HUMAN BEHAVIOUR IN THE LAST DAYS Certainly, there is a growing base of Christians who believe we are living in the end times. The early church also believed they were living in the last days as many Christians were persecuted, tortured and killed. Every generation had moments where no doubt Christians truly believed they were approaching the end of days. Consider the young adults of the 1920’s. They just came out of the first world war, then hit by the Spanish flu which was beyond deadly, followed by the start of the Great Depression of 1929, just to be hit by another unprecedented second world war within years. So why do Christians believe that we are in that generation and what is the Biblical basis for drawing such a conclusion? While there are many Bible prophecies which show signs of merging together, the purpose of this article is what gives rise to this phenomena of the "last days". Paul, in his letter to Timothy amplifies the nature of human behaviour as the age draws to a close. He knew full well that the last days had already begun with Jesus’ ascension into heaven, (Hebrews 1:1-2), but was emphasizing to Timothy that if you think things were bad then, wait for the times where it concludes. He heads up the nature of human behaviour by first informing Timothy: “ But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come ”, (2 Timothy 3:1). The context of these scripture is important. He had just warned Timothy on how to handle strife, slandering and poor behaviour amongst believers, (2 Timothy 2:14-26). The phrase “last days” speaks of events that will certainly occur before the Second Coming. The words “grievous times”, (Greek: “Khalepos Kaheeros”), means an extremely dangerous period of time. In this sense, it is better translated as the season of the end, than a specific point in time. Interestingly, Paul is not merely speaking about the outside world but the lifestyles of believers. So what calamities does Paul describe as occurring? Interestingly Paul does not describe actual calamities but rather specific traits which leads to an unprecendented time of chaos. You will notice throughout the traits mentioned, the word “lovers” stands out. They are also very similar to the traits of unbelievers listed in Romans, chapter one. “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, (unloving), unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, opposed to good, traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof”, 2 Timothy 3:2-5. The number one trait, even amongst many believers, is they will be “ lovers of self ”. From a Biblical perspective, this is a pathway to a multitude of other sins. This is one of the first sins man committed. It is the same sin that caused Eve to desire to be like God. It places one’s own ambitions, desires and well being ahead of everyone else. Today, the love for self is reinforced by media campaigns, advertising and entertainment. Social media is littered with fame at another's expense. The messaging is simple … Its all about you! What do you get out of a situation? We see this trait evident amongst the churches where believers are the centre of God’s universe, when He should be the centre of yours. Some mega-churches teach God loves everyone and just wants to bless us, instead of warning each other and the unbelieving world, that God’s wrath remains on everyone who does not repent and trust in Jesus for their salvation, (John 3:16-17). Even as believers we have to give an account of our lives at the Judgment Seat of Christ. I remember an advert where a homosexual quips “If you can’t find anyone to love, love yourself”. People loved this add … but it just emphasizes our deprived nature. The Bible does not teach us to love ourselves as it is already a footprint in our lives. Rather we are called to humble ourselves and love one another, just as Christ loved us by putting His life down for our weaknesses, iniquity and our transgressions. The second dominant trait is that of being “ lovers of money ”. Once again notice that this is a natural follow on with the love for oneself. The more money we have, the more we are regarded leading to a great pursuit to make money at any cost. All because the love for oneself is more than the love there is for each other. After all, people who love themselves can amplify their self-importance by having excessive wealth. People with wealth are glorified and treated with honour. The Pharisees in Jesus day had the same problem and thought themselves as superior to everyone else. Their richness was seen as God blessing them for their own perceived righteousness. Concerning the church, there are many pastors and teachers who use the name of the Lord to enrich themselves. Now, inevitably what is believed in the heart and mind, comes out in our speech. People brag and are boastful about their qualifications, achievements and their status. It does not stop there. The words of a " boastful " mouth boosts not only personal egos but elevates the sin of pride, where one truly believes that their cause can be at the expense of anyone else in their way. Notice how the one sin