⏱ 7 min read

The Apostasy of the Age

“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, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” ~ ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭3:1-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Paul, writing to Timothy, paints a clear picture of the moral and spiritual decay that will characterize the last days (that we live in now). He warns that “men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers…” and lists traits that echo eerily in our modern world.

Our world has grown increasingly dark, not just in its actions but in its affections. The time we live in is marked by apostasy (a turning away from God while still maintaining the appearance of reverence for Him).

These are the perilous times Paul foresaw, when people would substitute the love of God for the love of self, and the truth of God for the convenience of personal opinion. Let’s summarize them under four main themes:

• 1. Self-centeredness: Our worship has turned inward, away from God. Men are now more in love with themselves than with God, making self the new altar of devotion.
• 2. Moral Corruption: Our age is crippled with a lack of honor and respect for the elderly, even our parents. From disobedience to parents to the loss of natural affection, the boundaries of decency and holiness have been blurred.

• 3. Spiritual Deception: Many now “have a form of godliness but deny its power.” They appear all religious (going to church; posting verses online; etc) and yet lack the transforming presence of God (no change in character and behaviour).

The power of God is seen when you change from an unforgiving bitter person to a forgiving loving person; from proud and conceited to humble and lowly; from disobedient to obedient; from ungrateful to one filled with gratitude; from a lover of money and pleasure to a lover of God; etc. (2 Tim 3:2-5). Do you have such changes happening in your life? Or do we have to turn away from you?

• 4. Rejection of Truth: Some others are also learning, yet never arriving at the knowledge that transforms; they reject the truth that has the capacity to set free (John 8:31–32). Hence, their lives are riddled with bondage and addictions.

Paul goes on to describe some people as “gullible”: those “loaded with sins” and “led away by various lusts.” (2 Tim 3:6-7)

• To be “gullible and loaded with sins,” as Paul writes, is to live as a slave to desires. It is to be spiritually unstable, easily swayed by appealing doctrines (sweet words) that soothe the conscience but leave the heart unconverted.
• Their captivity lies in their desire for comfort over conviction, pleasure over purity, and emotion over truth.
• They may attend church, read Christian books, or even follow sermons online, but without intimacy with God, the truth they hear never penetrates the heart. The tragedy of this generation is not a lack of access to truth, but a lack of submission to it.

True doctrine always leads to transformation; it draws a person closer to God, producing righteousness, sanctification, and holiness.

The Spirit of Jannes and Jambres

“Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.” ~ II Timothy‬ ‭3:8-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jannes and Jambres were Pharoah’s magicians who opposed Moses (Exodus 7:8–12). They could imitate some of Moses’ miracles, and used that to resist what Moses was saying.

• When Aaron’s rod became a serpent, theirs did too, even though Aaron’s serpent swallowed theirs (proving that imitation can never overpower revelation). They could duplicate the appearance of the supernatural, but they actually oppose God.

• These men represent those who mimic spirituality but lack divine substance. They use charisma instead of character, performance instead of purity, and influence instead of intimacy.

Many in our age resist truth under the guise of revelation, presenting signs without substance and wonders without worship. They may appear powerful, but their fruit turns hearts away from God and towards idolatry, pride, and self-gratification.

Like Jannes and Jambres, they may perform wonders, teach eloquently, or lead crowds, but their influence pulls hearts away from repentance and truth.

Their imitation of divine acts without divine life exposes the danger of a Christianity that prioritizes show over substance. We must discern and guard against such deception, for apostasy often begins with subtle distortions of His truth.

Paul’s antidote to this deception was simple but profound: continue in the things you have learned and been assured of. (2 Timothy 3:14)

• The safeguard against apostasy is not found in chasing new revelations but in abiding in the eternal Word. Timothy had been nourished by Scripture from childhood; it became his anchor amid the storms of falsehood.
• The Word of God, Paul reminds him, is inspired, breathed out by God Himself, and it carries His very life.

The Power of the Inspired Word

Against the darkness of deception and apostasy, we’re directed to the inspired word of God, just as Paul directed Timothy to the Scriptures. The Word of God is God’s breath and God Himself. It carries divine life, capable of saving, sanctifying, and equipping every believer for good works (2 Tim 3:16-17).

This is what the Word does:

When we continue living by the Scriptures, we become stable in an unstable world. The Word of God anchors us amid apostasy and keeps us growing in wisdom through faith in Christ Jesus.

• So as the darkness of this age deepens, our light must shine brighter.
• We must choose to stand firm in the truth, to love righteousness, and to guard our hearts against the subtle drift of apostasy.
• God still preserves a remnant who will not bow to the idols of this generation; men and women whose faith is anchored in the eternal Word and whose lives bear the evidence of its transforming power. Pray that you’ll be one of such.

~ Min Kwabena Acquah (The Mahanaim).

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