2 Timothy 3:1-5 – “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, irreconcilable, 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.”  

Brothers and sisters, God’s word for us today is timely.  Paul, the author of 2 Timothy is prone to long, run-on type sentences, that sometimes makes understanding difficult.  He opens up here saying that there will be for us (who are living in the last days – the days between Christ’s resurrection and His second coming) difficult.  The ground for why we will encounter difficulty is sin.  Every space where sin enters brings with it, difficulty.  In context Paul is writing from Prison, and soon to be beheaded.  Paul is not simply writing about sin among non-believers, but also believers.

Paul lists off the many ways a heart can deny God in a variety of “sins”.  None of us gets out of this list clean.  We all can see our own heart in the midst of this list, likely in more than one place.  Paul then pivots and says that these people can have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power.  Yesterday, amidst some personal difficulty, I was reminded that our sin is not simply what is seen outwardly, but it is the sin of our hearts.  There is a way that Christians can get good and modifying behavior, yet deny the power of the Holy Spirit in us to not simply change our behavior, but change our hearts.  If I am able to bridle my tongue not to speak in anger, that is good, and will spare me some earthly consequences.  It does not deal with the face though that my heart wanted to say something in anger – only God has the power to change our hearts into the image of Christ.  So we – all of us, cry out daily for the grace and mercy of God through Jesus to do that very thing.

Let’s not be labeled as those who simply have an appearance of Godliness, but let’s be the people of God, who walk in Truth from the inner person.  Let our love be genuine, from a heart changed by the gospel – knowing the One who loved us unto death to free us from not just the outward manifestations of sin, but the bondage of the heart.  Our hearts are free.  As we stumble forward in life, lets resolve together to be those who never deny the power of God, or His purpose to conform our hearts into the image of Christ.  Remain steadfast, knowing that the mercies of God are new each morning.

Grace and Peace,

Adam