leads to the other. The words of a braggard boost ego’s and over time this leads to “ arrogance ” in which lies the sin of pride. By their own words, they think they are more important than anyone else around them. The famous Proverb teaches us that “ When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble comes wisdom ”, (Proverbs 11:2). Christians are warned that: “ God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble ”, (James 4:6). A particular trait, more prevalent today than any other time in history is the sin of “ blasphemy ”. It is accepted, even by many Christians as a norm in society, first introduced on mass scale by Hollywood and then infiltrated our music, the gaming community, other forms of media and our own families. This is a particularly dangerous sin as it is in direct opposition to the third commandment, “ thy will not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ”, (Exodus 20:7). It was so ill- regarded that in the Old Testament it was a sin punishable by immediate death. The sixth trait is yet another direct contravention of the Ten Commandments. “ Thy shall honour your father and mother ”, (Exodus 20:12: The fifth commandment). This is the proliferation of children being “ disobedient to their parents ”. No generation other than our current one, willfully shows children’s blatant disregard or disrespect for their parents. Even parents with their mistakes are left homeless and often without the ability to defend themselves in old age. Ultimately, this attitude spreads into society where there is disobedience to anyone who is in an authoritative position. This same disobedience in a family setting results in lawlessness spreading throughout the nations. This is our reward for disobedience on a national scale. The seventh trait of humanity in the last days is that of being “ unthankful ”. Things are in a full circle as if one’s entire focus is on self-gratification, when one is deprived of something, the immediate reaction is anger and a spirit of grumbling. This leads to both an attitude and a spirit of entitlement. We all know what unthankful young one’s look like from the outside. This treachery leads to a lack of the fear of the Lord, where one’s thoughts produces “ unholy ” actions. With this comes a blatant disregard of anything sacred and all desires previously forbidden are enforced into the moral fabric and even the laws of the land. Today, the wokeness of society are typical examples of these unholy actions. Unholy actions result in God’s wrath being stored up against you. As the scriptures declare: “It is a fearful thing falling into the hands of the Living God”, (Hebrews 10:31). The phrase “ without natural affection ” can also be translated as “ unloving ”. This focus on one’s own needs leads to neglect of children and the elderly. Some suggest that it also refers to gay relationships although the context suggests that it relates rather to the family position. As we move through the loop, there is a " lack of forgiveness ". In other words, people have no desire to reconcile their differences, but rather stand firm in their beliefs not willing to forgive. It is in direct contrast to a believer who is called to “love one another, as I have loved you”. This further displays the lukewarm nature of the believers in the church. In turn this gives rise to slandering and gossiping including malicious and false accusations. The actual root word for “ slander ” is the Greek word “ diabolos ” which is also translated as the “accuser” or “devil”. You will notice in the years gone by, even Christians would respectfully debate their positions with regards to the understanding of scriptures or prophecy. The rules are cast aside and believers slander each other without sincerity, without studying the scriptures to determine if what is said is true. Naturally, once we are unloving, unholy and slanderous, we begin to operate without any “ self control ”. Instead of disciplining ourselves we give in to our passions including becoming addicts of our own demise. Paul wrote: “ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified ”, (1 Corinthians 9:27). Self control is a particular attribute of a believer …. Or at least should be! This trait is evident in many believers who mock preachers and teachers where there are points of disagreement, instead of listening and engaging in opinions which are not critical in nature. The next trait “ brutal ” associates the behavior of man to wild untamed animals, who ferociously tear each other apart for their own selfish gains. While this has been evident in the corporate world for some time now, the spill over into every day life is evident in both aggressive and slanderous comments on social media platforms and by liberal cable networks. It results in violence suffering, lawlessness and murder. It is not a surprise that Paul describes the traits of the last generation as “ opposing what is good ”. Isaiah the prophet warned: “ Woe to those who call good evil and evil good ”, (Isaiah 5:2). Sadly, this opposition is present in many churches, which infiltrates the hearts of many