A Form of Godliness

Set this in context. The defections of Paul’s coworkers, the presence of heretics in the Ephesian church, “believers” being led astray by the lies of the devil, Paul’s own persecution and imprisonment, all point to Paul believing they were living in the End Times at that time.

That being said, Paul already told Timothy in chapter 2:18 that Hymenaeus and Philetus had gone astray from the truth in saying the resurrection had already come when it hadn’t. In addition, the verbal tense of difficult times WILL come is future tense, not present.

Paul did not say that the difficult times will come and have arrived.

So even though he was seeing evidence that they could be in the End Times, he was still presenting it as a future event, but was sure he was seeing the beginning of it.

Sound familiar? I’ve said the same thing so many times. It sure feels like we are in the beginning of the End Times.

Regarding the difficult times (vs 1)

Violent, fierce - various riots occurring around the world.

Used of demoniacs, wild, difficult

Matthew 8:28 (NASB95) When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.

I do believe we’ll see more violent demonic activity the closer we get to the Last Days.

And I can’t help but wonder if we are already seeing some of that especially with Charlie Kirk’s recent assassination, the stabbing of that young Ukrainian woman on the subway in North Carolina, or even the shooting at the Catholic school.

In a journal entry of the shooter they found a drawing of him looking in a mirror and looking back was a demonic looking entity behind him.

Grievous, hard to bear, distressing

Is connected to rebellious attitudes and actions.

How much are we seeing rebellious attitudes and actions in society?

Other things:

Recently we had several people declaring that the rapture was going to happen September 23rd and unfortunately there were a number of people who were selling possessions off and gathering together expectantly waiting, I think one group in a forest.

There is the recent news that the red heifer has been sacrificed, somewhat covertly.

There were some Jewish holidays/feasts that were lining up to occur at the same time and that this is only the 7th time in history that they have happened concurrently.

Trump laid out a 20 part peace treaty that would include many nations.

Donald Trump is being hailed as the new Jewish messiah (lowercase messiah, but being called a messiah nonetheless).

Peter describes the tension of wondering if we are in the Last Days this way:

2 Peter 3:3–4 NASB95

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

So from the unbelievers perspective, life has been going on pretty much the same way forever.

The hullabaloo that Christians keep raising that this coming of Christ has been going on forever.

So to them, everything is the same and nothing has changed.

Which also subtly means life before the rapture is going to be fairly “normal.”

So, regardless of the timing of the rapture, and even though everything may be “the same” as it has always been, we as believers are commanded to have the doctrine of the Immanent Return of Christ as something in the forefront of our minds, always, which embraces the command from Jesus to be ready and alert.

The reminder is that there have been signs and difficult times in the past and there will be signs and difficult times in the future, which calls for wisdom and caution in declaring that we ARE in the “end times”.

Any declaration must be done in humility and uncertainty, but with a spirit of readiness.

Overview:

That being said, we are going to look at some of the indicators of the difficult times to come and some that we are already seeing.

The horrible list of stuff we are going to look at, in context, appears to be issues WITHIN the church AND Paul is highlighting that he was seeing hints of this in the church of Ephesus.

But I think all of the negative attributes we are about to examine can be distilled down to 3 key elements.

For the sake of time today, you have a handout defining the various words mentioned, as I’ll only be highlighting some as I focus on the 3 key elements.

We will also look at what is missing that leads to the mindset of the Last Days.

Finally, we’ll look at how to avoid going down the path that other churches have negatively gone.

Element #1: Lovers of Pleasures Rather Than Lovers of God (vs 4)

Misdirected Love

philos - hedone - sensual physical pleasure.

It’s a focus on gratifying the desires of the flesh.

Given over to pleasure.

Not lovers of God

Instead of focusing on God and His will, these people focus on themselves and their own wills.

Instead of focusing on seeking God in order to please Him, these people people seek to please themselves.

Lovers of self - self-centered;

one who loves his life so much that he seeks to save it, with the primary concern that things be easy and pleasant for oneself.

I want the Easy Life.

Luke 9:23–25 NASB95

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?

Lovers of money - covetousness, greed. A lack of contentment.

Not lovers of good.

Isaiah 5:20 NASB95

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Element #2: Holding To A Form Of Godliness, But Denying Its Power (vs 5)

Godliness - eusebeia - devotion, piety toward God.

In the negative it would be piety or devotion given in any direction except God’s direction.

Perfect middle participle. This is a settled state of willful assertion that:

I can change myself apart from God’s help. Self-Help.

I can play the part, but changing my behavior is optional and on my terms.

I can be moral apart from God’s morality. I’ll define what’s moral.

I can be a spiritual or religious person. Cultural Christianity.

This list is not exhaustive, just illustrative.

Change myself or being a religious person: Institutionalized religion can be cruel taskmasters.

Colossians 2:20–23 NASB95

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Be the best you you can be. Live your truth. Maximize your potential.

Don’t need to change my behavior. (Lovers of pleasure)

Jude 4 NIV84

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

I can be moral apart from God’s morality.

Ephesians 4:22–24 NASB95

that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

The Problem: All these forms of godliness deny the power of God necessary for the process of true godliness.

Denying the power of God to change the mind and heart.

