Turn To God's Word In This Deceitful World

Difficult Times Are Here and Are To Come.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 3

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, chaters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of agodliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

Paul tells Timothy that difficult times are coming. He mentions 18 characteristics of people that will bring about difficult times.

Lovers of self - 5 The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

Lovers of Money - 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Boastful - 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

Arrogant - But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

Reviler - To revile is to criticize in an abusive or hostile way, or to spread negative information about. When you verbally attack someone and call him names and say mean things, this is an example of a time when you revile.

Disobedient to Parents -

Ungrateful - Not thankful for what they have, but focus on what they don’t have

Unholy - sinful; Wicked

Unloving - Hateful

Irreconcilable -(of ideas, facts, or statements) representing findings or points of view that are so different from each other that they cannot be made compatible.

malicious gossips - casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.

Without self-control - They cannot control their behavior

Brutal - savagely violent.

Haters of Good - They despise good works and try to sabotage them

Treacherous - guilty of or involving betrayal or deception.

reckless - (of a person or their actions) without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action.

conceited - excessively proud of oneself; vain.

lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of a godliness.

5 holding to a form of agodliness

Paul says to avoid men such as these. Trouble follows people that exhibit these characteristics. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. People that are not in the Word base their lives and thoughts on other means. All other means are not truth.

Trust the Scriptures

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 3

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Continue in the things you have learned.

Paul is instructing Timothy to live in the instruction he was given. Paul discipled Timothy and taught him how to walk in Christ. We too have a responsibility to walk in what we have learned from those that have discipled us. We also have a responsibility to teach others how to walk in Christ.

We have several opportunities to learn Biblical principles. Sunday School is a great avenue to get an in depth study of God’s Word. Sunday morning worship and Wednesday Night Worship are opportunities to learn the Bible. Thursday morning Bible Study the ladies have.

The things we learn in church are not meant for knowledge but application in our lives. When you are taught it is good to take notes, because you retain more of the teaching that way.

And become convinced of

When you live the scriptures you experience God. When you live according to His Word you will see that every promise in God’s word comes true. The more you do it the more you will be convinced that God’s Word is true and dependable.

From childhood you have known the sacred writings

In the Jewish culture, studying the scripture was part of life. They were expected to not only know the old-testament, but also memorize it. They would know it and live it.

We would do well to make scripture study a part of our families culture. We too can set the expectation that we know and memorize the scripture. When we do this we can live in God’s peace.

Scripture gives you wisdom that leads to salvation.

The wisdom of God’s Word cannot be compared to any other source of wisdom. It is written by the one who created wisdom. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. It is in the scriptures that we discover the immeasurable love of God toward us. He gave us His Son, so we could have the Father. Our sins are forgiven and we have been given eternal life. What did we do to deserve that? NOTHING! It is God’s love that leads us to salvation.

All Scripture Is Inspired By God.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 3

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

The Bible is God’s speaking to us. He used man to write His words. The words in the Bible are not originated with man, but with God. He placed His words in man and man wrote them. When you open God’s word it is like having a conversation with God. He speaks to us through His word. His Holy Spirit teaches us the truth about God’s Word.

12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear themnow. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

Teaching

Teaching - Didaskalia

teaching (activity) n. — the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill.

Teaching is showing what is right. The Bible teaches people what is right and how to understand right doctrine. It shows that God is loving and judging. He loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins and redeem us. He Judges those who reject His Son. The only way to heaven is through Jesus. You cannot get their through Allah Muslim, Buddism, Eastern Mysticism, Universalism, Hinduism, Mormonism. None of these are right.

Reproof

Reproof - elegmos

rebuke n. — an act or expression of criticism and censure.

Showing what is not right. The Bible clearly shows what sin is.

Correction

correction - epanorthosis

correction n. — the act of offering an improvement (according to a standard) to replace a mistake.

Showing how to get right.

Training in Righteousness

Training - paideia

instruction upbringing n. — the whole education and instruction of a disciple (both the cultivation of mind and morals); understood as the rearing and education of children.

How to stay right

Equipping us for every good work

God has work for us to do. The only way we can prepare for the work of God is to be in the Word of God.