Matthew 24:9-14 ESV
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 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.”
Jesus was speaking here to his disciples about the sign of
his coming and of the end of the age. First he spoke of false christs and wars
and nations rising against each other and famines and earthquakes and the beginning
of birth pains. Then he went on to talk about the persecution that we would
face for our testimonies for Jesus Christ. For many of us will be delivered up
to tribulation and put to death, and we will be hated by all nations for the
sake of the name of Jesus Christ.
And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate
one another. And this is definitely happening in our day and time, not that it
hasn’t been like that ever since Jesus died and rose again and ascended back to
the Father. But today I believe this is largely a result of people believing
false prophets and teachers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing, and because
they are following their teachings instead of the teachings of Christ. For
these false teachers are very cunning and crafty in their deceitful scheming.
Many are buying into a diluted gospel message which reduces
the gospel of our salvation to forgiveness of sins and a guarantee of heaven
when we die, but they do not teach God’s righteous requirements of repentance,
submission to Christ as Lord, and obedience to our Lord’s commands (New Covenant).
And so they have demonized those of us who do teach repentance, submission, and
obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, saying that we are teaching works salvation.
But we are not teaching works salvation. We do not promote
the idea that there is anything we can do in our flesh to earn or to deserve
our own salvation. But our salvation is not absent of works. It is just that
they are the works of God which he had planned for us that we should walk in
them (Ephesians 2:10). For Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him
to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, and that we would now live for
him and not for ourselves (1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 5:15,21).
For when we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith, we
are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk
in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the
body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved
to sin. So, we are to let not sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey
its passions. For if sin is what we obey, and not obedience, it will end in
death, not in life everlasting (Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24).
Now, since so many are believing a diluted gospel today,
lawlessness has definitely increased, for many are teaching that freedom from
the Old Covenant is freedom from all laws and restrictions. And so they are
teaching that we do not have to repent of our sins or submit to Christ as Lord
or obey his commandments (New Covenant). And so many professing Christians are
continuing in deliberate and habitual sin and they are not walking in
righteousness and in obedience to their Lord.
And because lawlessness has increased, and so many people
are buying into the false teaching that does not require death to sin and walks
of obedience to the Lord, the love of many has grown cold, too. Many professing
Christians are continuing in deliberate and habitual sin without conscience,
without remorse, and without compassion for those they are sinning against. And
they think they are entitled to live like this because of what Jesus did for us
on that cross in taking our sin upon himself.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Please pay
attention to those words. We are not saved by a one-time in our life profession
of faith in Jesus Christ. We are saved by God’s grace, but through a faith
which is gifted to us by God and is authored by Christ and which means we are
persuaded by God as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness,
and of our need to repent of our sins and to walk in obedience to our Lord’s
commands (New Covenant), which we are doing.
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. And
the gospel of Jesus Christ is going forth and is being shared throughout the
world, and a lot of that is happening via the internet where we can share the
gospel, and it goes out to people in all different nations. But when it reaches
all nations, then the end will come. But will you be ready? You have to turn
from your sins and you must follow Jesus in obedience to his ways.
By
Annie Herring
There's a stirring deep within me
Could it be my time has come
When I'll see my gracious savior face to face when all is done
Is that his voice I am hearing?
'Come away, my precious one'
Is he calling me?
Is he calling me?
I will rise up, rise up
And bow down
And lay my crown
At his wounded feet
Is that His voice I am hearing?
'Come away, my precious one'
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