Play Time Is Over (Pt 2)

‘…men…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…’ II Timothy 3:2-5

In our last issue, we discovered that Christians were amongst those Paul was speaking of in II Timothy 3:2-5. But what I want to bring to your attention today is verses 8 and 9. ‘Now Jannes and Jambres (who were Christians) resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth (those listed in II Tim 3:2-5): men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; they will progress no further..’ II Timothy 3:8,9

Notice that Paul says ‘they will progress no further.’ In the King James Version, the word for progress is proceed and the Greek definition for proceed means ‘to drive forward as if by beating; to advance in amount, to grow; to be well along.’ In other words (and this is not an exhaustive list but to give you a general idea); 1. They won’t advance in amount which means their finances will be affected. 2. They won’t advance or grow spiritually. 3. They won’t advance in time which means they have no more time to ‘play church’. 4. They won’t be well along in that they’ll no longer advance and be ahead in their plots against other believers.

Remember this applies to those Christians listed in II Timothy 3:2-5; they’ll progress no further. Yeah, I know! This is a hard Word because as Christians, we’d like to think we’re excluded from things like this. But I think we’ll all agree ‘that in the last days perilous times will come’. (II Tim 3:1) We just didn’t know Paul was referring to some of us.

Pray this with me…

Heavenly Father, this is a hard Word and to be honest, I’m having difficulty receiving it. Lord, if this is the truth, help me to receive and accept what You’re saying. And Lord, please correct every area in my life in which this applies. In Jesus’ name. So be it.