Jesus
didn’t promise favor here on earth. In fact, He knew wickedness would increase
and prepared His disciples and you and me for it.
Matthew
24:9-14 9
“Then you will be handed over to be
persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of
me. 10 At
that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each
other, 11 and many false prophets will appear
and deceive many people. 12 Because of the
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be
saved. 14 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.
This
section starts off quite unpleasant, but ends with great promises. Jesus
promised eternal salvation to those who stand firm and that the gospel would be
made known in all nations.
God is
all-powerful. He even works through wickedness to accomplish His purposes. As
the disciples and early church were persecuted and killed, they scattered from
Jerusalem and “preached the word wherever they
went” (Acts 8:4). They began fulfilling God’s purpose to spread the
gospel to all nations!
Do you and
I let the wickedness around us get us down or shut us up? Or, do we stand firm
and allow God to work through us as a result of it? The gospel “will be preached in the whole world” just as Jesus
promised. We can watch from the sidelines, freeze in place, or join His mission.
Which one are you doing? Which one do you want to do?
True joy
and blessings are in store for those who stand firm in their faith and join
God’s work, in spite of the increasing wickedness.
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