As I was spending time in the Word this morning I found myself camping out with this scripture. My first thought was boy do we sure see this happening. Our world is lost and lacking self control, it’s unthankful and unholy etc. However it wasn’t that portion that God brought to my attention; it was the last line “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
“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 rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”
II Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV
As I sat and asked the Lord what He wanted to say about this I realized I had always looked at this as people who were denying God completely. This morning I realized that it can also be someone who says they have faith and take actions that they say are in the best interest of others and the world around them but because they are not based out of a relationship with Jesus the person is open to corruption and deception. Over and over I see people in the media who say they want social justice change whether it be for women to choose to kill their babies or using racial tensions to permit and promote rioting, looting or even promoting pedophila as a protected sexual class etc. Maybe it’s a politician who tells you that you need to do something because it’s the “right” thing to do while they go off and do something else because they feel above their fellow man.
How can we address the very real issues and concerns we are facing if we are not tied into Jesus? He is the source of love; without Him the enemy comes in and sows deception and corruption. We have to embrace and function from a deep relationship with Him if we hope to change our nation and the world.
If we are in relationship to Him than we lay down our rights; our rights to be offended, to carry bitterness, to stay in our comfort zone while others around us are lost and hurting. We give up the right to our opinion on anything because we are called to choose love and relationship. Life suddenly becomes about Him and others instead of us. We desperately need people to have godliness BECAUSE they cling to the power of Jesus sacrifice at the cross. This is the answer to everything we see going wrong.
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