Future Focus ~ Bob Coy

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 . . . .-2 Timothy 3:1-4 (NKJV)

Up to this point, we've been looking at prophecies that have been predicted and fulfilled in the past. The point in doing this was to demonstrate the incredible reliability of biblical prophecy. God declared what would happen in the course of human history, and it has been accomplished with astonishing accuracy. And we can also trust the same will be true for those prophecies that concern the future.

One of these future prophecies is found in the passage above. In his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote that there will be perilous times in the last days. The term last days refers to the days leading up to the return of Jesus Christ to this world (which we'll cover more fully in a future devotion). Paul said that these days will be marked by people spiraling further and further into sinful self-indulgence.

This is interesting because we're constantly being told by our secular society that humanity is evolving into a more perfect state of being. According to the unsaved world, it's only a matter of time until we all put aside our differences and find a way to live in perfect harmony. Not according to God's Word. It says that in the future people will only grow more and more self-centered and will look out for their own interests at the expense of others. In other words, things will get worse before they get better.

Why is it important to understand this? As the moral temperature of this world continues to drop, the church's presence here will become increasingly evident and influential. Our lives are going to stand out more and more, and our opportunity to act as salt and light will grow greater and greater.

Discuss and share your perspective on our current culture and the condition of our society. Do you see society growing closer to God or further away? Support your position with some examples.

Dig into 2 Timothy 3:1–4. How do you feel when you read these prophetic words? Where do you see these words now coming to fruition? How are these symptoms nothing more than signs of our Savior’s soon return?

Decide to dig deeper to discover those Scriptures that unveil the events prior to the imminent return of Christ. Challenge your group to find other passages that speak to the conditions that will usher in the return of Jesus Christ and the gathering up of the Church. Share with one another what you find.