The fabric of our society seems to be unraveling at an alarming pace. From the corridors of power to neighborhood streets, lawlessness is rampant. Moral decay is everywhere, manifested in various forms, including rising crime, failure to prosecute offenders, the release of criminals, and the erosion of traditional values. For a civilized populace to continue to exist, it must rely on upholding laws and regulations regarding human conduct and the protection of individual rights. Otherwise, all will devolve into chaos.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ warned in a prophecy of world events preceding His return that “lawlessness” would abound (Matthew 24:12). Is the increasing corruption and violation of law and morality in our times a sign of the end of this age? It well fits what we see happening more and more. It’s even evident among those who claim to be Jesus’ followers. What are you to do as society’s foundations crumble?

Crime out of control

Murders, rapes, robberies, riots and assaults—looking through crime statistics is chilling when you think about each number representing a victim. Each one is a real person—a wife, a husband, a child, a grandparent. The offenders disregard the laws on the books intended to protect people. And they’re increasingly unrestrained—by authorities and their own sense of right and wrong.

Instead of holding criminals accountable for their actions, we see leniency and even encouragement of lawlessness, such as many seeking to defund or dismantle the police. Many police officers have been so frustrated with the animosity toward law enforcement that they have resigned, retired or changed careers. Open border policies not only undermine the integrity of national immigration systems but also pose threats to public safety, as many with malicious intent are admitted in.

The increase in violence and crime is deeply troubling. From senseless acts of violence on our streets, like randomly punching strangers in the face, to crime syndicates and drug cartels operating with impunity, it seems that law and order have taken a back seat to political correctness and social justice agendas. The lead-up to the last U.S. presidential election saw violent riots, marching in the streets, public buildings burned, injuries and murders. What will the next election bring?

With moral breakdown, it’s becoming more common for people to vent their anger on others, as in road rage incidents. News reports give the awful details of murders in homes, schools and workplaces. We could go on ad infinitum.

It almost seems like the world before Noah entered the ark, when “the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11).

Lying is the way of the world

Furthermore, we are witnessing a disturbing trend of political lying and corruption in government, academia, science and Big Tech. The truth is being suppressed and distorted to serve political agendas, and those who dare to speak out are often silenced or marginalized. This erosion of truth and integrity undermines the foundations of our society.

Lying is so common now. Whom can you trust? Media pundits and government officials engage in a constant stream of gaslighting—a form of psychological abuse and manipulation wherein people are deliberately and systematically fed false information to get them to question their sanity, memory or perception of reality. How can it be that America’s head of Homeland Security has repeatedly testified before Congress that the border between the United States and Mexico is secure when it clearly has not been? The mainstream media had no pushback against this narrative until only recently. Everything must be “fact checked”—but those who claim to be fact checkers are themselves often part of the gaslighting, though at times unwittingly, having embraced a false narrative themselves.

International relations are as corrupt as ever. Duplicity and bribery are a large part of the politics between the nations, with diplomats sitting around conference tables lying to one another. Nations make compacts with each other only to break them when it’s to their advantage.

God’s law commands honesty and integrity. But all are in rebellion. “‘And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me,’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:3). Instead, they succumb to the influence of Satan the devil, the father of lies (John 8:44).

All in society must come to repent of their evil ways—from presidents, legislatures and the mass media down to the grassroots of the common man. No true servant of Jesus Christ should want to be a part of the corruption of this world. Revelation 21:8 warns us that “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

A society that has lost its moral compass

There is a growing sense in society that something is dramatically wrong. In America, it’s evident that the Constitution is not being upheld, with those who stand by it being ridiculed. It’s increasingly felt that the laws of the land, which have helped ensure peace and safety, are being disregarded by the nation’s leaders. Worse still, people see these being turned upside down. In addition to political corruption, we are seeing a rise in what can only be described as “lawfare” against political opponents. The weaponization of the legal system to target and silence dissent is antithetical to the principles of justice and fairness. Elections are being compromised through collusion, bribery and blackmail, and foreign interests are exerting undue influence on government leaders.

Moreover, national governments everywhere are essentially stealing on a massive scale. Monetary policies devalue the currency and rob hardworking citizens of their wealth. The financial mismanagement only serves to exacerbate the economic inequalities already plaguing society.

But perhaps most troubling of all is the moral decay we see all around us. Abortion, the LGBTQ agenda and the erosion of traditional family values are symptoms of a society that has lost its moral compass. Even churches, which should be promoting light and truth, are increasingly accepting of practices contrary to God’s Word.

