If you’re familiar with the life of Jesus, you’ll know that he spent a considerable amount of time with unbelievers. After all, he said that “it is the sick that need a doctor, not those who think they are already good enough”. Today, we are called to follow his example, but there will come a time when we will want to separate ourselves from the godless. Second Timothy warns us about this when speaking about the last days. It says in chapter 3 verses 1-5:
“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 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 them.”
Certainly these people exist today, but I believe these kinds of people will be more prevalent as we come closer and closer to the Lord’s return. In those last days, Timothy warns us to have nothing to do with them. The Bible also tells us to “work while it is day”. In other words, we are to make every effort to win others to Christ now before the darkness of the end times are upon us. There will come a day when we are not to have anything to do with the godless, but I don’t believe that time is now. Now, we are to love them and win them to Christ with the help and power of the Holy Spirit. However, in doing this, I believe we must also exercise discernment. Proverbs warns us not to “throw our pearls to the swine”. In other words, we shouldn’t strive to share the gospel with those who are hostile to it. If you do, you will likely end up being trampled. So I encourage you to be discerning and to work while it is day, because when the last days are upon us it will be too late.
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Timothy reminds us that there will be terrible times in the last days where people will behave so badly that we are warned to not have anything to do with them. But until that day comes, I encourage you to share the gospel with love, discernment and with the aid and guidance of the Holy Spirit.