“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love (Agape) will grow cold.” – Matthew 24:12
Have you ever fallen through the ice of a pond in winter? I remember when I was around 6 years old being immersed in the freezing cold waters of Buck Pond near our home. I had fallen off a fence I was balancing on near the water’s edge. Thankfully my older brother and his friend were there to pull me out right away. Although my heart was beating rapidly from an adrenaline rush due to the fall and fearful experience, my body could not fight off the intense cold. My wet clothes became frozen and it became hard to move. When I finally arrived home my mother helped revive me with warm, dry clothes, blankets, and a hot water foot bath. That shocking cold is like the lawlessness that turns believers’ hearts cold in the last days. What is this lawlessness that the Scripture speaks of?
Lawlessness, or “anomia” in the Greek, is also translated “iniquity” – the condition of being without law, either because of ignorance of it or because of violating it; also, contempt and violation of law, wickedness.
Unfortunately, in these days we are living in, we are witnessing increasing lawlessness in every area of government. The government being talked about in the context of Matthew 24:12 is lawlessness of civil government (hated by all nations), of family government (betray one another), and of church government (false prophets). We are experiencing the breakdown of society because of the lawlessness of these three governments. We are immersed in an icy sea of lawlessness.
Let’s take a closer look at the lawlessness in recent days.
Civil Government:
Federal Government: The “shadow government” of unelected intelligence agents working with the controlled establishment media to propagate deception and create a fake impeachment theatre along with individuals of the various political parties who have their own agenda to overthrow our democratically elected president. This is lawlessness.
New York State Government is making laws and rulings contrary to the Constitution, the law of the land, and celebrating murder and lawlessness. Abortion is legal up to birth. Religious exemption for vaccination has been taken away, violating parental rights. This is lawlessness.
Family Government:
The Family is the fundamental building block of society. It is obvious to all that the family is being attacked like never before because a husband, wife and children are God’s design. God’s design is being rejected; the roles and even gender identities of male and female, along with parental rights and control, are all being challenged. The American Library Association has been featuring “Drag Queen Story Hour” in major cities across the U.S. to indoctrinate children into perversion. This is lawlessness.
Church Government:
Major evangelical groups are accepting money from “charities” funded by those who follow and endorse a doctrine other than that of Christ, to build bigger churches with the agreement that they will promote, and teach, NOT THE BIBLE, but Social Justice, Cultural Marxism, and compromising biblical morality for socially acceptable behavior. This is lawlessness.
How do we combat the increased lawlessness all around us, which can freeze our love?
We need to return to the warmth of the hot fire. Jesus exhorted the church of Laodicea to “Be zealous and repent!” (Revelation 3:14-22). Laodicea was a wealthy city known for banking and was located 10 kilometers downstream from the hot springs of Hierapolis. This water became lukewarm by the time it reached Laodicea, and was mixed with the cold springs of Colossae. Jesus didn’t like their lukewarm living, and was using the local landscape to describe the spiritual condition of the church. He was calling them to turn from their spiritual impoverished lives of materialism to the spiritual gold forged in the refining fire of God’s love. Jesus desires that our lives be transformed and refined to reflect His character.
We need to keep ourselves near to the fire of God’s love. Jude exhorts end-time believers to “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21). And one of the ways to do that is “build yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20). We need to stay connected to God through prayer. This is a key to walking in the Spirit with Jesus, being in constant communion with Him. There is nothing better than having Jesus communing with us, and walking in the Spirit with others. In those wonderful times of communion we understand what the Emmaus road brethren meant when they said, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)
If your heart has been made cold by the lawlessness of this world – and we can all be affected, – or you have become lukewarm by wandering away from Jesus, remember that Jesus invites you and me to, “come and dine.” (John 21: 12) Remember, these men were ashamed of Him and doubted Him. And now after His resurrection, He is calling them to have fellowship with Him at the fireside. Jesus wants to forgive, restore, and rekindle that fire in our hearts, if we will only “come and dine” with Him.
