But mark this. There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
While it is easy to say that this is a description of sinful man for all generations, it is also true that our culture today has accepted many of these behaviors as normal.
In America, our history of religious tolerance is under attack like never before and it is aimed primarily at Biblical Christians. This is an undeniable truth. Even more tragic is the way Christians in many other places in the world are mercilessly persecuted.
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. (2 Timothy 3:12-13)
These last days are indeed perilous and terrible. What are we believers to do?
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. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)
