Saturday, November 5, 2011

2 Timothy 3:1-17


The Last Days and Evolution


This passage always fascinates me every time I read it. Read these five verses again 
and think about our society. 


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


OK, you could argue that people have always exhibited these traits. Clearly these traits 
existed in Paul's day because words existed to describe them; however, it is equally 
clear that Paul is saying that the last days will be marked by an increase in these 
undesirable activities. 


I was raised in the 1950's. There were certainly things wrong in our culture in those 
days. Racism comes to mind as being a serious blot on those days. While Leave it to 
Beaver was not a totally accurate reflection of life in the 50's it wasn't too far off the 
mark for many and certainly it portrayed values that were highly admired. Boy, he things 
have changed. 


Evolution is not a dirty word. In fact, evolution is an incontrovertible fact. It simply means 
change, and without question everything in this material world is changing all the time. 
The question isn't whether or not we are changing but whether or not the change is for 
better or worse. For believer and nonbeliever alike the process of change is uneven. 
Believers have the assurance that they will ultimately be changed into the likeness of 
Christ Jesus. 


At times it looks like some unbelievers are doing a better job of changing than some 
believers but that is just the short term perspective. Long term, for the whole human 
race caught in the world system, the trend is clear and it isn't good. That's the bad news.   
The good news is that the bad news is further evidence that the world system's days are 
drawing to a close. It may be a few years, or possibly a few decades, or maybe just a 
few days. But these are the last days! 

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