How Close Are We?

(2 Timothy 3:1-9)…..But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; ⁹ but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

What does it take to shock you these days? We are witnessing the numbing of man’s consciences, and its effect on our culture. Today most godless actions have been promoted as being open-minded. Our culture offers now every imaginable evil and perversion. Perverse behavior and rejection of God will be a characteristic of the end times. Many have believed that they were living in the last days. During John’s the apostolic time on earth he penned the words of (Revelation 22:20). Paul expected to be alive at Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Notice that twice Paul uses the words – “we which are alive and remain. Peter tells us that he was looking for that day himself – (2 Peter 3:12)

Even today many believe we are in the last days, one thing we know for sure, no one knows for certain when the Lord Jesus will return to this world (Matthew 24:36). While we don’t know the exact time of Christ’s return, we are told what the last days will look like due to the character of men, it sounds very much like the society of today. It is very possible that the Lord’s return is at hand, I want to point out four major marks that show we are in the last days

1. Mark 1 – perilous times – (3:1)
2. Mark 2 – a godless world – (3:2-4)
3. Mark 3 – powerless religion – (3:5)
4. Mark 4 – corrupt ministers – (3:6-9)