2 Tim. 3:1-5 (ESV) But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Of late, I’ve seen people in the news and in my own life claiming to be Christians but exhibiting some or all of the above traits. They often point their fingers at politicians, for instance, but ignore the same traits in themselves. We need to guard against that for a number of reasons.
Firstly, Scripture directly commands us not to be like this:
2 Tim. 2:23-26 (NASB) 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
Secondly, the devil loves to distract us. As Dr. Walter Martin used to say, “For Satan, the next best thing to a lost soul is a sterile Christian,” and misdirecting me with things other than truth, righteousness, and Christian living makes me that sterile Christian.
Thirdly, our behavior is used by God to show the world how we are different, “contrary to the world” as my pastor likes to say. We should live contrary lives, but when the lost look at us and see only the same things they see in each other, there is no reason to change, no reason to look into why we are different, no reason to turn to Christ.
Do we really want to stand before Christ one day having not shared the truth with others, not shown Christ in our lives? Do we think God will not hold us accountable for this? If we think that, we are misinformed:
Ezek. 33:6 (NIV) But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’
Maybe we’ve told people we’re Christians. Maybe we’ve even invited them to church, but do they see Christ in our lives daily? Have we shown them as well as told them? I don’t know about you, but I learn much better when someone shows me how something works than when they just tell me.
I never took auto class in school. I knew generally how an engine worked, and general maintenance procedures, but it was helping my brother work on his car that showed me how it all came together. Telling without showing is not to fully inform someone.
This theme of giving the full counsel of God is not exclusive to the Old Testament:
Acts. 20:26-27 (NKJV) Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
When we tell people we’re Christians, and they see we don’t follow the commands of Christ, we’re lying to them. We are being two-faced telling them one thing but doing something else. Some call that hypocrisy. Jesus speaks against this very type of hypocrisy often:
Matt. 15:7-9 (ESV) You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
We’re supposed to be different. We’re supposed to entice the lost by our behavior. If we are only interested in the “fire insurance” of accepting Christ then continuing to live as the world does, have we truly made Jesus Lord of our lives? Or have we just become Christians in name only? Have we broken our Lord’s heart?
This was a little harsh I know, but sometimes harshness is useful. I’m not speaking to the reader alone but to myself as well. Let’s reach out to one another, hold one another accountable to walk on the narrow way. Iron sharpens iron.
1 Tim. 4:12 (ESV) Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 