“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:12-14 NIV

But remain faithful to the gospel message, and keep yourself from being polluted by the world. See to it that you are not taken captive by destructive teachings and enticing heresies, the tickling of ears and the desecration of your hearts. But instead, focus on our Master, Jesus, who when confronted with the lies, pride and deceptions of His age, spoke with the authority of the Word of God and uttered corrections, rebuked the offenders and shared the love and grace of God with all who would draw near to Him.

As He was, is and will be the Word, His authority is complete. He exists at the right hand of God and will one day stand in the place of judgment over all mankind. Here in Matthew 24, Jesus warns and encourages us to be mindful of our own hearts and the world around us. He also reminds us what our daily concern and task is to be, the sharing of the Gospel message with anyone and everyone God gives us the privilege to encounter for His sake.

The world is not going to get better. People are not inherently good. The world, left to its own devices, is perverse, prideful and self-destructive. Because of these attitudes, the love they would have had has grown cold. And even for us, we must be careful not to let our own love be taken from us through the influences we find around us every day.

And so we stand firm. We anchor our hopes in Christ. We seek His face daily, and we give all of our efforts over to Him along with our hearts. And the wonderful thing is, if we do this, there is no chance of our love growing cold or our feet losing their ground.

In Christ, our foundation is secure, and our purpose is clear. If we want to see the world made new, the perversities undone and injustices made right, then we need to stand faithfully with Christ, carry our crosses and share the good news that He has given to us through His own cross and the empty tomb.

As we approach Resurrection Sunday, we are reminded over and over again that our world needs to be repaired, renewed and redeemed, and it is only through the faithfulness of God’s people that this a Word of Life can be communicated with those who need it so desperately. To simply live each day, pretending that this day is all their is is to deceive ourselves and to lose sight of these wonderful calling Jesus has made upon our hearts.

GoLove by being a solid, faithful example and communicator of the gospel of peace. See what God has in store for His children by living the life He desires you to live. Take no comfort in the world or its pursuits, but instead stand firm and stay focused. Keep the main thing the main thing and let mercy, love and truth lead you.