How can this be so? And where is this heading?

Many false prophets

Note that when Jesus mentioned the rise of lawlessness, it was in this context: “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:11-12). Thus, many false teachers would come along to corrupt the teachings of Scripture.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the apostle Paul refers to “the mystery of lawlessness,” explaining it would exist in the end of the age but was already at work. This is essentially a negation of God’s law for one’s personal determination of right and wrong. Ultimately, the great lie is that you don’t need God and His law. You can be your own god. The world has bought into this idea, even most people professing to follow Christ. Indeed, it is at heart a false religious system.

Over time, the original Church that Jesus founded was pushed to the fringes as a powerful false Christianity rose up as the more visible church and came to dominate the Western nations. It rejected various elements of Jesus’ teachings but still retained certain moral principles. In more modern times, even this traditional Christianity has been increasingly marginalized by a more liberal view of the Bible—with distinction from the world growing ever fainter.

And of course the world has had its own more secular and even antireligious prophets who have become proselytizers in their own right, pushing their errant worldviews on others who are less and less resistant. The descent from a semblance of biblical morality has in recent decades become quite steep—to where now it is plummeting. And the effects have been dire.

Persevering through perilous times

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul warns of dangerous times to come in the last days, the period preceding Jesus’ return: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (verses 1-5). This increasingly describes our time.

People would turn inward; they would care only about the self. And as Jesus said, their love—to God, His truth, His people—would “grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). This is a warning even to believers. Whether it’s because of the deluding influence of the false preachers, the political circus, the false news of media outlets or just going with the flow of the culture, the zeal and devotion of many will erode.

What, then, are you to do? Jesus in the very next verse stated, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (verse 13).

We are called to stand firm in the face of lawlessness and moral decay. We must be vigilant in upholding the principles of justice, righteousness and truth in our own lives and spheres of influence. We must speak out against corruption and immorality, supporting the message of God’s Church in calling the world to repentance.

If we want to be on the winning side of history and be given eternal life, we will be different. We will be set apart or sanctified by the truth. As 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 tells us: “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’”

Above all, we must turn to God and His Word for guidance and strength in these troubled times. For it is only through His power that we can hope to overcome the darkness that threatens to engulf us. Thankfully, there is light ahead. Jesus will ultimately return with God’s Kingdom to rule all nations and redirect the world toward what is right.

And as we wait for it, let us all hold fast, making sure to apply God’s ways in everything, living by His laws of love and shunning the lawless ways of this world.

 

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Suffering the Lawlessness of Terror

It’s shocking to see people across U.S. campuses and throughout Western nations chanting in praise of the actions of the terror group Hamas and against the Jewish people and Israel. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on one of its holiest days of the year, massacring hundreds of men, women and children. Rapes, murders, mutilations and beheadings were part of this gruesome assault. Around 1,200 people were murdered during the unprecedented attack, mostly civilians slaughtered in their homes or at an outdoor music festival, as well as soldiers in bases near the border. More than 240 people, including the elderly, women and children, were abducted to Gaza, in the bloodiest and most deadly attack in Israeli history.

People around the world have moved on from those dreadful times, but rest assured that the parents of children counted among those held hostage have not. In a shocking account in The Guardian, one mother, Renana Jacob, tearfully relates that Oct. 7 “was a regular Saturday morning—a day for the kids to sleep in, relax and play . . . She was out and about, visiting a friend on a nearby kibbutz, when she heard gunshots. She phoned home to make sure everything was OK. It wasn’t.

“Her two boys, 16-year-old Or and 12-year-old Yagel, had locked themselves in the safe room in their house to protect themselves from attack. ‘The last call I got was from my youngest,’ she says. ‘I could hear the terrorists walking in. He was whispering: “They’re coming in, they’re coming in,” and I told him to be quiet. The last thing I heard was him crying, begging them: “Please don’t take me. I’m too young. You can’t take me, I’m too young.”’ He and his brother were kidnapped. ‘I don’t know where they are; I’ve heard nothing. I don’t know whether they are alive. I hope they’re in a tunnel, because if they’re not in a tunnel, it’s even worse’” (“The Mothers Whose Children Are Held Hostage by Hamas,” The Guardian, Nov. 9, 2023).

We long for the day when such lawless evil will be brought to an end.