Crazy Christians

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. ⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

Define crazy? Crazy is living as if there is no truth and there is no God. They deny reality. People who live like that are actually crazy people. Why? Because there is truth and there is God. Reality exists. Worldly people live like crazy people when they choose to deny God and His truth. Sooner or later, people who live like that will realize their craziness. God himself will make that clear to them. But in the mean time He may allow them to continue in their craziness. God himself would want them to know the truth, if they are willing. But sadly those who are foolish, and worldly, are not interested in knowing the truth.

However, there is a greater danger. The greater danger is when those who already know the truth (Christians) live as if they don't know or have not encountered the truth. Those who live like that are like crazy people. They are crazy Christians. How do crazy Christians live?

First of all, they love themselves and the world, rather than God and others (vv.1-5). They may appear religious or spiritual on the outside, but their fruit reveals who they really are. They are crazy people. Their priorities are all about things, accomplishments, tasks, careers, possessions, etc. They have no love for God or for others. Instead they just love themselves. They invest their energies on the things that will not fully satisfy. Only love and relationships can fill the soul, but in their craziness they reject true love -- for God and for others. Second, they influence others who are like them, thus multiplying themselves in the process (vv.6-9). They use people rather than love them. In other words, they are not content to being crazy by themselves. They want others to become crazy just like them, especially those who do not know true love also. So they deceive them. The result is a multiplication of craziness, even in the body of Christ.

Those who already know the truth but live their lives as if they have not are like crazy people. Christians who live like worldly people are like crazy people. It's a sad state of affairs. Christians must be careful not to live like crazy people. We have already come to know the truth, and we must live according to it. God has already set us free from false love. Let true love reign in our hearts. Let our lives bear fruit in accordance with the truth that is in Christ Jesus. Let us live loving God and others, rather than loving the things of this world or even ourselves only.

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