There are a couple of verses in the “Temple “Discourse” that I find extremely interesting. Jesus is telling His disciples what to expect at the end of the age when He makes these statements in Matthew 24:12-14(ESV)
“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”
The word “lawlessness” comes from the Greek word ἀνομία (anomia) which is used to describe conditions such as lawlessness, iniquity, disobedience, sin. It’s a compound Greek word from “a” which means “no” and “nomos” which is the word for “law”. It is defined as the utter disregard for God’s written and living Word. The end result includes the end-impact of law breaking – i.e. its negative influence on a person's soul (status before God)1
It is the same word used as in the familiar passage of Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
The issue concerning the last days will not be about the lack of ministry opportunities or charismatic practice. But rather the increase of lawlessness which will result in a condition of “lovelessness”. The result will be a people that belong to churches that no longer cast a light or bring conviction to a culture because they have lost their love for the Lord, one another and the lost. The church will be mocked and trampled under the feet of men, says the Lord in Matthew 5:13-15 (ESV)
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
It will be like the days of judges where there was no king in Israel and everyone lived according to their own lusts and desires. Israel was dominated, controlled, literally raped and pillaged for almost a 400-year period. During the season, God would raise up deliverers to restore Israel until Israel entered into its greatest 120-year period of its existence.
No matter how bad things look, there is always hope. God always has a remnant, a people who have not given themselves over to the culture. Those of us who endure till the end of the age will be saved. How do we endure? Through the power of love; love for God, love for one another. The Word of God says as much in Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (and strength). 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
We must pursue love for God first. Love for God begins with the fear of the Lord which will keep our love for Him and for others pure. Love starts with serving Him and being obedient in everything He asks. He must be at the center of everything we do and say. It is spending time with Him pursuing Him and living more by the Spirit every day. It is a surrendering of my desires and then wanting to please Him in everything.
The second part comes with loving one another as we love Him. If our love for one another does not rest on our love for Him, it will become selfish and expectant instead of authentic and unconditional. We will hold others to a standard that we ourselves cannot attain. We will then judge others for not being as “spiritual” as ourselves. Spiritual pride is actually a religious spirit because we worship the function of worship more than Jesus, Himself. The lightness test of our love for Jesus is actually seen on our love for others, 1 John 4:20 (ESV)
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
How do I know if I love unconditionally? 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (ESV)
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.
If you love to participate in gossip about others, you will not be able to hear His voice.
However, it is in this place of pure agape love that Holy Spirit and the presence of the Lord will flourish. Talking to a dear friend whom I have worshipped with for many years. He expressed excitement in where we are presently at Cornerstone. There is an atmosphere of authentic love and transparency that breeds revival. We are all a part of something very special that we’ve waited many years.
Finally It's from this presence that the “Gospel of the Kingdom” will go to the ends of the earth, and then the end will come.
One of Tina Turner’s hits was the song entitled “What’s Love Got to do With It”. From what Jesus has instructed, love has everything to do with it. Love for Him first then love for one another.
The Apostle Paul encouraged the church of Rome in Romans 8:18-19 (ESV)
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
As the age becomes more and more lawless, becoming love will take intense obedience and surrender as we continue to worship and serve Jesus. It will be worth it.
The Apostle John from his letter to the church of Ephesus whose culture was rife with sensual erotic love. There were 1000’s of temple prostitutes in the “Temple to Dianna”. After he was release from exile from the Ilse of Patmos, he lived out his life in the church of Ephesus. As he aged, he could no longer walk so the brethren of the church would carry him. He would constantly remind them to “love one another”.
I find it interesting that lacking in true love was the one condition that the Church of Ephesus had that the Angel of the church was told to admonish them for. Even though all there works and ministries were effective, they were told to repent and “return to their first love” or have their candlestick taken away. John writes this as an encouragement to us in 1 John 4:7 (ESV).
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
he power of love indeed!! He wrote as he concluded his writing on the “Book of Revelation.”
“The Spirit and the Bride say ‘come, Lord Jesus’”!