Christians. Within the church there is negligence in accepting the Word of God as true and rather man attempts to achieve great heights of fame and power at the expense of the glory of God. The next word Paul used to describe humanity in the last days and quiet frankly the faith of many Christians is that of being “ traitors ” also interpreted as “ being treacherous ”. Simply, one’s word will not be enough, and any treaty or promise will be deemed to be a shallow commitment. At its heart is both betrayal and deception. The future Antichrist, according to the scriptures, will master this trait. And why not … Since he is the son of the devil, the ultimate liar and murderer. Now the word “ headstrong ” means that people will be determined to do what they want, for their own self gain, no matter who is trampled on in the process. Man’s dealings will be “ reckless ” with each other as they all seek their own desires as being justified over the hurt that is caused around them. The word “ conceited ” is linked to being headstrong, as their elevated levels of self-importance blinds them not only to other opinions, but also to the truth of God’s Word. So all these words Paul used to describe the depravity of mankind in general in the last days, is actually due to them “ loving pleasures rather than loving God ”. Their desire to give into their sin keeps them from receiving both God’s grace and His mercy. They love the created fallen world as opposed to loving God, who created the world in all its beauty. Make no mistake, the love of sin will keep you from receiving the grace of God in eternal salvation. Paul describes believers has having an “ holding a form of godliness but having denied the power thereof ”. The phrase: “ holding a form ” is better illustrated as having an appearance. The dead church, Sardis described the believers in the church as “ having   a   reputation of     being     alive,     but     are     dead ”, (Revelation 3:1). One can simply describe them as false converts. They deny “ the power of godliness ”, which is the saving faith of Christ, in that their relationship with the Lord is either superficial or for the benefits of God. Their character on a Sunday amongst believers, is different to any other day of the week. They are not convicted of their sin, nor show any further regard for the Lord. Many believe that this is exactly the same “Christians” the Lord spoke of as being rejected by Him: “ Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven . Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name , cast out demons in Your name , and done many wonders in Your name ?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! ’”, (Matthew 7:21-23). This is ultimately what makes the last days so dangerous. Today, in the church, we have a plethora of “prophets” who recklessly prophecy in the name of God, “ deliverance ministries ” who “ cast out demons ” and mega churches who display “ healing works ” of the Lord. They obtain fame, fortune but unfortunately do no favour to the world, since they abandon the true gospel of Christ. They portray Jesus as the one who loves you so much that He is willing to accept you just as you are. It is an incredibly dangerous teaching and leads many to destruction. It is false teaching as at its peak it grants a believer a false sense of security. Without repentance, it is impossible to please God or to be saved from eternal judgement. Why does Paul tell believers: “ turn away from these also ”? Because it certainly will rub off on you. A man is known by the company he keeps. If you see your own traits here, you need to be jolted awake. With these words, we can see that human behaviour in the season of the time of the end will be a full circle, which re-enforces itself. As a result, God will withdraw His mercy and a process of judgement will commence as people are handed over to their evil desires of the heart. When the church becomes a mirror of the world, we know that judgement is around the corner. Although some claim these traits were always around, never in the history since the dawn of Christ, has their been evidence of these traits on a world-wide scale, especially not within the churches own walls. Examining these traits and comparing it to your own life is like a mirror – and it is not always pleasurable to examine oneself. Yet, this is what the scriptures call us to do. We are to remember that “ All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work ”, (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We are saved by faith through Christ alone. If these traits are prevalent in your life, you need to repent and ask the Lord to change the desires of your heart. If you love the Lord, you will do the will of the Father, obeying His commandments and have an inbuilt desire to do what is good and pleasing to the Lord. You may not always get it right, but you will desire to do it! There is so much more to be said on human behaviour leading up to the return of Christ. If this does not convince you that we are living in the last days, maybe our second article on this topic will change your mind.