“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matt. 24:12)
A little more than three years ago many men of God would have had cause to dispute the realization of the truth of this verse, it was not because of a desire to not accept the reality of it that caused us to be hesitant in our forthcoming statements since then, it was one of observing and applying the Biblical truth of 1st John 4:1.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
The common man on the street will now profess that indeed iniquity is abounding, there is no doubting this truth today. When iniquity abounds, sin being its rightful name, the people of God are to stand against it, to voice their knowledge of the truths of the Word of God in His response to that sin, but the opposite has occurred in many places, fear has replaced faith.
The truth of this can be seen by the ninety-two percent of the churches that locked their doors, by those who professed to have died to self, wearing a mask to gain some form of protection from the presumed fear, by those who claimed to love their neighbor enough to stay away from them.
“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” (Psalm 91:10)
Was this a sin in their life, did they sin by rolling up their sleeve and receiving what was offered as safety from the supposed fear?
Is fear a sin?
“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” (Prov. 24:10)
Now that the coast is all clear, many who agreed to lock those church doors now hide within its walls, for the next fear is too grievous for them. If they speak out against the myriad points of the new narrative, once again punishment may come upon them.
I watched a Godfearing woman on the television being arrested for praying too close to an abortion clinic, but I did not see hundreds of those who profess to serve the Living God there the next day. I have seen people being arrested for standing up against any number of various sins, but the next day there was not a crowd at those locations professing the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, revealing the iniquity of those in authority.
No, iniquity is abounding, and many of the body of Christ seem to be silent, except for the ever present “Oh Jesus, come back soon!”
Our cause is Christ, our cause is to reach out to the lost, but our cause is also to stand in the evil day.
“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” (Psalm 94:16)
Apparently not those who still fear that some form of standing will cost them something personally. They locked the doors of the church and went into hiding, and if told to do so again, they will.
To live is Christ, when it is safe to do so, to die is gain, as long as it is a peaceful death.
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” (2nd Tim. 2:12)
Real suffering does not seem necessary anymore, just the fear of it seems to be working.
“He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (John 12:25)
I will let you decide, are they brothers and sisters in Christ who have yet to conquer their fears, just as Peter was when he began to sink, or are they offering a form of godliness only when it is safe to do so?
There are nations on this planet where speaking His name will cause you to be placed into prison, where you will be killed for His name being spoken. But it seems as the iniquity is growing, just the fear of that possibility is enough to silence those who will profess the Lord openly only in the confines of the security of their church.
Out in the public though, it’s an entirely different story.
