Matthew 24:12 (NIV) Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

Matthew 24:12 printed above reflects that there is an increase of wickedness.  Like everything else in God's perfect cause and effect universe, there is a cause that is effecting the increase of wickedness.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 printed below implicitly reveals that evil beings in general have wanted to be more lawless than they were allowed to be, but someone was holding back lawlessness.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

The Scripture phrase "taken out of the way" (2 Thessalonians 2:7) implies that something is in the way. Who is in the way of what?  The Scripture states that someone is in the way of "the secret power of lawlessness."  Who is "the One" that has the desire and power to hold back lawlessness?  Only the Holy Spirit of God has the desire and the power to hold back lawlessness.  In this case, the Holy Spirit of God is in the way of "the secret power of lawlessness." The Holy Spirit has been restricting "the secret power of lawlessness."  The Holy Spirit has been restricting some humans and some fallen angels in their desire for greater wickedness and lawlessness.  The Spirit of God holding back wickedness is like when  a school teacher steps out of the classroom and immediately all of the pupils begin to get rowdy and undisciplined.  The students wanted to be rowdy when the teacher was in the classroom but the teacher kept the rowdiness to a limit.  When the restrictions imposed by the teacher are removed, then the students are able to act fully like they wanted to act when there were restrictions but they could not, because the teacher would not allow it.   The Scripture does not state that the Spirit of God will be removed from the earth, but that He will be removed from being in the way of "the secret power of lawlessness."  Only God the Father is able to move the Holy Spirit.  At some point, God the Father will take the Holy Spirit completely "out of the way" of "the secret power of lawlessness."  At that point, humans and fallen angels will be allowed to become as wicked as their evil hearts desire.  Those who are the spiritual children of the devil will act like their father the devil in wanting to "steal, and kill, and destroy.' (John 10:10)

"You cannot slander human nature; it is worse than words can paint it." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Our world could not have continued to exist if the Spirit of God had not held godless people in check. As we move toward the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God will continue to withdraw His restrictions, allowing evil people to achieve the godlessness that their hearts desire. The fact that many people desire greater evil is evidenced every single day in the newspaper, and will continue to grow worse, as the Spirit of God continues to withdraw His restrictions.  This withdrawing of the Spirit of God's restrictions will produce a cataclysmic increase in wickedness.  Politicians and world leaders that heretofore would not have considered some of the social changes they now direct, have become bold in their godlessness.

Job 12:24 (NIV) He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason; he sends them wandering through a trackless waste.

Just as God gives a person who practices homosexuality over to a reprobate mind, so God will give a society over to a reprobate mind if that society continues to pursue wickedness.  He will withdraw His Spirit's restrictions and allow them the wickedness that they desire.  The present wickedness that is occurring in the world is not in God's perfect will.  He did not design these end times.  He has been aware of exactly how the end times would play out since before time began, but He did not predestine them.  God did not predestine the Interstate Highway 95 Muslim sniper to kill people, nor did God like the Muslim sniper killing people.  Jesus died so that the Muslim sniper and his victims might have an opportunity of eternal life with God.  The Muslim sniper personally ended the opportunity of his victims to find Jesus Christ if they had not already.  The wickedness of the Muslim sniper caused the Muslim sniper to kill people.  The individual wicked acts of the Muslim sniper are being enacted millions of times around the globe to lesser and greater degrees.  It is the wickedness of people that is pushing our society to the Tribulation period, exactly as God knew it would, exactly when God knew it would.  That is why He speaks through His prophets to warn people.