"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)
Things and places that are dangerous often have warning signs designed to let you know about the possible danger. For example, there may be a warning sign informing you of the danger of high voltage electricity. Some places have fences or other barriers to keep people from getting too close to something that could be a possible danger to them. On some hiking trails and in mountains there are fences to keep people from getting too close to the edge of the path or the mountain. While there may be many different types of signs or fences designed to keep people away from danger, if someone does not pay attention to them there can be problems.
In 2 Timothy 3 we have a list of things that we are told will be prevalent among people in the last days and we are told that these are the kind of people we need to stay away from. We have a specific list of things, and that is helpful, but if we do not stay away from people who exhibit these characteristics we can have problems. While it is true that we need to do all we can to help people with problems, we also need to be wise and led by the Spirit in all that we do and we need to make connections with people for the right reasons, because who we spend our time with is important. Ministering to and helping other people is one thing, becoming close friends with them is another.
It is impossible to live a life of isolation where you never interact with people who have problems or act wrongly. But, we do not have to intentionally spend our time with these kinds of people. Yes, we may have family members or coworkers who act in a wrong way and we need to pray for them, but we must heed the warning that the Bible gives us about staying away from the wrong kinds of people, as much as we are able, because people with wrong attitudes and habits can have a negative influence on us. We need to be wise and choose the right kind of companions and make sure we stay away from the wrong kind.
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)
Things and places that are dangerous often have warning signs designed to let you know about the possible danger. For example, there may be a warning sign informing you of the danger of high voltage electricity. Some places have fences or other barriers to keep people from getting too close to something that could be a possible danger to them. On some hiking trails and in mountains there are fences to keep people from getting too close to the edge of the path or the mountain. While there may be many different types of signs or fences designed to keep people away from danger, if someone does not pay attention to them there can be problems.
In 2 Timothy 3 we have a list of things that we are told will be prevalent among people in the last days and we are told that these are the kind of people we need to stay away from. We have a specific list of things, and that is helpful, but if we do not stay away from people who exhibit these characteristics we can have problems. While it is true that we need to do all we can to help people with problems, we also need to be wise and led by the Spirit in all that we do and we need to make connections with people for the right reasons, because who we spend our time with is important. Ministering to and helping other people is one thing, becoming close friends with them is another.
It is impossible to live a life of isolation where you never interact with people who have problems or act wrongly. But, we do not have to intentionally spend our time with these kinds of people. Yes, we may have family members or coworkers who act in a wrong way and we need to pray for them, but we must heed the warning that the Bible gives us about staying away from the wrong kinds of people, as much as we are able, because people with wrong attitudes and habits can have a negative influence on us. We need to be wise and choose the right kind of companions and make sure we stay away from the wrong kind.
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