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In Paul’s second letter to his friend Timothy, he has quite a bit to say about love—really about two kinds of love.
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:13)
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)
But as he nears the end of this letter, he warns Timothy about an entirely different kind of love. The word “love” appears six times in a span of just three verses, with four of those times being words that are unique in all of the New Testament. This is his warning about the last days—
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
In “the last days,” the negative characteristics of people will be driven by their misplaced love. They will be…
…lovers of themselves. This is a unique word in the New Testament meaning their only interest is self-interest.
…lovers of money. These people are ambitious in their pursuit of more, more, more. They are covetous people. Luke uses this same word to describe some Pharisees “who loved money” (Luke 16:14). Literally translated, it means lovers of silver.
…without love. People so self-focused on their pursuits that the needs of others around them scarcely enter their thoughts, even if those people are their own family members.
…not lovers of the good. Another unique word that goes beyond simply lacking love, but being antagonistic toward people who are attempting to be loving and kind to others.
…lovers of pleasure. This unique word means a friend of hedonism. Their pursuit is not just money, but anything that will scratch their itch. This mindset never considers whether their pursuit is healthy, worthwhile, or even injurious to others.
…[not] lovers of God. This final unique word that Paul uses describes people who have decided to pursue anything except God. Or as the psalmist might say, there is no room for God in any of their thoughts (see Psalm 10:4).
This is why Solomon told us to guard our heart, or to pay attention to what our heart longs for (Proverbs 4:23), and why Jesus told us to monitor our words that are revealing the pursuits that are truly in our heart (Matthew 12:34).
Jesus identified the fulfillment of all the requirements of the law as loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then loving our neighbor with the same care that we would love ourselves (see Luke 10:25-37).
What kind of lover are you?
Are you pursuing God or are you pursuing your own pleasure?
You could gauge your love by asking these questions:
- What or whom do I think about the most?
- What do I talk about the most?
- What do I do more than anything else?
We are, as Paul told Timothy, living in “the last days,” with the imminent return of Jesus. Honestly answering those three questions will help you know whether you will hear Jesus say, “Well done! Enter into your Master’s happiness” or, “Depart from Me. I never knew you.”
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Craig T. Owens 