The Apostle Paul started at, of course, you know the Bible originally was not written in chapters and verses, and I'm glad it's like that so we can find things easily. But as he continues instructing Timothy, it's kind of like, you know, you might say his last words to Timothy. I don't know that he thought that. I'm just saying he's trying to give Timothy as a pastor as an elder, as a leader in the church at Ephesus, the things that the Holy Spirit laid on his heart said, Timothy, you need to know this.

And he starts out in verse one of chapter three. He says, this know also that in the last days, now you know what the last days are. The last days are those days between the first advent, the first coming of Christ, and his second coming, that's the last days. The last times, the latter times, all of that. Now, you know, people talk about, well, we're living in the last days. Well, we've been living in the last days since Christ rose again and ascended unto the Father. But now, we may be living in the last of the last days. Certainly, we're closer today than what Paul was in his day. We know that. But we don't know when Christ is coming back. We're not to try to figure that out. That's not our business. We are to be aware of what's going on around us. And there are signs. And I've often told you, I've told a lot of people that the main sign of the nearness of the coming of Christ is false religion, especially false Christianity. It'll spread like wildfire. That's what he said, Satan's going out to sow his tares, his false churches, his false professors. And it'll get wider and wider and wider that way.

So understand that, you know, people talk about, well, wars and rumors of wars. Well, that's been going on all through the last days. There've been wars and rumors of war, and there's wars and rumors of wars today. We know how this thing is. You all watch the news, and sometimes you don't get much truth on that, but you still, you're aware of it. So all of these things are coming about. So is Christ coming back in our lifetime? I don't know. He could come back before I stop speaking today. We don't know. But we know he is coming back. and we're living, we're to live our lives as if he will come back today.

Now, and somebody says, well, I better go sell everything I have and do this and do, no, just live your normal life. Worship the Lord. That's what the Bible says. Don't, you know, you don't have, don't quit your jobs and go off and live in a cave. That's what the Thessalonians did, some of them. And you remember what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians about them, don't you? Or 1 Thessalonians, can't remember which. He said, if you don't work, you don't eat. They quit their jobs, and they were going off to live in the mountains or in the caves. And when they got hungry, they came back to the church brethren who were working and said, feed us, feed us. No, no, get a job. That's what the Lord says. And he's talking about people who are capable of working. You know that. He's not talking about people who are incapable of supporting themselves. But anyway, no, don't act like that. If I knew that the Lord was coming back tomorrow night, what would I do? I'd get up, eat a little breakfast, come into the office, study. That's what I'd do. What about you? We don't know that. But that's what we're to do.

But he says that in the last days there will be perilous times. You know what perilous means, don't you? It means dangerous. Dangerous for the church. Dangerous for true believers. And it'll get worse and worse. It's not gonna get better and better. These post-millenarians, they don't know what they're talking about.

And so, As we get closer to His second coming, we pray, Lord, keep us. I'm gonna preach today as I finish up 1 John. Lord, keep us from the evil one. Satan will attack, the world will attack, and we struggle within ourselves. So we have a warfare, don't we?

But this, Paul warns, especially in the churches and among those who claim to know Christ, he warns Timothy and all true believers to expect perilous, hard, and difficult times. And really now, for the church back then, it was worse than what we've got today because, you know, you hear me pray all the time, you know, Lord, I thank God for the freedom the liberties that we have in our country that keeps us safe from harm from those who would hate us and who would harm us.

You know, the church, the true church now, and I know sometimes even the false church, it depends, they go through persecutions. And Paul even says that if a person is faithful and truly believes, they're gonna suffer persecution. Now that persecution comes in many forms to many degrees. Sometimes it's not physical torture, sometimes it is. Sometimes it's just derision of society and family. And that's not easy. I'd rather them kind of look at me like an outcast rather than shoot me in the head with a gun, you know, that's what I'm saying.

But it could come in any form, we don't know. We just know that the Lord's will's gonna be done, and we're gonna be safe in him. He said, in the trouble, in the world you'll have trouble, trouble, he said, but be of tribulation, but be of good cheer, I've overcome the world.

So the situation already prevailed during the days of the apostles. Every one of them were martyred except John, and he was an outcast. And so, but it's growing worse to this day, maybe in certain parts of the world where there may be a small group of believers that we don't know about in some part of the world who's going through sore persecution today.

Now, a lot of times when you hear on the news about people persecuting Christians, you know, I mean, I'm not naive, okay? I used to be. I'm not now. And I think about that, and I wonder who those newscasters are calling Christians. Are they true Christians? I hope they are, you know, but the way the world works now, and like I said, the main sign being the spread of false Christianity, it's a pretty good Good sign that they're not.

