Day 1: The Key to Living Victoriously

When you know what you can expect, you can decide how to react. This general statement applies also to the times we live in. The things that are happening in the world shouldn’t surprise us. In 2 Timothy 3:1 Paul says to Timothy, “Know this.” You can be certain of one thing, this you must not forget. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come…”

Paul goes on in 2 Timothy to give the reason these fierce times will come. He lists eighteen moral blemishes that will be conspicuous in the last days. Three of them are things that people love. The first is “lovers of themselves,” the second is “lovers of money” and the last one is “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (verses 2, 4).

Scripture pinpoints the great basic problem that faces humanity. It is love of self. Self-love is the cause of the breakup of marriages, families, churches and society in general. The prevailing attitude is, “This is what I want. What you want is secondary.

We are warned again about what will happen in the last days in Matthew 24:7–13. Jesus is speaking about the birth pangs, or labor pains, that will issue in the kingdom of God on earth. And like every birth it is preceded by birth pangs. In Matthew 24:7–13 Jesus lists some of the main labor pains: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earth quakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

Far from hopeless

The Greek word for love used there is agape, the word normally applied to the special love of Christians. But Jesus is far from hopeless. He immediately follows His litany of end-time indicators with an admonition about the need for endurance. He says, “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” The Greek is more specific than the translation here. It says, “He who has endured to the end shall be saved.”

Are you imidated by the news? Don’t. Instead, be prepared to endure till the end. Decide to love with a divine love, the love that God has poored out into your heart through his holy Spirit.

Father in heaven, you are the almighty God. You control everything. You are Lord over all powers and authority in the seen and unseen world. I don’t have to worry, because you are in control. I confess my love of self. Help me to repent from it and to love you first and others like I love myself. Help me to love till the end, by the power of your holy Spirit. Amen.