Expect Godlessness

On this third Sunday of Advent, we continue our series “What to expect when you’re expecting”. This week, we are looking at . Paul tells Timothy that in the last days, we can expect Godlessness. Now, when I think of that, I immediately think of the world. But the world is obviously godless. It has been so since the fall into sin, the days of Noah are described as “everyone was always evil all of the time.” Or as in the days of the judges, “People did whatever was right in their own eyes.”

On this third Sunday of Advent, we continue our series “What to expect when you’re expecting”. This week, we are looking at . Paul tells Timothy that in the last days, we can expect Godlessness. Now, when I think of that, I immediately think of the world. But the world is obviously godless. It has been so since the fall into sin, the days of Noah are described as “everyone was always evil all of the time.” Or as in the days of the judges, “People did whatever was right in their own eyes.”

But Paul isn’t warning Timothy about the obvious godlessness in the world. Rather, he’s warning about godlessness within the church.

It is tempting to read this passage and start thinking about other people. Do you do that? Do you read something like the lists in verses 2-5 and think about other people you know in church?

My challenge to us this morning is for us to consider this list as it applies to ourselves first, then to be aware of how it might apply to others.

· Lovers of themselves: we’re told that we must love others as we love ourselves. Loving self is normal, excessive love for self over and above the welfare and concern for others is wrong. This shows up when we insist on our own way, seek our own gratification over others’

· Lovers of money: covetousness, when our main motivation is gaining what we can and keeping what we have, so that we are wary and defensive against our neighbours

· Boastful and proud: think more highly of themselves than they ought, inflated self-worth, unable to accept correction.

· Disobedient to their parents: scorning the very ones who have provided everything from God’s hand, prone to wickedness

· Ungrateful and unholy: “The beginning of man’s rebellion against God was, and is, the lack of a thankful heart” (Francis Schaeffer). An ungrateful person is more inclined toward sin.

· Without love: sin corrupts this most basic compassion and love toward others, children are disobedience, parents lack care for their own children, people come up with reasons to dislike, disparage and even hate each other.

· Unforgiving: unable to see their own sin and need for forgiveness, they refuse to forgive.

· Slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good: they accuse others falsely, Matthew Henry says they devils to one another, saying and doing as they please, no regard for the truth.

· Treacherous, rash, conceited: Jesus said brother will turn against and betray brother, even to the death. Such people betray trust.

· Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God: We are to love God above all, indeed only in loving God first, can we truly love others and love and appreciate the gifts of God. When people love things more than they love God, they are in grave danger.

· Having a form of godliness: They are Christian by name, they are baptised, they are members, making a show of religion, but they deny the true power of God. They will look the part, but they won’t submit to the true power of God, to take away their sin. We must withdraw from people who are false Christians, those who look for excuses for sin.

Again, we can’t turn this into a witch-hunt. We must first examine our own hearts, seeing if any of these things apply to us, and if so, confessing and seeking forgiveness, the power of God. If we are trying to justify what we know from scripture to be wrong, then we’re in danger. If people come to us, justifying sinful behaviour, we are to withdraw from them, no longer have fellowship with them. Elsewhere, the scriptures describe such people as wolves among us. We see them in how they manipulate and confuse others.

Now that we are aware of godlessness, and that we should not be surprised to find it within the church, nor even within our own hearts, Paul encourages Timothy to remember what Paul had taught him.

Paul begins by reminding Timothy that he Paul, isn’t a godless person, nor is he a person having a form of godliness by lacking power. Paul’s life, since his conversion, is marked by the power of God. Paul exemplified the heart of a person who loved God and neighbour. Paul not only said, “to live is Christ to die is gain,” he lived it out. Therefore, we can trust him.

Furthermore, Timothy can trust what he’s been taught and what he knows to be true. The false teachers, just like Satan, always ask, “Did God really say?” The persecution we need to concern ourselves with is not when companies try to tell their employees they can’t say “Merry Christmas” and have to use “Happy Holidays” instead. Nor should we concern ourselves when certain liberties are denied us.

We ought to be most concerned when people erode our faith and trust in God’s Word, from within the church. We must be concerned when we are led to doubt our convictions. For the consequences aren’t merely a change in thinking, or a progression of thought, as some would have us believe; as though we are somehow more enlightened Christians than in any other time in history.

Rather, what is at stake is salvation. The scriptures, as they are, as we have received them, make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Messing with God’s word brings catastrophe, it corrupts the wisdom for salvation. Salvation is not found in Christ, it is found in our own passions and loves.

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” Very quickly then, all scripture, that is, the Old and New Testaments, as we’ve received them are inspired. They are more than the mere writings of men. “What about other books,” you say? Useful, yes, but lacking the authority of the scriptures, that is, they are obviously not inspired. If you would like more information, I can point you in the right direction.

We’re good at using the scriptures to teach. Most people accept the easy parts of God’s Word. Difficulties come with the hard passages, passages that teach us how we’re to live according to God’s perfect moral character, passages that contradict what our sinful nature desires.

Therefore, God’s Word rebukes us. People love to trot out the phrase, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” As a result, many Christians feel unable to call out their brothers and sisters for sinning. Many good-natured Christians want to help others with their sin, but feel unable to do so, because they are abundantly aware of their own sins and shortcomings. Who am I to judge? Who am I to hold them to a standard I cannot meet?

When Scripture rebukes, it is the scripture that judges, not the person. Yes, even this can be abused, but when done with a heart of love, this can happen. We can go to one another and say, “God’s word compels me to talk to you. I’m concerned for you. I see you struggling with... I come to you as a fellow sin-struggler. How may I pray for you and encourage you?”

We come to each other correcting behaviour, attitudes, corrupted thinking. In my favourite movie, “The Princess Bride,” the character Vicini repeatedly uses the phrase, “Inconceivable.” Finally, at one point, Inigo says to him, “You keep using that whord, I do not think it means what you means.” We should have the same boldness to say, “You keep thinking this, you keep doing this, God’s Word doesn’t let us think or do such things.

The Scripture trains us, so that we will be equipped for every good work. God created us to work. The first job, the oldest profession is gardening, farming, horticulture. We are to rule the earth in God’s authority, according to God’s care. We ought to treasure it, care for it, and cultivate it. We are to treasure our neighbour, our fellow image bearers, care for them, and encourage them.

Think about the godlessness in your own heart, surrender yourself to Christ, for his mercy and love are new every morning, great is his faithfulness. Recognise the godlessness in the church. Use God’s Word to bring about correction. Those who have a form of godliness but who lack its true power, will resist and leave. Continue in what you’ve learned and have become convinced of, for you know it is true. Allow God’s Word, God’s people to teach, rebuke, correct, and train you for the good works God has prepared in advance for you to do. He is faithful; he will do it! Amen.