People will be Lovers of Themselves

2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV  But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  (2)  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  (3)  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  (4)  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--  (5)  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

When the apostle Paul wrote this portion of his second letter to Timothy, he did not just have in mind what was happening in the world.  From the first chapter to the last Paul was dealing with a pastor who was surrounded by false teachers, carnal believers, “savage wolves” who came from within the church, as he warned them about in Acts 20:

Acts 20:28-31 NIV  Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.  (29)  I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  (30)  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  (31)  So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Even from your own number.  Scary, isn’t it?

So when Paul described what was happening in the last days, it wasn’t just about the world – it was also about what was happening within the church.  You just have to take a close look at those who call themselves Christians today, and you will see that the description Paul shares is happening inside the church.

Most especially the first line, which we tend to breeze through without really thinking about it:

2 Timothy 2:2  People will be lovers of themselves…

And how important is it for Christians to understand that loving ourselves is a sin that we all struggle with, and that we have to seriously deal with.  We don’t have to look at the world and all its problems to see that the love of self is the root…we just have to look at our hearts.

• Why are we having problems with our marriages?  The love of self.
• Why are children disobedient to parents?  The love of self.
• Why do single Christians fall into sexual sin?  The love of self.
• Why are we so proud, so self dependent, even to the point of living lives on our own, rather than trusting in God?  The love of self.

And so on and so forth…the list is endless.  In fact, could it be safe to say that the rest of the “list” or description that Paul shares with Timothy are all related to loving ourselves?

(2)…lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  (3)  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  (4)  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--

Shouldn’t this make true believers step back and check if the way we live, the way we act, are all reflecting our love for ourselves, rather than a love for God?

Shouldn’t this make us check our posts in facebook, instagram, twitter, etc.?  Of course all of us are “social” beings, and we need to be socializing with other people, which is what social media exists for (and, may I say, takes advantage of).  In and of itself there is nothing wrong about facebook, or instagram, or any other social media site.  But as disciples of Christ should this not make us check our hearts as we socialize with other people?  What is it that motivates us to stay on social media – our love for our self?  Or should it be something else…or Someone else?

Shouldn’t this warning of Paul to Timothy in describing the last days, and the love that people will have towards our selves, move us to go back to our Lord and His teachings, and reflect on how we should live?

Luke 9:23-25 NIV  Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  (24)  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  (25)  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

Galatians 2:20 NIV  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

In the last days this is how we should be living – denying our self, taking up our cross and following our Savior and Lord.  We should be living with our “I” crucified, and the life we live in the body we live by faith in our Lord and Savior, trusting in Him and His Word to lead and guide our life, our words, our actions.

The life that describes a believer in these “last days” is someone who loves God, all because He showed us how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son to die for our sins.

Ephesians 6:24 NIV  Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

It is this love for God, that He Himself has placed in our hearts, that will drown out our love for our self, and lead us to a life that is pleasing to God.