"People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." 2 Timothy 3:2-4 NIV
The Bible gives many examples of signs, warning us of the coming end of the age. Six such signs are given by Jesus, two characteristics are given by Paul, and eleven other occurrences that will occur prior to or soon after the end times are described by the prophets. While we are also told explicitly that we will not know the exact date and time of this final ending, God clearly wanted us to know when that time was getting close.
As the Christian church is increasingly swept into the interfaith movement, and as more and more churches shrink back into isolation, preparing to sleep through the growing attacks on their faith, perhaps God knew it would take a few signs to wake us up and remind us that we have work still to do.
So, let's imagine a time in history when as Scripture describes, "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unloving, slanderous, without self-control, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness but denying its power."
Does this sound a little familiar? It's a pretty accurate description of today's society and even many in the church. How could that be when these words were written around 2,000 years ago in the Word of God? It's a pretty sobering thought when you think about the accuracy of these words today.
So, can anything be done? How can as followers of Jesus, we look less like this modern description of society found in Scripture and look more like the character and message of Jesus? God's Word says the answer is found in Jesus. "The Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 3:15).
It's through knowing WHO Jesus is and trusting our lives in His hands that we are transformed. It's through walking with Jesus in faith that He teaches us how to navigate these challenges and reflect the light and love of Christ to others, while paying attention to the signs of the approaching end. So study God's Word. Believe what it says about how to be saved from ungodly character. Live what it says, for we all are running out of time.
