May 17, 2020

Today's Thought: 

Perilous Times, 

Personal Sins,

A Need for Salvation !
(apart of the series, "Don't Give Up on God !")

Point 1: Follow his warning
Paul gives Timothy a warning of the times that he is about to experience the last days! The last days a term that is referred to by Christians as a time when marked events will occur just before the Second Coming of Christ or in Jewish history referring to prophecies of judgement and the end of time. Paul describes the world as being in a state of apostasy  and rebelliousness as he specifically cites the professed Christian as being one who will deliberately reject, renounce and/or fall away from the revealed truth which is found only in Jesus Christ and the belief of the atoning work Christ did on the cross for our redemption and salvation. Paul laid out a full blown picture of the godlessness that Timothy would see just as we see today! Paul didn’t sugar coat it he laid it all out on the line! He warned Timothy that it is important for him to keep the faith as 2 Peter 3:8-9 reminds us to not forget. 

Point 2: Acknowledge the truth
Paul moves on to let Timothy in on a little secret that some will learn about God but never acknowledge God in their lives. Some will say that they know God but will lack salvation due to their own non submissiveness causing them to never come to an accepted faith in Jesus Christ and live a powerless life! But say that they know God! I know God but I don’t have relationship with Him. To know God is to recognize that He is exists, creates, rules and saves. It is to know that the universe is His that He is everywhere present, all-knowing and all powerful. To know and acknowledge God in our lives, we must admit our inadequacies and submit of self to God, worshipping God according to John 4:24 not being fooled by those written of in Jude 18-19. 

Point 3: Stand as a believer
The Christians conduct during these perilous times should be the same as Peter instructed the Hebrew Christians in I Peter 4:7- 11. Perilous Times, Personal Sins, A Need For Salvation!
Paul wrote to Timothy in the prior chapter 2 Timothy 2:8-13what it meant to stand as a believer in the faith. He then reiterates this same conviction to Timothy here again in our lesson 2 Timothy 3:14-15 to stand as a believer 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

So I conclude as you go through these perilous times,  think about your own personal sins and how one day you needed a Savior and that Savior was Jesus Christ! Therefore, I urge you to “Don’t Give Up on God!” Amen.