2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB  But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.  

When I find a piece of fruit with a few bad spots on it, I’ll cut them out instead of throwing it away. If there are quite a few bad spots, I will even cut it up and make a fruit salad out of it. I don’t want to throw out the good parts, because of the bad.

The frustrating part about 2 Timothy 3 is that the people Paul is referring to are not the outsiders in the world. They are those that claim to be religious, but they aren’t following Christ: “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.” Paul warns us to avoid these people, but he doesn’t say to avoid church because these people are there!  We have to shine our lights all the brighter, so the world can see the difference.  

-Kevi

 

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