In Matteus 24:12-13, Jesus het gesê, that before His return in the last days the love of many shall wax cold. Wat beteken die liefde van baie sal koud word? How is it possible that the love of many shall wax cold? What is the cause? The main cause that the love of many shall wax cold is because iniquity shall abound. This is exactly, what we see in our world today, an increase in iniquity.
What is iniquity?
En omdat die ongeregtigheid oorvloedig sal wees, die liefde van baie sal koud word. Maar hy wat tot die einde toe sal volhard, dieselfde sal gered word (Matteus 24:12,13)
Iniquity is translated from the Greek word ‘anomia‘ (G458 (and comes from G459)) en middele: legality, dit wil sê, violation of law or (generally) goddeloosheid: – iniquity, X transgress (-ion of) the law, unrighteousness
If we don’t keep the law, if we don’t obey Jesus His commandments, but instead do what we want and walk in disobedience to God and His Word then our love shall wax cold.
We see that the words of Jesus, about the fact that the love shall wax cold, are being fulfilled in these days.
When we look at the world, we see a change in moral behavior and that there is hardly any tolerance and respect towards others.
Most people are selfish and live for themselves. They are living their own lives and everything they do, they do for themselves. We see that the care for others is decreasing.
In many families, we see rebellious children, who don’t have any respect for their parents but stand up against their parents and rebel against them.
We see that parents are focused on themselves and focused on their careers and happiness, instead of really being there for their children and raising their children in the fear of the Lord.
We see family members, who don’t look after each other, ens. Natuurlik, there are exceptions, but in most families, we see that the love has waxed cold. As soon as someone does something, which goes against the will of the other person, the person gets upset and angry.
People do what they want, instead of giving up their own will, their lusts, their desires, and their needs for someone else.
Everyone is busy with their own stuff. There are not many people, who serve others. Some might think that they serve others, but when you look closer, you will find out that they serve others, for their own gain and to feel good about themselves. But who is willing to give up his or her own life, to serve Jesus and serve others?
How can iniquity enter the life of a born again Christian?
How can iniquity enter the life of a born again believer? Iniquity can enter the life of a believer, deur:
- False doctrines, that for example teach false grace and that it is ok to sin, that you can do whatever you want because you are not under the law anymore (Romeine 6:15).
- Spirit of worldliness
- A life philosophy, which stands for absolute individual freedom (free-spirit)
The process of sanctification
In vandag se wêreld, there is a lack of desire among Christians to become transformed into the image of Christ and to walk in holiness and righteousness according to the Word of God.
In many churches, sin is accepted, Sin is no longer considered evil but sin is considered normal, as part of life.
The terms ‘love of God’ and the ‘grace of God’ are used to make sinning approved.
As gevolg daarvan, many Christians live in sin, and churches are seated in darkness instead of the light (Lees ook: Wat is genade? en ‘Kan jy aanhou sondig onder genade?‘ en ‘Wat is valse liefde?').
When we look at the Word and look at what God means with love, we can conclude that we have driven far off.
God’s definition of love is totally different than our definition of love.
When we say that certain things are alright to do and are accepted, while God says that it isn’t alright and therefore goes against His will, then the love of God is not present in our lives.
If we don’t walk according to His Word, then we walk in iniquity and sin. When we walk in iniquity and in sin, we don’t know Him and we certainly don’t walk in love at all, as so many people believe they are.
What is true love?
What is true love? True love is doing what God pleases. True love is being obedient to God and keeping His commandments, because you love God with all your heart, siel, verstand, en krag. When you keep His commandments and do what He says, you show that you love Him through your works.
Many believers say, that God’s commandments and His law are outdated and not valid and applicable anymore. But these people, who say this are false believers and don’t belong to God and don’t know Him at all. They are wrong, want die Woord sê, that God is the same, Gister, Vandag, en vir ewig. Therefore God’s will shall never change. That’s why we can trust in Him and that’s why God is trustworthy. God’s commandments and the moral part of the law, which originates from His nature and reveals His will, are still valid.
We are not saved by our works, we are saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. But as soon as we become sons of God, deur wedergeboorte in Christus, we shall no longer live after the flesh, maar na die Gees. Dit beteken, that we will walk in His commandments, doing His will.
Deur Jesus Christus, we have become God’s sons and God has become our Father.
As sons of God, we ought to please God, instead of pleasing ourselves and people.
But why is it, that so many times, we do our best to please people and to win people for ourselves and be accepted by the people? Because we are afraid of rejection. We are afraid of losing them or that they won’t like us.
Wel, it is better to lose a person, than to lose God and His favor. It’s better to be denied by friends, family members, colleagues, Kennisse, ens. than to be denied by Jesus Christ.
We should love our God, with all our heart, verstand, siel, en krag, above everything and everyone else. It is the first commandment, which God and Jesus gave us.
Leaving God’s commandments
If we don’t obey and keep His commandments, we shall walk in iniquity and sin. When we walk after the flesh in iniquity and sin, we show that we don’t love God. You can say that you love God, but your actions speak louder than words. Your actions will prove if you really love God or not.
If you don’t love God, you can’t love your fellow-man, because the real love of God is not present in your life.
That’s why the love of many shall wax cold. Because many people left God and left His commandments.
They do what pleases them and walk according to their own will, begeertes, and desires instead of God’s commandments.
Jesus sê: He that has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, en Ek sal hom liefhê, en sal Myself aan hom openbaar (John 14:21)
If you keep My commandments, jy sal in My liefde bly; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, en bly in Sy liefde (John 15:10)
As long as you keep His commandments, you will stay in His love. When we look at the commandments of God and the commandments of Jesus, we see thatThe commandments of Jesus are exactly the same as the commandments of God, because Jesus did the will of His Father on earth. As 'n saak van die feit, Jesus even gave us more commandments and sharpened the commandments of God.
When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that Jesus only wanted one thing and that was to do the will of His Father. Jesus totally surrendered and submitted Himself and His will to His Father’s will.
If we want to follow Jesus, we should follow His example. We should do the same andcrucify our own will and surrender and submit ourselves to Him. We should ask ourselves: what does Jesus want me to do? Do I live in His will? Do I really walk in His commandments? (Lees ook: ‘Om Jesus te volg sal jou alles kos‘ en ‘Hoe weet jy of Christus in jou is?')
Keeping God’s commandments
When we walk in His commandments, we will stay and walk in His love. When we stay and walk in His love, then we shall bear the fruit of love.
We shall be longsuffering, we shall be kind, we shall not envy, we shall not vaunt, not be puffed up, not behave unseemlily, not seek ourselves, not be provoked, not think evil, we shall not rejoice in iniquity but rejoice in the truth.
We shall bear all things, we shall believe all things, we shall hope all things, we shall endure all things and we shall keep the commandments of Jesus.
When we don’t keep His commandments, we will not keep His (geestelike) law and therefore we shall walk in lawlessness (iniquity) en sonde.
Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: want die sonde is die oortreding van die wet (1 John 3:4)
In the last days, die liefde van baie sal koud word
If we do not keep His commandments, we sin. Remember, what we sow in the flesh, we shall also reap of the flesh, and love is not a fruit of the flesh. Therefore if we remain carnal and walk after the flesh, the love of God shall not be present in our lives and the love of many shall wax cold.
Jesus commanded us to endure till the end. We should keep walking in His commandments and not depart from them, nie eers 'n bietjie nie, sodat die love of God shall abound in our lives until the end. A love that doesn’t compromise with sin, but separates from sin. Let us be on our guard and prevent that the love shall wax cold (Lees ook: The love and the grace of God don’t compromise with sin').
“Wees die sout van die aarde”
