But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days… (3:1)
My heart is heavy this morning as I think about the Amish girls brutally shot yesterday by a man apparently carrying some kind of 30 year old grudge.
People will be…withouth love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good… (3:3)
Why carry around a 30 year old grudge? Why let anger and bitterness eat away at you for so long? Why destroy yourself and destroy others? It makes no sense. Something is wrong with the heart of man. I have to check my own heart because I can let sin invade and destroy me as well.
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (3:12-13)
This is not a promise that we like to quote alot but it is a reality of life. The more we live for Christ, the more we pursue holiness and righteousness, the more we will stand in contrast to a world progressively running away from God. Jesus reminded us of the same thing. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first (John 15:18). The hatred will come because of who we are and what we stand for. It should not come because we are obnoxious and lack tact and love. So how do we live in this world that is delving deeper and deeper into sin?
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (3:14-17)
Paul tells us that in spite of what the world may do…continue in what you have learned. Trust God’s Word. Know God’s Word. Follow God’s Word. Why do we follow God’s Word? Because it is breathed out by God. It is true. It is living and active. It is useful for daily living. It teaches us how to think, how to act, how to respond. It equips us for every good work. God has not promised that life would be easy or that the world would be safe and friendly but He has promised to equip us through His Word and empower us through His Spirit. What are we equipped and empowered to do? Good works. Comforting those who need comfort. Praying for those in need. Serving the weak. Encouraging the discouraged. Loving the unlovable. That is how we live in difficult times.
Lord, thank You for Your Word. Give me strength to follow You and to serve others in the midst of a world that often seems to have gone mad.