But I'm not gonna judge them without knowing what they believe, what they claim to believe. So we'll go from there. But I know this, I know there's a lot of false Christianity in this country. A lot of it. I think I mentioned it last week of the man, I can't remember his name. And I don't even know if he is a Christian. But he said Christianity in America is 3,000 miles wide and one inch deep.

So, and that's probably true, speaking of doctrinally and all of that. So Paul says in the last days there come perilous times. And then from verses two through four, he lists a number of problems that are going to arise. And when I first started this lesson, I just kind of whizzed through these and I thought, no, we need to look at this. So I divided it up into two lessons.

So I'm gonna go through here and just give you some ideas of what he's talking about. Look at verse two. He says, for men shall be, number one, lovers of their own selves. And you know what that is. That's self-love and self-righteousness. They think too highly of themselves. I know it because I did. That's all of us by nature because any sinner, any human being fallen in Adam who thinks that they can do something in order to attain or maintain the salvation that God has provided for his people in Christ, that's self-love, that's self-righteousness. And that's awful, that makes God sick. And that's a metaphor now, you know that. He said, I'll spew you out of my mouth, that means I'll vomit you up. And he's using that as a metaphor just to describe something of how this offends God.

But he who loves himself and counts himself righteous based on his works does not love or truly believe in Christ. That's a rejection of Christ. That's a denial of Christ. And so I'll put in your lesson, like the Pharisees of old, he despises others, has no concern for the glory of God nor the good of others, spiritually speaking. Now he may give money galore to the poor, but he has no care for their souls.

And self-love and self-righteousness promote freewillism, Human merit seek honor and applause from men. So when people fail to see their sinfulness, that's the problem with self-love and self-righteousness. It's a person who refuses to believe what the Bible says about them. You know, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them. You will not come to me that you might have eternal life. All of that. They refuse to see the depravity, the spiritual death and the ignorance of their own selves and cast themselves on the mercy of God.

So men shall be lovers of their own selves. Well, they always have. But he's saying, what he's saying here, he's not saying that this is something that's new coming in the last days. He's basically saying it's gonna be like it always was. And the point of that is this. You think as man progresses through time, he might get better and better and better and better. Not. He doesn't. Now he may live better. He may have better facilities. He may have better medicine. They can cure diseases they couldn't cure back then. Still can't cure all disease and not going to be able to. But there are things that are better in this life, but man by nature is not going to get any better. In fact, he'll get worse. You can say it that way.

And religion won't help him. Now isn't that something? Now religion may help Human beings get along a little better, but normally religion puts them at war with each other. I mean, look at the Mideast. And you can look at other places, in Africa, wherever. That's just the way of things. And I'm not here to be Donny Doomsday or anything like that. That's just the way it is. But what's the point of all that? The point of that is to show us that our hope and our assurance is Jesus Christ crucified, risen from the dead, his blood, his righteousness. We don't have any other hope of eternal life. And if I live to be 100 or 150 and all that, still gonna die. Still gotta face God at judgment. How do I want to face God at judgment? I want to stand there washed in the blood, clothed in his righteousness, alone, because there's my hope. Christ is.

Well, he says that men are going to be lovers of themselves, covetousness. You know what covetousness is. It could be lovers of money or material gain, just wanting constantly what you don't have. I put in here looking for personal gain and recognition and all that they do. And not just from men, but from God too. Men by nature, men and women by nature, think that God will be impressed with their deeds, their works, their sincerity, their religion. I mean, heck, don't you want to be a saint? Huh? Well, how are you gonna get God to make you a saint? Well, I can tell you how. You're not gonna get him to make you a saint. If it's his will, he'll make you a saint and he'll do it in the new birth. When by the power of the Spirit, he gives you life from the dead and brings you to faith in Christ and repentance of dead works. But to covet that position or to covet any position of honor or benefit from God based on your works or your will or whatever, that's covetousness.

Now, certainly, Ebenezer Scrooge was a covetous man, and we all hate him, and we all thank God that he changed at the end, but he didn't know Christ. Of course, he was a fictional character. I do know that.

He said, men shall be boasters. Now, we all know braggarts, and we don't like to be around them, do we? And I know that in the natural realm, you know. When I think of a braggart or a boaster, you know who I think of? Muhammad Ali. That idiot, you know. I am the greatest, you know, and all that stuff. Of course, I mean, that was a persona, I know that. He was just trying to entertain people and all that. I am glad that he got his rear end whipped a couple times.

