The Secular Church

Scripture
2 Timothy 3:1-5; 14-17

Theme:
God's Amazing Word.

This week's lessons teach us the importance of abiding in God's Word alone.

Lesson
What are Christians to do? First of all, Christians are not to be surprised, because this is what the Word of God says will happen in the last days. Our text, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, says that. "But mark this:" says Paul, "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."

That's the secular church, you see; having a form of godliness, pretending to be the church but knowing nothing of the power of the Word of God as it works in the lives of people. Christian people must understand that and be different. If the secular church is characterized by the world's wisdom, the world's theology, the world's agenda, and the world's methods, Christian people must be characterized by the wisdom of God embodied in the Scriptures, the theology of God taught in the Scriptures, the agenda of God outlined in the Scriptures, and the methods of God which are laid out in the Scriptures for our study and our adaptation to our own circumstances.

As this week's lessons draw to a close, I invite you to pray the following prayer: Our Father, bless this analysis of the problems of our day to our hearts in practical ways, and grant that as we follow your Word, we might be given grace not only to be different but also to overcome in this struggle between that which is formed by your Word, which has your Spirit in it, and that which is at best the world's system and at worst the direct system of the devil, for we pray these things in the name of Christ our Savior, Amen.

Study Questions
How can we determine what is good in secular culture?
What is the challenge to God's people in the face of the secular church?

Application
Prayerfully read 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Ask God to expose the worldly traits that lie within your own heart– sins that will seek to pull you toward compromise with the world.

Reflection
Meditate on Dr. Boice's hymn God's Amazing Word featured in this week's lesson:

When evil thrives in earth's last days
And people boast of brutal ways,
When even churches in that hour
Retain the form but lose God's pow'r,
Hold fast to ev'rything you've learned,
The Word which sinful men have spurned.
The Bible has commanding worth
To do God's saving work on earth;
It draws our souls from death to life
And rescues us from needless strife:
Amazing gift, on earth so odd,
The life-imparting Word of God.
The Bible teaches us God's will
In circumstances good and ill;
God's Word uncovers sin's disguise;
Obeying it will make one wise.
It trains the saint to hear Christ's voice,
To trust in him, repent, rejoice.
God's Word is good for godly gain,
To teach, rebuke, correct and train;
Equipped by him we can pursue
The work God has for us to do.
God's Word is all the Christian needs
To grow in grace and do good deeds.
God's Word was written to be read,
To be our life and daily bread,
To guide our thoughts throughout the night
And lead us forth by morning's light.
So let us read, mark, learn, digest
God's Word which gives us heaven's best.
-- James Boice