From Such Run Away
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times will come. For many shall be lovers of their own selves… Having a form of Godliness, BUT denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3,1,2a,5 emphasis mine).
Our faith in the Cross enables the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and lead us and change us. Christ and Him crucified is the answer for everyone for Salvation and Sanctification. We cannot, in ourselves, live a life of “Godliness” in our own power, or by some combination of faith and works, It’s impossible! As the hymn tells us: “My hope is in nothing less than Jesus’ Blood and Righteousness.”
We are in the last days now and the signs of His soon return are all around us. In the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to Timothy, Paul is warning the ends time church of the deception that will be a sign of the coming Rapture of the church. The form of Godliness he warns about is brought into the church by false teachers and false brethren that have their adherents following a false way that denies the power of the true Gospel. Paul calls them evil men and seducers.
“BUT evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13 emphasis mine).
We must protect ourselves and guard against any false doctrine, or way, that will lead us away from the true Way the Lord has shown us in His Gospel. Seducers that have come into the church are here today and have been present in leadership in the church down throughout all of church history. Jude’s Epistle lays out the problems the church was experiencing with false teachers in the early church shortly after its inception.
Satan knows that his time is short and is doing all he can in this world and in the church to deceive the world and lead the church into a religion that is void of the power of God. False ways always point to self-rules to follow and self effort. We are either walking in the Spirit by our faith being placed in Christ and Him crucified, or we are walking in a form of Godliness void of power. It’s that simple. Again, we are in the last days, and the Bible tells us clearly what those days will be like. Deception runs rampant in our world and in the Lord’s church. Jesus warns us against being deceived while teaching on the signs of His Second Coming just prior to this crucifixion.
So what must the church do to ensure it is not being deceived. We must anchor our faith in Christ and Him crucified. This will enable us to identify false doctrine and false ways and to not buy into any of Satan’s deceptive ways.
The Holy Spirit works exclusively through faith in Christ and Him crucified. We cannot, in ourselves, live a victorious Christian life. Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof is speaking about not realizing that it is the power of the Holy Spirit alone that will both keep us and protect us from the world, the flesh, and the Devil. We were bought with a price and we are His workmanship. In these last days we are facing difficult times, the Lord has warned about these and has shown us the way the He has provided that we not be deceived and that we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is all by faith in Christ and His finished work at Calvary. Jude closes his Epistle with the following encouragement:
“Now unto Him Who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the Presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior be Glory, and Majesy, Dominion and Power, both now and forever. Amen.
Always Remember,
God Loves You!
Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.
Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles
Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2025
Here I Am, Lord - - tqministries.com 