A Heart/Behavior Check List
SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 3:1-9 
Read the passage
BIO: My name is Bret Allen. I am married to my wife Kim and we have four children Andrew (17), Anna Bret (15), David (12), and John (10). I am the Director of Family Life at First Presbyterian Church of Orlando.
KEY VERSE: 2 Timothy 3:5 "having a form of godliness but denying it’s power"
CENTRAL TRUTH: Paul in this passage is basically teaching Timothy concerning the ‘last days’ (vs 1). The teaching is the characteristics and traits of people in those ‘last days’ and to ‘have nothing to do with them’ (vs 5).
DEVOTIONAL: A Heart/Behavior Check List
We know that Paul is telling Timothy about what it is going to be like in the ‘last days’ (vs1). And as we know, none of us know when those last days are going to be (Mt 24:36). So rather than spending time looking at this passage and trying to discern whether we in the last times right now? Which based on this list (2 Tim 3:1-9) one could make a good argument that we are. But what if we looked at the list of characteristics and traits of those people and asked ourselves do any of these apply to me? It may be the most exhaustive, specific, list in the scriptures contained in one passage. Ask yourself, ‘am I a lover of myself?, am I a lover of money?, am I boastful?,………? (vs 2-9). My guess is that this will be convicting as we see some of these being true in our own lives. What will you do with that conviction?
But maybe the toughest words might be ‘having a form of godliness but denying its power’ (vs 5). How many of us have a form of godliness but not a substance? We look one-way on the outside but on the inside we are very different. Form but no substance. (1 Sam 16:7)
As a second point, the passage clearly teaches in verse 5 to ‘avoid’, ‘having nothing to do with’, ’stay clear’, etc. of these people. As we know from the whole of scripture that God’s love is for everyone (Jn 3:16), that He desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). And that even if we are now not currently in the ‘last days’ there are still people today like the ones that Paul is describing. And His clear direction for us is that we should follow His teaching in regards to these people.
QUESTION 1: Which characteristics or traits were you convicted of if any?
QUESTION 2: What are you going to do with that conviction?
QUESTION 3: Do you know people like the passage describes? What is your interaction/relationship with them? What should it be?
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