Denying the power of the Holy Spirit to live a sanctified life.

Galatians 5:16 NASB95

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Element #3: Arrogance (vs 2-3)

This attitude is contrasted with proper submission to God and involves haughty disdain for others.

An attitude of superiority.

It’s all about me.

I’ll do it my way. Frank Sinatra.

Conceited - To be insanely arrogant.

In the perfect, passive, participle form - a condition brought on by an outside agent, in thsi case by Satan. It is an idiom relating to deception by being smoke blinded.

Malicious gossips - diabolos -

One who is under the influence of the devil and falsely accuses people.

Revilers - to blaspheme; to speak against someone in order to injure his or her reputation.

Boastful - pretentious pride

to wander about and make big claims about that which he does not possess.

One who thinks they can control their own future and shape their own life apart from God.

These all come back to reinforcing the thought of having a form of godliness, but denying its power.

The Mindset: Men of Depraved Minds (vs 2-3, 8-9)

Spoiled, corrupted, perverse

Every one of these attributes are a negation of a godly characteristic and shows what is missing from their lives because of their depraved mind.

Unholy - holiness negated - no regard of duty to God; absolutely no fear of God.

Disobedient to parents (apeithes) - belief/persuasion negated. They deem their parents unworthy of belief and so don’t listen to or obey them. I’m not going to believe or be persuaded by you. Stubbornness and Arrogance.

Ungrateful - grace negated. thankless, self-centered, disruptive people.

Unloving - natural affection negated; without love for one’s own family; heartless

Irreconcilable - making a treaty or agreement negated. Always in a state of war. refusing to lay aside one’s enmity or to listen to terms of reconciliation.

Without self-control - strength negated. unable to govern one’s appetites; an indulgent life.

Brutal - gentle or mild negated. untamed, fierce, savage

Haters of Good - lovers of good negated. not loving what is good; being an enemy to what is good; being against what is good. lovelessness triumphs.

In the passive - someone who has become and continues to be depraved through an outside agency resulting in their own willful rejection of truth.

Opposed the truth - have a problem with authority.

Rejected in regard to the faith - they have failed the test.

(a)dokimazo - approval negated.

And so implied - depraved means to perish with the end result being rejection and damnation.

Cannot make any further progress in making things worse, because Jesus is going to come and put an end to their work and set up His perfect kingdom of righteousness.

Their folly is evident, obvious, to all.

To sum up: godless self-centeredness.

The overall picture is one of a lack of dignity and self-restraint, of moral and mental weakness, of bondage to one’s sinful desires, and of a cycle of futility as far as true knowledge is concerned.

Remember, these are attributes that end up being IN the church.

But really, for context, in the end it looks similar to the Temple worship and the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, just on steroids, which is why Paul could be so explicit in his descriptions.

Paul’s Exhortation To Help Keep The Church Pure

Avoid Such Men As These (vs 5-7)

Those who exhibit those characteristics we just looked at

Among that greater group, there are those who creep into households.

For whatever reason, God has allowed women to have a vulnerability towards false teaching and can become easy prey for Satan’s lies.

1 Timothy 2:14 NASB95

And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

This is a whole other sermon.

Even though we are to explicitly avoid such men as these. There is a hidden subtext in this command.

Avoid men such as these, but you yourself...

Become the faithful men of chapter 2 verse 2.

Men, Rise Up and Grow in Your Knowledge of the Doctrines of God so as to Protect Your Wife and Children.

Society has emasculated men for far too long.

It’s a call to step up and become real men of faith.

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 NASB95

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

What this is pointing to is that men are given the mandate to be the spiritual head of the family and of society and to be the protector of the truths of God’s word.

We need to be the stabilizing force of God’s truth in our families. Church of Ephesus.

Ephesians 4:14–15 NASB95

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

We have to protect the spiritual well-being of the church. Church of Ephesus

Acts 20:28–30 NASB95

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

And we need to set the example in society. Church of Ephesus - to Timothy.

1 Timothy 2:1–2 NASB95

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Caution #1: Don’t Forget Your First Love. Church of Ephesus.

Revelation 2:1–4 NASB95

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Don’t get so full of head knowledge that you lose the heart of it.

Be careful not to get so focused on driving out the devil, that you stop loving Jesus.

Caution #2: Don’t Be Always Learning, But Never Able to Come to the Knowledge of the Truth (vs 7)

In reference to the weak women...

But, men don’t be like this.

The truth, the Bible rightly divided, rightly digested, and rightly applied will become the armor to shield your family.

Finally, We Have To Tap Into The Power Of The Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:15–20 NASB95

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

Conclusion

We need to be attentive to the 3 Signs of the Devil creeping into the church.

When The Church Becomes Lovers of Pleasure Rather than Lovers of God.

When The Church Has A Form of Godliness, But Deny Its Power.

When The Church Embraces An Attitude of Arrogance.

We need to pray against allowing our minds to become so depraved, that we become insensitive to the truth and ultimately opposed to it.

Finally, in order to preserve the purity and unity of the church we have to:

In general, Avoid Men Like Those Described.

Rise Up and Be Men of the Word, Knowing the Truth.

Tap into the Power of God. The Holy Spirit.

Closing Song: Rise Up O Men Of God

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