Saturday, August 8, 2026

Keeping the Stain of the World off of Us

It is not surprising that if one person in the family is a 2 Timothy 3 narcissist, there will be other family members who think the family dynamic was perfectly normal.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 Difficult Times Will Come
"3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

The one or two people in the family who are not narcissists, those who are authentic Christians, are bullied for their honesty and dedication to the Bible.

In these family systems, in those family units where most of the people agree with the bullying and disrespect the Christians, the Christians can do no right. In the eyes of the unit, the scapegoated Christians are completely stupid, dismissed, demoralized, ignored and excluded for their audacity to choose their own path.

This should not be a surprise since this is how the prophets were treated; the apostles and Jesus Christ Himself were treated in this way.

The Pharisees accused Christ of doing His miracles by the power of the devil. Just as these pseudo-Christians will accuse authentic believers of character flaws, words, and actions they never expressed.

This is why God told us in 2 Timothy that these would be difficult times. There is nothing more disturbing than to have family and friends accuse you of things before they even hear your defense.

Not only do they not care to hear your explanations for things, but they make up lies about you through innuendo without evidence to discredit whatever you say.

They will judge your every action without knowing the details of what you are doing. They follow the pattern of the devil, which is to accuse the brethren, placing obstacles in the way of good communication.

Jude 1: 17-19 "17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit."

So what does God say our response to this mess should be?

Jude 1:20-25 "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt;
23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

The key to our continual Spiritual and emotional maturity is to refrain from engaging with those who enjoy causing drama and division. We will be tested; the more we submit to Christ, the less we will become like those who cause problems.

James 1:26-27 "…26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

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