Matthew 7:23, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

Matthew 13:41, “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.”

Matthew 23:28, “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Matthew 24:12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

Lawlessness is an interesting word. It was used frequently by Jesus. In the original language, it is the word for iniquity (anomia). The original word is a compound word. The prefix “a” means “not” or “without,” and the root word “nomia” means law. So, the meaning of the original word is “without law.” It is like the word apolitical in English. The letter “a” modifies the word “political” and refers to someone who has no interest in politics or is otherwise not involved.

Again, Jesus used this word frequently. We would do well to pay attention to what it means. It refers to a person who sets aside the law. But Jesus is not referring to any law. This is a person who shows no interest in God’s commandments. When I use the word “commandments,” I am not referring only to the ten commandments, but to the will of God as revealed in scripture. I believe this is how Jesus is using the word. What is important about the word, then, is not any specific law to which it refers, but the concept of being without law.

“Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

We hear people say, “Life is short.” But the reality is that very few people allow that truth to guide their lives. Most people go on as though they will live forever. But if we would pause every now and then and remember that our time has an expiration date, we might stop to consider eternal things. One day – and it is fast approaching – we will stand before the eternal One. Wisdom is gained by remembering the brevity of life. One day, we will stand before God and give an account of the time we had. In that moment, so much that we find important today will seem like trivial nonsense. “Why?” we will ask, “Why didn’t I think about this day?” The only thing that will matter in that moment is God. And we will know then that the only thing that mattered in life was God. Remembering that that moment is fast approaching will encourage us to “redeem the time.” And it will encourage us to live for God. The truth is that life is short. We are but a vapor and a breath. It goes by so fast. That moment of accountability will be here before we know it. We should live today with the knowledge that tomorrow we stand before Him. How would that change your day? What would be different today if you knew that tomorrow you would stand before Him?