Self-Examination (Abide Devotion for September 2, 2015)

2 Timothy 3:1-9

¹ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. ^[1]

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What strikes me in today’s passage is its call to self-examination and repentance. Note that this was not necessarily the intent that Paul had in mind in writing this to Timothy, but it is the effect of the Word in my life today. Let me explain.

Paul is warning Timothy to watch out for the terrible times of the last days. From a purely theological standpoint, we are in the last days and have been so ever since the Ascension. But Paul’s point is an escalation of ungodliness as the last days, Christ’s return, approach. Paul intends for Timothy to be watchful for those who have given themselves over to sin and have nothing to do with them for the sake of protecting and leading the church.

Now, my initial thought in reading Paul’s catalogue is that it sounds an awful lot like our culture today. We don’t have to go very far to find examples of all of these items going on around us. I can think of examples of almost every one of these items. From that standpoint, Paul’s warning to Timothy is as timely today as ever.

But then I re-read the list and the Word was doing its work on me. Have I been a lover of myself above others? Have I been too loving of money? Boastful? Proud? You get the point. How many of these also describe my heart and mind and my activity? I am not claiming to be one of those about whom Paul warned. But still the words can be applied in this way. The key is continual repentance and falling again and again upon the mercy of Christ.

But that’s why I said this passage in my ears is a call to self-examination and repentance. These behaviors and attitudes are called terrible by Paul and present a danger to the mission and the church. So my prayer is one of repentance where these sins have been manifest in my life, thankfulness for God’s amazing grace and forgiveness, and the strength of the Holy Spirit to walk only in God’s will this day.

What is the Word leading you to pray about today?

 

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^[1] The New International Version. (2011). (2 Ti 3:1–9). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.