Skip to content Living as Light in Darkness: 2 Timothy 3-4 Nov 25 · 13 min ...more
Living as Light in Darkness: 2 Timothy 3-4
November 25, 2025 · 13 min
Understand the Church's role as salt and light, pushing back darkness through steadfast obedience in faith.
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Living Godly in Perilous Times 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning as we read the final recorded words of the apostle Paul as he writes his final letter to Timothy. We're gonna look at second Timothy0:22 chapters 3 and 4, verse 12 of chapter 3. Yes. And all who persecution?0:34 Could that be why Jesus described the path to abundant life as narrow and the gate to destruction broad? You know, there is a cost to being a true disciple. Cause to being a true disciple of Jesus0:46 Christ, especially today. Alright. Let's begin verse 1, chapter 3. But know this, that in the last days, perilous or difficult and stressful times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers0:58 of money, bolsters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal, despisers1:10 of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power, and from1:22 such people turn away. Now these same characteristics are seen in Romans chapter 1 verse 29 describing man in his fallen nature.1:34 But here here, Paul is actually describing those in the church. The church will be filled with those whose conduct is indistinguishable1:46 from the world, except that it will be cloaked with an air of religiosity. So we have Romans 1, that description of the fallen nature of man that takes over because1:58 we have second Timothy 3. If the church is the salt and the light of the world, then, you know, this is what happens when this the church is no longer the light or the salt. You2:10 may may recall when we were in first Timothy, I quoted, revivalist Charles Finney. And and I won't repeat the entire statement, today, but but Finney captured the the flow2:22 of influence with remarkable clarity. He said, you know, government is downstream from culture. Culture is downstream from the church, and the church is shaped by the pulpit. Finney put it this way. He says, if the2:33 public presses, the public press lacks moral discrimination, the public is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. So2:45 the the the church, if it is not the salt and the light that that Jesus has called us to be, then we have what we read in Romans chapter 1, the fallen nature of man unchecked.2:57 Verse 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 lust, always learning, and never able to come3:09 to the knowledge of the truth. Now this is an important description. They will be looking for the latest and greatest, the latest revelation or word, but never discovering3:21 the truth that is right before them. Verse 8. Now as James and Jambres resisted Moses, so do those who resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds disapproved concerning the faith, but they will progress3:33 no further for their folly will be manifest to all as theirs also was. Now these were the names that Jewish tradition gave to the gave to the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses.3:44 Verse 10, but you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, Lystra,3:57 with what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the writing4:09 of this letter, this progression toward the writing of this letter, this4:21 progression toward the fulfillment of what Jesus warned, what Paul's talking about here has continued. And he did the progression toward that final fulfillment has continued with4:33 with with times of reprieve as the influence of the church had a pronounced preserving effect upon society, although it was, it was temporary. And and we see this in waves. AndThe Power of Scripture and Faithful Living 4:45 and and I believe that if the church were to, when I say church, I mean, followers of Jesus Christ were to live out their faith. If we were to live out our faith in obedience to God, we could once4:57 again have that preserving effect upon society. Now Paul's warning to Timothy in verse 10 or verse 12, rather. Yes. And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.5:09 Why? Well, you know, if we're living in a way that honors God and we're pushing back on the darkness that is designed that Satan is designing to descend upon man, guess what?5:20 There's gonna be spiritual opposition. There is going to be, as Paul said, there's gonna be this spiritual battle. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, against rulers of the5:32 darkness at this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in heavenly places. This is this is not different than what Jesus warned over in John chapter 15 verse 18. He said, if the world hates you, you know that it5:44 hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore, the world hates you. Remember the word that I said5:55 to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. Why do they persecute Jesus? Because he brought light into the6:06 world. He exposed the darkness. He brought truth. He showed mankind the way to freedom. Satan doesn't like that. And so when we live as Christ is6:18 our example and we follow him, we're gonna run into opposition. We're gonna run-in to persecution. So this moral and cultural corruption flows from6:30 spiritual apostasy. And from this cultural corruption flows the persecution of the followers of Christ. And it goes back to the pulpit, which Paul, as we will see here in the next chapter,6:42 addresses directly. Look at, chapter 3 verse 13. