Lawlessness Psychosis & the Love of God

Why does it seem like the world is going crazy?   Matthew 24:12 sheds some light as to why.  

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. " NKJV

The Greek word translated lawlessness here means "illegal violation of the law, wickedness, iniquity, and unrighteousness.  It comes from a word that means lawless."  It is either breaking established boundaries or operating outside of boundaries wether knowingly or in ignorance.

The word abound means multiply and the word translated love refers to the "agape" unconditional love of God.  

The word translated "cold" is fascinating and sheds tremendous light.  The Greek word translated cold is actually "psycho."  In the Greek it means to breathe on something so as to reduce the tempature or make it cool.  This word also serves as the basis for our modern understanding of "psycho" used in words such as a psychopathic or psychotic person.  Dictionary.com says these are crazy or mentally unstable.     

Matthew 24:12 means "and because lawlessness, people acting as if there are no absolutes, boundaries or eternal laws, continue to multply their love for God wains and they act like they've lost their mind doing crazy things."  

The truth is without the love of God people go crazy and do stupid things.  Sin makes people stupid.  Stupid refers to a dulled, foolish or senseless mind.     

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The Solution:  Keep Yourselves in the Love of God
I recieved this message as I was preparing for our Sunday service.  No sooner had the Lord enlightened me regarding Matthew 24:12 he led me to Jude 1:21.  The key to sanity is to keep yourself in the love of God.

Then I looked at the context of that scripture going back to Jude 1:14-23.  Oh my did that shed insight!  Especially when I looked at Jude 16-19. 

These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.  NKJV

Sensual comes from the Greek word "psychikos."  Sensual people, people who are led by "feelings," are allowing their soul to rule in their lives.  As this progresses they become pscychotic because they do not have nor are led by the Spirit of God.  Their love for God has cooled because they choose to violate eternal laws.  As they do so their thinking becomes twisted or wicked (think in terms of wicker furniture).  They can't think straight and they make foolish or stupid decisions which hurt them and other people.

The only solution is to keep yourself rooted and grounded in the love of God.

The Key to Victory

1 John 4:17-19
"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us."

1 John 5:2-5
"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. "NKJV

The key to victory in these crazy times is the love of God.  Love establishes boundaries in our lives based upon the eternal truths found in the Bible.  The commands of God are not legal requirements as much as it is a loving Father explaining to us how the world works.  It is because He designed the eternal truths and understands how the world works.  He wants us to do well and to excell.  He wants you and I to walk into life and to do well for He is glorified when we do well.  He hates sin because sin hurts the very people He loves.  

The love of God will compell kingdom minded kingdom minded Christians to apply boundaries in their lives.  Excercising authority first in their own life, then in their family, then the Church and then in every area they have responsibilty for God will use them to bring order out of chaos.  

In this crazy world, the kingdom minded Christian brings order and sanity through the love of Christ.

I Pray - that you would know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with the fullness of God!  

Ephesians 3:14-21
"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height —  19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."  NKJV

Sunday's Message - Lawlessness Psychosis & the Love of God