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—having a form of
godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 2 Timothy
3:1-5
There are many signs that we are living in the final days
(which, by the way, people have said we’ve been living in for throughout the
centuries). Paul said one sign would be the marked increase in selfishness.
That selfishness will be evident in the way they treat
themselves, the way they treat others, and the way they view God. During those times, people will be sensual,
seeking pleasure (doing what feels good) and doing whatever it takes to achieve
their selfish goals.
Their spiritual lives look on the outside like
Christianity but it’s severely lacking in power. Basically, God is tossed to the side and an
individual’s needs are primary.