Lawlessness Abounds

Which are the most dangerous cities in the United States? Looking only at those cities with a population of at least 200,000, the top ones for violent crime include Detroit, St. Louis, Memphis, Baltimore, Kansas City, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Oakland, and Stockton.

Four categories were used to define violent crimes: murder and non-negligent manslaughter; forcible rape; robbery; and aggravated assault. With 1,930 incidents, California led the pack for total number of murders in the United States in 2016. A total of 17,250 murders were reported that year for the entire country.

As contempt for God’s law increases, so do the numbers of rapes, murders, robberies, and other violent crimes. Jesus predicted that neglect for the law of God would lead to cold-heartedness. The essence of following God’s law is found in self-sacrificing love for others, just the opposite of violent crime. “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).

Conditions on our planet will only get worse as we move closer to the second coming of Christ. Paul predicted, “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” (2 Timothy 3:1–5).

Within 35 days in 2017, two of the five deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history took place. Locations stained with blood are popping up everywhere—even a small church in rural Texas, where 26 people were shot down. A gunman opened fire from a Las Vegas resort into a crowd in October 2017, killing 58 and injuring more than 500. It is the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.

The sobering signs we see should cause us to follow the apostle Paul’s counsel to “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Apply It:

Have you observed an increase in lawlessness in your own community in the past few years?

Dig Deeper:

Matthew 24:21, 22; Luke 21:25; 1 Timothy 4:1, 2

Key Bible Texts

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Matthew 24:12 KJV)