Living In Tough Times

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The Apostle Paul has warned Timothy of the dangers of false teachers moving in the Churches and their influence on vulnerable new Christians. Such external factors in the Churches are real dangers that can shipwreck the Christian faith. He now draws Timothy’s attention to the “terrible times in the last days” they are living in. There is a peril with “religiosity” – a form of hypocrisy that is destructive to the Christian faith. It is “a form of godliness” but in reality is godless. “Religiosity” is practicing or acting out religion – it is not godliness. This peril is what Bible Commentator Matthew Henry describes as “corruptions within” and people who practice them are known as “traitors within the garrison” and they “may do more hurt to it than two thousand besiegers without.”

“Religiosity” having “a form of godliness” attacks the Christian faith. There is the continual desire from these people for:

  1. self-love: loving the worldly self much more than the spiritual self
  2. covetousness: craving for material wealth and objects
  3. pride: having little regard for others
  4. disobedience: in duty and gratitude towards parents and elderly
  5. unthankful and unholy: for the goodness of God
  6. unloving and unforgiving: having no control of self
  7. contemptuous: of good and honour
  8. treachery: lack of affection
  9. pleasure-seeking: pandering to the worldly self

People with such godless behaviour are especially dangerous to the Church community. We are to “have nothing to do with such people”. We must be alert of them worming into our midst doing their best to destabilise the new and weak Christians. These weak ones have an exaggerated sense of sin, yearning for new teachings an d new notions of truth. They are vulnerable and may readily succumb to religious fads. We need to protect these young Christians from following such counterfeit seducers of the Christian faith. There will be tough times when godliness is over-ruled by ungodly teachings. Simple Christian faith is besieged and corrupted from within and without. At such tough times: FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED!