2 Timothy 3.2-5 describes, 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 the 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 such people.
This command seems to be in contradiction to the Great Commission and the life of Jesus Who loves everyone and commands us to love everyone. Our understanding of love is worldly not godly, for while God loves everyone most everyone will spend their eternity in hell not heaven. So too the Lord Jesus invested in twelve and a few others while calling everyone to obey His commands.
Today’s verses mean we are not to have as influencers in our life, as friends we try to emulate or appease, as people we admire or desire approval from, the kinds of people whose lives reflect the character described. While it is easy to dislike the arrogant we can certainly be boastful ourselves. Lovers of pleasure and believers in God living powerless lives of sacrifice for God’s kingdom abound in the church. Are we too among them?
We should measure our lives not by what we don’t do but by what we do. We should not think we are good because we don’t murder, we should see ourselves doing good by showing kindness, mercy and grace to those who are less fortunate than we are. We should be in God’s word in order to have His mind and speak God’s word in order to make Him known in the world. Without the knowledge of God in the marketplace the influence of those described in today’s verses increases and see how many there are in our government and educational institutions already!
Christians are to be about the business of building God’s kingdom upon earth as it is in heaven. If we are not working on our Father’s business consistently we are most likely living self-centered lives placing us in the camp of those of whom the true Christians are to avoid as best friends. So who are our friends and what do we discuss and work on together? God’s kingdom or the things of this world?