But anyway, the boasters are like those in Luke 18. I thank God I'm not like other men. I fast twice in the week, not just once. I give more than just my time. I do this, I do that. I'm better than that old publican over there. That's the boasters. And anybody, you know, if you, I mentioned last week about the braggamonies, testimonies called braggamonies. That's what happens in a lot of those. You know, people say, well, you know, God enabled me to do this, you know, and I cooperated, or whatever. It's still boasting.

But it's not like the old publican. You remember the publican? Don't forget him. He only said one line. The Pharisee, he said a lot. He had a whole list. But the publican said, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Be propitious. That's what he actually said in the Greek. I need a mercy seat. If I'm gonna be saved and live forever, I need someone better than me. Perfect, in fact. And that's the Lord Jesus Christ. I need a righteousness I can't produce, and God can't even enable me to produce it because I'm a sinner.

And then, I know a lot of these might sound like they're the same, and he might be just emphasizing, and next he says, proud. Men shall be proud. And I've got in here, nothing is more offensive in the sight of God than pride in the creature. Remember Proverbs 6, he said, these six things ye seven God hates, and one of them he listed there was a proud look, a proud look. And that's what, it's that pride that keeps sinners from submitting to Christ as the only way of salvation. as the only way of righteousness. You remember in Romans 10, Paul said, I want my brethren to be saved, for I bear them record, they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, going about to establish their own, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. What keeps them from submitting? Pride. Pride does.

A couple years ago, a lady started coming to the church from one of the churches here in town, and she told me that she was leaving that church because they began to preach progressive Christianity. And she asked me if I knew what that was, and I said, well, what I've heard that it is, is it's when a so-called Christian church claims that there are other ways to God other than Christ. That's progressive Christianity. She said, well, that's what they're teaching. Well, why are they teaching? Pride. Pride. They don't want to submit to Christ. They don't, they're not going to humble themselves. God has to humble them. And they're, they're one of the false churches because they call themselves Christian. And if you're a Christian, if you're a true believer, you know that Christ is the one and only exclusive way to God. and his righteousness alone. And I know that's offensive to so many people who call themselves Christian today. It's offensive to them.

Then he says blasphemers. Blaspheming is anything that denies or dishonors God. Any word you say, any doctrine you preach that denies or dishonors God's character. You think about the thoughts and words regarding the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, to whom all glory and worship and reverence and praise is due, who created us and whom we live and move and have our being. And again, go back to what I've been saying, to claim salvation from God based on our works and our righteousnesses is blasphemy. It's actually idolatry. Because the God in your mind that accepts anything less than the perfection of righteousness that can only be found in Christ, that God is an idol. Because he's not in this book, This God here, the true and living God, he's got one way to be just and justify the ungodly, and that's the imputed righteousness of Christ.

Next he says disobedient to parents. Most commentators believe that this doesn't only refer to rebellious children, though that's there. You know, but now that's not new. You remember Eli, the priest Eli? You know, his two, I can't remember their name. Was it Phinehas? I can't remember. But anyway, he had two rebellious children and God killed them. So I mean, David had a rebellious child, Absalom.

So rebellion among children's not new, but what most commentators think this refers to is just a general rebellion against authority. And certainly that would include children with their parents. You know, children need to learn that mama and dad are God's ordained authority. And they are in the home. And so to rebel against parents is to rebel against God now.

Now somebody says, well, what if your parents worship a false god and command that you do that? Well, that's a different matter. And of course, children in their youth, like my two grandchildren, they don't know the difference until they get old enough and they can think. and speculate and reason in their minds. But we're never to obey anyone or anything or any authority who commands us to deny or rebel against God. Mark that down.

But there still is a natural respect and regard for parents among children that should be there. And that's a problem all the way through humankind, going through it. And so God's authority is the point here. You know, just like the government. You know these people who are telling people to defy the government of the United States with these riots, stuff like that? They're shaking their fist in the face of God. They don't realize it, but they are. You know, if the laws of the land are consistent with God's word, then we're no bad. No matter if it's a Republican or a Democrat or whatever.

He says now, he says unthankful. Boy, isn't that something? Lack of gratitude. Gratitude to God is one of the main along with grace and love is one of the main motives for acceptable obedience. You know, when you think about it, motivation is a big thing in the Bible. People say, well, I want to serve God. What's your motivation? Let me show you this. Look over in Romans chapter seven. And the thing about it is, motivation is a heart matter. I can't know your motivation unless you tell me. Okay?

Look at verse four of Romans chapter, verse four of Romans chapter seven. This is the big difference. He says, wherefore my brethren, you are also become dead to the law by the body of Christ. That means dead to the law's curse. Dead to the law's condemnation. You remember how he said back in Romans chapter three that all the law can do to a sinner based on his works is condemn him? All right. We who are saved, we're dead to the law. The law cannot condemn us. And how did we get that way? By our religion, by our baptism, by our work. No, by the body of Christ. That's the death of Christ on the cross. He died to the law, and we who are in him died to the law too.

