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, …, 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, … (8) … 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.”
You will recall that our Lord Jesus taught us that we would know false prophets and false teachers by their fruits (Matthew 7:16). In the above passage of scripture, the Holy Spirit gives us some characteristics of ministries that should be avoided in the last days. For in this passage, He clearly admonishes us to turn away from these individuals. We know that the Holy Spirit is referring to ministries, for He tells us that these individuals make captives of households including gullible women. The scripture tells us that these ministries resist the truth of God’s word. In other words these ministries preach and teach a distorted gospel. The first characteristic listed, are ministries that focus on the individual and not on God. For notice that He says that these ministries promote love for oneself and not love for God. The second characteristic listed, are ministries that focus on financial prosperity. The scripture plainly teaches us that it is God’s will that His people prosper financially. However, it is not God’s will that His people become covetous.
Michael E.B. Maher
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