America is in a perilous position. The nation has faced many assaults in the past. Growing government tyranny and the attack on cherished freedoms such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the right to bear arms, along with the decline of our economy and open borders—while embracing the butchering of babies in the womb and parading of perversion in the streets is horrifying. I commented recently to a lady who mentioned this that, it is “national suicide!”
The church is no longer looked upon as a benefit to society, but an enemy. How will the church respond to living in an antagonistic world? The choice of many churches is to cave to the culture by compromise. At first they grow quiet while still claiming to maintain their convictions. Yet, it is only a matter of time until such churches take the next step away from the faith.
That is a bleak picture, and mirrors the one Paul paints here. The encouragement is that the church in its infancy grew and flourished in a pagan culture where they were hated and hurt. So, may we.
Jesus promised that His church would march to victory and the gates of hell would not be able to withstand her. Paul was in bonds, but the Gospel was not bound (2:9). He was leading prison guards and prisoners to faith, and some of those soldiers would wind up as Imperial guards and witnesses to those of Caesar’s household! He was penning powerful words that are still changing lives today.
There are foes we must face and a weapon we must wield as we examine 2 Timothy 3.
First, we will consider THE FOES WE MUST FACE (v.1-9). The Apostle warns that difficult times are coming. I believe they are right around the corner. I pray I am wrong, but I am persuaded that I am right. We face a foe that is mostly overt and one that is more covert.
One foe we face is the hostility of the world (v.1-5). Watch the news on TV. Go out into public. What Paul describes here might as well be America in the 21st century.
Rather than loving people and using money, we will love money and use people as “lovers of self” and “lovers of money” (v. 2a). Arrogance will be apparent as mankind is “proud” and “abusive,” (v. 2b).
There is disrespect of authority, beginning in the home, “disobedient to parents,” (v. 2c), and defiance at home breeds disregard of heaven, “ungrateful, unholy...” (v. 2d)—rejecting our earthly fathers translating into rejection of the Eternal Father. Then follows despising His rule and throwing off moral restraint (v.3-5). Religion will be present, but an empty shell—mere ritual with deadening effect.
This leads from the hostility of the world, which is overt, to that which is covert—the subtlety of the wayward (v.6-9). The devil manifests himself at times as a roaring lion seeking to strike fear into his prey. On other occasions, he is a sneaky snake that crawls in and waits in the darkness before injecting its deadly venom of sin into the victim. This is how the serpent attacked Eve—first to doubt the accuracy of the Word of God with a question, “Did God actually say?” (Gen. 3:1) and then to deny the authority of the Word of God with a contradiction, “You will not surely die,” (Gen. 3:4).
The Devil uses creeps—“those who creep into households and capture weak women,” (v. 6a). They creep in on a podcast, a popular book, and so forth. If discernment is not exercised, they will be, “ever learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth,” (v. 7).
The Apostle had previously warned,
“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (1 Tim.2:11-15).
The culture is increasingly feminized—masculinity is under attack as “toxic”—and this spirit is growing in the church in the name of equality. Of course, there is equality of dignity among men and women! Neither sex is to be valued above the other. Yet, while there is no difference in dignity and worth, there is a difference in duty and work. We have different roles.
The elders of the church are to be men who are the gatekeepers of sound doctrine while the women are to be the homemakers of young disciples. Timothy’s faith had been birthed and built due to the effort of his godly mother and grandmother, (cf. 2 Tim. 1:5). Women have a different role in the church and men have a different role in the home—neither less essential, but not identical.
Beware of counterfeits like Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses with their fake miracles, (v. 8-9). They really didn’t seem that different on the surface, but at the heart it was the distance between heaven and hell. They learn it in a liberal seminary and export it to the local sanctuary. Little by little, they inject the serpent’s venom into the church with deadening effect.
How can we endure the hostility of the world and overcome the subtlety of the wayward? There is THE WEAPON WE MUST WIELD (v.10-17). The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. This is how Jesus conquered Satan, and so must we with, “It is written!”
This mighty weapon must be wielded with endurance (v.10-15). Paul stresses endurance in v.10, 11, and the need to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” (v.14). This is my call to you today—“Keep true!” It is a fight to the finish.
In those days, soldiers engaged in hand to hand combat, and endurance was demanded. This is true spiritually. How many have we seen who wearied of the fight, were wounded in the battle, and finally have thrown down the sword in surrender to the enemy? I first heard Warren Wiersbe say, “This world is not a playground; it is a battleground!”
The enemy is strong and on the march. Persecution is likely to become an increasing reality. Paul mentions it in v.11 twice and again in v.12. We have known a period of protection in America and the church has become flabby and soft. I heard a preacher, Stuart Briscoe talking about the difference between our churches and other churches in places across the ocean that suffer persecution. I paraphrase, “In the west, we face problems and cry, ‘O God, take these burdens off my back.’ And in the east they pray, “O God, make my back strong to bear these burdens.”
The period of protection eventually yields to a period of persecution. The world is not going to get better (v.13). Those of us who are saved will endure. The seed of Scripture has brought us faith in Jesus—and that is eternal life (v.14-15).
This is the message which we must share with endurance and can do so with confidence (v.16-17). We can be confident in the perfection of the Word (v.16a). It is God breathed. As God breathed into Adam and made Him a living soul, He has breathed into His prophets during the Old Testament era and His apostles in the New Testament age so that what they wrote down is a supernatural Book filled with miraculous power.
We can be confident in the perfection of the Word, and in the profit of the Word (v.16b). It is profitable for doctrine, “teaching.” Our beliefs are based on the Bible. It is profitable for discipline, “reproof.” Our rebellious nature must be broken—and Scripture chastens us. It is profitable for direction, “correction.” A light for our path to correct our wandering tendency and direct us from the path of sin and onto the path of sanctification. It is profitable for dedication, “for training in righteousness.” Moody proposed, “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”
We can be confident in the perfection, profit, and purpose of the Word (v.17). The purpose of the Word is to make us “complete,”—that is, spiritually mature; capable, “equipped,”—trained for the task; committed, “for every good work”—and this is real success as God sees it.
Have you received the seed of salvation—the Word of the Gospel which brings faith in Jesus Christ? If so, have you publicly confessed that faith? The lines are being drawn. We get on one side or the other. It is time to take a stand for Jesus.
Having received salvation, are you standing tall and staying true? Is there an unwavering commitment to follow Jesus? We must swim against the current of the culture or be swept back.
A solid Bible-believing church is the place for the reinforcing of that faith. There you will be taught the Word of God. You will be encouraged in your walk with God. If you are not a member of such a church, why not? If you join such a church, you can seek to keep true together!
Maybe you are in a liberal church. You don’t like it, but tolerate it. You argue, “But my grandparents are buried in the graveyard!” The fact is that they would leave if they could. A former generation would find it heartbreaking to see what many churches degenerate into by the erosion of faith.
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