Despise the Good
Good Morning,
2 Timothy 3:3 “…Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,"
Paul lists quite a few things in regards to the type of men that will be seen during the “last days.” For four verses Paul brings out one evil character trait after another to help Timothy identify those with whom he should serve and those whom he should avoid.
For the sake of time, I just want to comment on one character trait Paul pointed out, “despisers of those that are good.”
In politics and among private citizens, some are so insecure or perhaps, guilty about their own lives that they seek to humiliate or bring reproach upon the good.
In cultural matters, a violent, vile, filthy mouth, filled with anger and wrath is evident. It was seen in the defund the police movement, the BLM movement, and recently, in liberals protesting conservatives. They simply despise those who are good. This is also seen every time someone nominates a person with conservative morals and political values for high office.
When people are rioting on the streets, burning police cars, and robbing businesses, and then political figures bail out those who have done the wrong, the despisers of those that are good are evident.
When you see the word despised in the Bible, it is most often pointed towards the Saviour or the Father in Heaven. God represents a standard of holiness, a clear evaluation of the pure and impure. Jesus was not hated because he healed people or fed people, he was hated because he was the personification of good, decent, and holy things. From his motive and intent of heart to his love and respect for God and His Word over the whims of mankind, Jesus was good. The devil and his crowd despise those who are good.
Those who despise the good, will take a very good life and do their best to trash and destroy it because they found a flaw or weakness. This is so far from the way God deals with people and situations. David was called a man after God’s own heart, yet there was a moment of adultery, and that led him to murder. He was also less than diligent when it came to administering justice with his children. Nevertheless, God called him a man after His own heart.
Abraham was called a friend of God. Yet, Abraham had times when his faith waned, and decisions that were made were extremely unwise.
Moses, the meekest man who ever lived (according to God), a man who was repeatedly called God’s servant, murdered a man and then sought to hide his sin. Later in life, his anger arose, and in clear disobedience, he struck the rock and ended up forfeiting his right into the promised land.
These are good men! And good men have spots, but they are good men. Evil will despise the good, and as such, will seek out those spots of weakness will magnify them until all the good is erased.
Here is the difference, on occasion, good men are sinful; evil men, on occasion, are good.
The way society deals with people shows how they despise good. Find the man who had been an alcoholic or a drug addict and ruined everything that was good in his life. Watch that man get into a recovery program and hit his one-year, two-year, or even ten-year anniversary of sobriety, and folks will make a hero of him. By this time, he had probably ruined every relationship that was decent in his life. He probably lived off the generosity of others for many of the years of his recovery, but still, he is lifted up as an example.
Compare the prior example to the parents, pastor, or young adult, who stand for abstinence. Let leaders stand against having fellowship with those who might lead others to use drugs or alcohol. That leader will be called a legalist, judgmental, and a religious fanatic. The hypocrisy of this situation, and the prior one shows that some simply despise those who are good.
Pastor