The love of many will grow cold ... This snippet of language from Matthew 24:12 is sitting heavy on my heart today. Perhaps it is because, as I sit here writing one day after the 25th anniversary of 9/11, one of the darkest days in America's history, I am overwhelmed at the capacity for sin that we humans possess. Just as I did after those evil attacks, I could not stop reading of the personal testimonies of the 2,977 souls who perished that day. And I am overwhelmed by the additional statistics that more than 145,000 people are sick, and nearly 10,000 have died from 9/11-related illnesses [as reported by the World Trade Center Health Program].
Perhaps the state of my soul is aligned with the understanding that, as I write this post today (September 12), it is the day marked for the Jewish Feast of Trumpets. And let me try and explain why this is significant. In Leviticus, the Lord declared that He has established His Feasts as holy convocations which His people shall proclaim at their appointed times. The Feast of Trumpets was to take place on the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, on the first day of the month. The website psalmwisdom.com states that the Torah instructions for this day are considerably shorter than the traditions that later developed around it via the Talmud and rabbinic teachings. The Torah, itself, gives a more concise command centered on sacred rest, assembly, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, and an offering made by fire to the Lord.
It is important we understand that in view of the Feast of Trumpets, the trumpet functions as an alarm system for the people of God. Did you know that Joel 2:1 speaks of the trumpet as an alarm concerning the Day of the Lord? Or that Resurrection and transformation are associated with the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52? Or that 1 Thessalonians 4:16 points to Christ's descent with the trumpet of God? And then, ten days later, on September 20 at sunset, we will begin what is the holiest day in Judaism, the Day of Atonement, in which the focus is on atonement and repentance.
I have been sitting with the Lord for the last day, aware of my need to both atone and repent, and my undeniable need of Christ. Twenty-five years ago was a wake-up call for every human being on earth. It's not the first warning that Evil was abounding on the earth. History for thousands of years has given testimony of the lawlessness and iniquity in mens' hearts. But the display on 9/11 touched our senses in a way that history did not provide. We heard the voices of the evil-doers, and witnessed the devastation of their heinous acts live and on our TV screens. We saw the people jumping to their deaths, the towers come crashing down, and the messages of pure love left by people who knew they were not coming home that day. We saw awe-inspiring displays of courage and faith on a scale, and in ways, we have never experienced before.
Yet, Evil has not waned in the ensuing years since 9/11/2001. In fact, it has increased. And the love of many continues to grow cold. There are those who will say that this level of evil has always existed. It's just that technology has allowed it to be seen "up close and personal" every second of every day. But that doesn't align with what Scripture is trying to tell us in Matthew 24:12. Pay close attention to the words and meaning of this important verse ... The ESV version says "because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold". The Amplified version says "the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity". The King James version tells us "because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold [grow, rise, expand, deepen]." As a human race, we will see evil, lawlessness, and iniquity proliferate [increase rapidly, multiply, mushroom, escalate, snowball], and the love of men for each other [and God] will diminish and dwindle [grow cold].
And it is here that the commentary of the celebrated theologian Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) speaks loudly to me: "Here is something to tremble at: 'Because iniquity shall abound' -- that is worse than pestilence; Because 'the love of many shall wax cold', -- that is worse than persecution. If the heart grows cold, everything will be coldly done. When love declines, what cold preaching we have! What cold singing we get -- pretty music, made by pipes and wind, but how little soul-song! What poor praying and what little giving. When the heart is cold, the hands can find nothing in the purse; and Christ's Church, and Christ's poor, and the heathen may perish, for we must hoard up for ourselves, and live to grow rich. Is there anything that goes on as it ought to go when love waxes cold?"
I fear that our society today has lost the fear of God as we justify ourselves. We have persuaded ourselves that we are a "good" person -- we donate to charities, we pay our debts, we have a stellar reputation; we may even confess our sins and trust in our own righteousness. We tell ourselves, "Just look at the evil in all those others!"
My spirit was absolutely aggrieved to discover [through Tim Tebow's Foundation] that America is the #1 buyer of Live-streamed child rape in the world!!! The buyers are concentrated in wealthier nations, while the child victims are concentrated in places of extreme poverty. It works like this: A man in one country pays someone in another country to abuse a child on camera -- in real time. He watches it happen live, and he directs exactly what he wants done. I will spare you the horrific and graphic testimony of one child's 15 minute "shows", 15 to 20 times per day, seven days a week. Here's just how easy and hidden this abhorrent abuse is taking place: She wasn't trafficked by some distant cartel. She was trafficked because an American man with Wi-Fi and a credit card wanted her to be. What kind of heart exists in a man who only sees this child as a product to sell in 15 minute increments? And the love of many will grow cold.
We must begin dealing honestly with our Savior and Redeemer -- and ourselves! The world will tell you that your "good deeds" are sufficient reasons for God to receive you into His Kingdom. But that's a lie from hell! It is by God's grace that we are saved through faith, and can gain entrance into His eternal Kingdom with Him. It is His power to give us what we cannot accomplish ourselves; a free gift, not of our own works, but from the understanding that we are created in Christ Jesus. Our identity lies in Him, not in anything of ourselves.
So, with all this being said, I recognize that Evil is growing, and I am aware that I am accountable for the condition of my heart. I pray daily (and often into the middle of the night), for God to cleanse my heart and help me to love others as He loves them. We must guard against letting our love grow cold. Increased lawlessness and wickedness is not an excuse to abandon the spirit of love that Christ Jesus has given us. In fact, let our hearts be on fire to give the testimony that His death was not in vain; that we walk according to the Spirit who lives in us, seeking regeneration of our hearts and love that results in repentance, humility and an inner yielding to God's lordship and sovereignty in our lives. Let us be the remnant whose love never grows cold!
Ezekiel 36:26-27. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit with you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and heed my ordinances and do them.