That you should be married to another, married to Christ, united to Christ, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Now fruit unto God is acceptable obedience that is presented to God in the merits of Christ, not on its own merits. And then he says in verse five, for when we were in the flesh, when we were unregenerate, that's what that means, when we were dead in sin, trespasses and sins, the motions or the passions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. That's the religious deeds and what so-called good deeds of an unregenerate person. And it's called passions of sins. Something stirred up in them to cause them.

And then verse six says, but now we're delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit. Now newness of spirit is bringing forth fruit unto God and not in oldness of the letter. So what's the difference? Well, a person says, I want to serve God. I want to go to heaven. I want to help people. What's your motive? It can either be legalism. In other words, I don't want to go to hell. I want to do enough to stay out of hell. Well, what's the reality according to the Bible? You can't do enough to stay out of hell. You could start right now, and if you could live a perfect life till the end of your days now, you still wouldn't do enough to keep out of hell. Because you fell in Adam, I fell in Adam, we were born dead in trespasses and sins, and we've sinned. And we can't keep the law perfectly even now. But if we could, we still wouldn't do enough to keep out of hell. That's legalism. That's law works.

Another way is by mercenary promises of earned reward. Well, that's the kind of person who thinks this way, that, well, my good works will outweigh my bad. So I'll do enough works to earn God's favor. That's mercenary. That's the oldness of the letter. That's the fruit unto death. But when God the Holy Spirit brings us to know Christ, to know our sins, and to know the only remedy for our sins is the blood of Christ, his righteousness, he imparts a new motive, fruit unto God, a new way of looking at it, which is, as we said, serving in newness of spirit. And that's motivated by grace, love, and gratitude. And that's what's missing, he says unthankful. Next he says unholy, that is without fear of God. They fear man more than they fear God. Without regard to God's word, the testimony of the gospel. They live and walk in the indulgences of the flesh, whether it's morally or religiously. But either way, it's not separated, it's not sanctified, because it's not under God.

He says, without natural affection. You know what that is. Natural affection to husbands, wives, children, parents, and friends. Leaving the natural use of relations between men and women. Homosexuality and all this other, how many terms they got? LGB whatever, you know. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, you know it's gonna be. That's unholy, that's ungodly. Without natural affection.

The next one he mentions is truce breakers. That's covenant breakers. Whatever covenant it is, the marriage union, contracts, agreements, promises both to God and to men. I've heard people stand up in these testimonials and say, I promised God that if he'd do this, I'd do that. That's the kind of thing.

False accusers, slanderers, that's what that is, of character. Careless gossipers, tailbears, falsely accusing God's people. Remember Christ said, blessed are you when men shall persecute you and accuse you falsely, that kind of thing.

Incontinent, not willing or able to restrain appetites, tempers, passions, desires, and even in religion. And you know what I think of when I think about that? I think about these wild services that are carried on by the charismatics, where they just start shaking and jump up and down and all of that. That's what that is.

He says, fierce. That means unkind and hateful. I'll put it in here. This came from another commentary. Like a cornered beast striking out at all reach, wounding and bent on vengeance. And vengeance is the biggest thing there, the fears.

And then despisers of those that are good. Well, who is good? Only God's people. And it's not a goodness that's within themselves, it's a goodness that they have by virtue of their union with Christ. You see? The gospel of grace and Christ's righteousness condemn their claims and bring out their hatred. That's those who despise those who are good. They hate God's people.

Marvel not. if the world hates you. It hated me before it hated you. And then he says, traitors, they'll betray secrets of others, words spoken to them in confidence to preserve themselves or to gain in some way. Think about what, during the life of the apostles, the life of Christ, how they lied on him and they turned against him, the multitudes turned against him. You remember that? Remember when they turned against him and he turned to his disciples, he said, will you go away also? And Peter said, to whom shall we go? You've got the words of life.

Heady and high-minded, that's very similar to the pride and all that, puffed up and swelled up in vain, concede of their own accomplishments, their own works, their own will. Even if they thank God, like the Pharisee, I thank God I'm not like other men.

And then it says, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. And that comes back to the first word, lovers of self. Lovers of pleasure, lovers of sin, lovers of applause, worldly honor, making a god of their appetites, even their natural and sinful religious desires. Not loving the Lord Jesus Christ and his word.

So love for Christ puts all things in its proper place. Doesn't it? Okay, we'll pick up there next week with part two.