothed with humility and in love avoid doing what can trip others up.  If we aren't loving God above all, we will ultimately fall into the sins Paul warned Timothy about.