October 2005 Meditation
"Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12).
Dear Friends,
We read in God’s Holy Word that in the end times, “because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). When
we look around us we see iniquity abounding on all sides. The church is not
immune from this iniquity either. I believe it is especially within the church
that we see the evidences of the approaching end. Many Christians go along
with the world in its pursuit of happiness. Take the Super Bowl, for example.
On what is called Super Bowl Sunday many Reformed churches in Northwest America
moved their evening worship service to an earlier time, and then had Super
Bowl celebrations with the big-screen TV right in the church building! O,
how we need to be reminded of God’s command in 1 John 2:15, “Love
not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” What is the
world that we are not to love? “For all that is in the world, the lust
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John
2:16).
Perhaps you are thinking that our churches surely would not participate in
this desecration of the Lord’s Day. We may say that by God’s grace
we are spared from it thus far. There is, however, a greater problem in our
churches. The love of many of our people has waxed cold. You can see it in
the lack of participation in church activities, Bible studies, prayer meetings,
and even in poor attendance of worship services. What causes this love to
wax cold? The Lord Jesus says it is “because iniquity shall abound.”
So we see a correlation between sin and a lack of love. That waxing cold of
love is toward God and toward our fellow Christians. Many are the conflicts
between church members.
This is sometimes also seen in the relationship between office bearers. Preachers
disagree on certain points of doctrine, and don’t see eye to eye on
others, and often it leads to open conflicts. We see the same things in the
workings of Mission Committees and missionaries. Often misunderstandings fester
for a long time, and finally lead to major divisions. The love among each
other waxes so cold at times that we cannot continue to work together. This
is not new in church life. We see in church history that Paul and Barnabas
had such sharp contentions between them that they went their separate ways
(Acts 15:39).
There is a bright side to all of this, one that we need to keep in focus.
After Jesus warns of love that waxes cold, He assures us that in that same
time, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world
for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew
24:14).
As in the case of Barnabas and Paul, so it will be in the end times. Yes love
waxes cold, but the gospel shall be preached. “The gospel of Christ
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom.
1:16). God’s almighty in-gathering work will continue through the work
of imperfect laborers, even when their love waxes cold. Let us never be content
with cold love. Rather, let us stay near the fire of the gospel love of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Neels