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. The6:54 spiritual, moral, and cultural corruption will intensify as we move closer to the end of the present age. And this is why, you know, Jesus warned this. Paul warned7:05 this. Do not be deceived. Do not be deceived. We have to be very discerning. And how do we do that? Well, alright. Let's talk about this. The the safeguards. And Paul talks7:17 about it here with to Timothy to prevent true believers from being led astray by the deception of false teachers and the discouragement that can come in these dark days. Here it is, verse7:29 14. But you must7:44 the Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man or the7:56 person of God will be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So what's what's the antidote? What keeps us, what will inoculate us8:08 from the deception of Satan? The word of God, scripture. It makes us wise unto salvation by grace through faith. It provides teaching, how to live, salvation by grace through faith. It provides teaching, how to live,8:18 reproof, correcting the error of the error, and, or the airing of the error. It points, them it points them to God. We can correct people with the word of God. It's, the8:30 correction, the discipline, through discipleship, the instruction, training, and righteousness so that the child of God may be complete and perfectly prepared for the call of God8:42 upon their lives. So Paul continues this line of exhortation over into chapter 4. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his8:53 kingdom, preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and teaching. He says, proclaim the truth when it's9:05 welcome and when it's unwelcome. Proclaim the truth when it is convenient to you and when it is inconvenient. For the time will come when they will no longer endure9:17 sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. And they they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. There9:29 will be those in the church who will leave sound teaching to find voices that affirm their choices that contradict scripture, and we're seeing that today. It is happening rapidly.9:41 Verse 5. But you but you be watchful in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of evangelists. Fulfill your ministry. He says, don't change don't don't change9:53 your message. Rather, be watchful, meaning and and and preach to the need. Be watchful. See what's happening and and and preach to the need. Preach the word.10:05 Need of the hour. Endure. Don't shrink back. Don't go silent. Endure the affliction, whether it be ridicule, rejection, or outright persecution. Look at Paul's closing declaration, verse10:17 7. 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 with the which the Lord, the10:29 righteous judge, will give to me on that day and not to me only, but also to all who loved his appearing. Now this is powerful. Looking back over his life in10:41 Christ, Paul says, I have no regrets. I mean, think about that for a moment. Living in such a way, you get to the end of your life and there's no regrets. I have fought the good10:53 fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. He's endured. So how do we live in such a way that we can make that same declaration as we follow Jesus Christ in these11:05 perilous days in which we live? Verse 16. At my first defense, no 1 stood with me, but all forsook me. Forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me11:17 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 and11:28 preserve me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Like Paul, when we stand for11:40 the Lord, anchored in the word of the Lord, even if it means that we stand alone, we're not alone. Jesus stands with us to strengthen us so that we too can11:52 say, I have fought the good fight. I have finished my race, and I have kept the faith. Father, we thank you for your word. And, lord, lord, just thank you for theFinishing the Race with Faith 12:04 testimony of of Paul. Thank you for Jesus, the example that he provided for us and that he suffered just like, in in like manner as we do.12:16 And he leaves us an example. But he also warned us, and I thank you for the warning that's recorded in your word, but not just a warning, but a way in which not just to survive, but thrive12:28 by standing upon your word, being empowered by the Holy Spirit and keeping our focus upon eternity in the mission to which you've called us. May we live live as Paul did. May we12:40 run the race. May we finish the course, and, may we remain faithful to you. For we pray and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining this morning. And until next12:52 time, keep standing on the word.12:55 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you13:07 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Living Godly in Perilous Times4:35 The Power of Scripture and Faithful Living12:00 Finishing the Race with Faith
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