Based on 2 Timothy 4:6-22 (New King James Version)
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”
We see in the passage that the Apostle Paul lived through loneliness both in the ministry and personally as he got closer to the end. And we see that he points out people that were with him before that are no longer with him, and that they have not abided faithfully. But we see that he highlights something, pointing out the reason for why they abandoned him. He relates the love for the world as the reason for why they abandoned him.
To start explaining, and especially as it relates to our times (because the Word is always applicable to the present), today more than ever we see a universal cooling that is happening within the church in general. There might be things that seem like care or concern for people, but unfortunately, we know that it is not so. Our churches have become more a place for social gatherings or circles where people meet each other because they have a personal or secular affinity, or even a business interest rather than a spiritual relationship as the Lord commands. Many times, visitors can come in, people looking for help, and they usually go completely unnoticed because people in church are more worried about their own things. Sadly, I have to say this because we sometimes need to go to different places, and when people don’t know us right away, there isn’t even a greeting. I think to myself: “If they do this to me, how much more indifference or even rejection will a stranger or even a visibly poor person will experience? But, unfortunately the following that we see written is being fulfilled in general in the church: “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!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5. This is what is happening within many of our churches today, and even worse, within the ministry. Disgracefully, that is where all the evil comes from.
Why does this happen? We know that the Word must be fulfilled, but each person chooses on what side of the fulfillment they are on. The major problem that the apostle points out is precisely the love for the world. There is an environment where the focus of the church is more of wellbeing in and relationship with the world than doing the Father’s will. People preach more about the things of the world, and how to fit in the world than seeing what God’s will is. The prayer of the Lord Himself has been changed, where instead of saying: “…Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” this is today’s attitude, “Your kingdom not come, and You do our will here on earth and in heaven.” It sounds horrible, but that is what is clearly visible. And why does this happen? Because the so-called church wants to be friends with the world rather than friends with God. And this is what the Word says about this: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4.
Now then, maybe a person might ask, “How should we live in the world?” What should stop is being lukewarm, or in other words, this issue of trying to get along with God and with the world (or the devil). One of the greatest violations that go against the Gospel is this doctrine that teaches that repentance is no longer required, and that a person just needs to believe in Christ, and that’s what saves them. When a person comes to Christ, there must be a complete repentance and conversion from all sins. If that doesn’t happen, there is no salvation. That was what John the Baptist’s ministry was all about, and what prepares the way of the Lord. But without that preparation, without that conversion, it is impossible for Christ to come in. But, since that is allowed and even taught (to attract the masses), then there are no converts. The world comes into the church, and of course, it starts to reign in the church. Quite simply, a religion is adopted rather than a reality in Christ. And this is what the Word says: “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?” 1 Corinthians 5:9-12. The problem is when the church admits, accepts, and even supports sin. The world is the world, and if they don’t know the Truth, then we need to give them the opportunity to know Christ. But the person that confesses being of the Lord must leave the world behind. And if they don’t leave it behind, then the church needs to help them make a decision, for them to either finish converting or to leave, but to make a decision. In the same manner, if so-called believers want to have intimate relationships with the world, then they should go to the world if that is the intimacy they prefer. But this lukewarmness and this intimacy with the world is what contaminates the church, and of course, that is where the unfaithfulness to God and to those who truly serve will be seen. That is why the Word itself says: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” 2 Corinthians 13:5. This is God’s will: “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them.” Jeremiah 15:19. This is what determines salvation: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So then, do you love the world, or do you love God? Lord bless! John