Signs of the Times (11)

In the last forum on the signs of the times I explained the first part of verse 11 of Matthew 24: “And because iniquity shall abound . . . .”  I want to make just a few more remarks about this statement of our Lord and then comment on the rest of the verse and verse 13: “. . . the love of many shall wax cold.”

 

In the last article I tried to emphasize the point that the false doctrines taught by the false prophets mentioned in verse 10 are in large measure the reason why iniquity increases. No one in his right mind can deny that iniquity is almost daily increasing in our world. The newspaper and the TV news programs are filled with unbelievably horrible and bond-chilling stories of the sins committed by the lower classes of society not only, but by people in power and with money.  Those who believe in evolutionism, teach a social gospel, brag about God’s love for all men, and speak of a kingdom of Christ that is coming on this earth because every day things in the world are getting better. Their motto is, “Every day in every way, we are getter better and better.” You wonder whether people who think this way can be trusted to see anything as to what it truly is. Their rose-colored glasses make even evil look good.

 

But not only is wickedness increasing, but I am convinced that the increase in violent crime is due to all the violence on TV in its programs, and also to video games that make killing the goal of winning a game and murder a delightful pastime. Some children and young people spend hours playing these games and become addicted to murder, mayhem, violence and blood. They cannot at last tell the difference between games and reality. The courts are learning this. One teen-ager, a player of countless video games, told the judge when he was asked why he tortured and shot another person, “For hours and hours my torture and murder of others never did anyone any harm; why should it do harm when I did the same thing last night on the street?” Another young boy answered the question by saying, “I was positive that the guy I killed on Maple St. would get up again. But he didn’t.” And yet another youngster said, “It was so thrilling on my video box that I thought I would try it once in fact.”

 

Too many of our own fellow saints are playing these terrible games in which violence is mixed with sex to produce thrills born in hell.  We who are called to be holy must have nothing to do with these games and TV programs or movies. We open the door of our minds and hearts to Satan and allow him to roam freely in our thoughts and desires.

 

The increase in iniquity is made more terrible, if we translate the text from the Greek more literally. The Greek word, translated in our KJV “iniquity” is really “lawlessness.” The meaning is that lawlessness increases; this term is a term that ought to frighten us. It means, of course, that the laws of government, society and family life are broken and ignored with disdain. There are places in our big cities where even police do not dare to go, except in force; a squadron of police rather than two officers in a cruiser, for the district is under the control of violent and wicked people who pay no attention to any law that anyone makes, other than the law of a revolver or knife.

 

But underneath it all is the terrible fact that God’s law is denied as a rule given by God for mankind to keep at the peril of his soul and everlasting torment in hell. In our land the ten commandments may not even be read or posted or spoken in public; it is a violation, the courts say, of the separation between church and state. These commandments sent by God to be observed are mocked, ignored, hated, banished from schools and courtrooms and said to be hideous and rotten rules devised to restrict man in his pursuit of pleasure. And, as if man wants to add to his sin and thumb his nose at God with a sneer on his  lips, he makes laws that are directly contrary to God’s law and enforces them in the public domain: examples are divorce and remarriage, abortion, homosexuality, prostitution.

 

It is because the law of God is thrown in the slime pit of garbage that Jesus adds: “the love of many shall wax cold.” In a very broad sense this means, of course, that no one has love any more – not for his wife and children, not for his neighbor, not for his fellow man, not for those in government, not for anyone.  You may say, “That’s not true; there is a lot of love in this world.”  And the latest fad in America is to put a sign somewhere on our car, “Love wins.” Some theologians even make universal love the real essence of all religion, chanting what is a mantra of sin, “We must love everybody.” But the fact is that we really love only ourselves and are seeking our welfare only. Sure, we love our wife, but don’t let her get in my way of enjoying myself. We love our neighbor as long as he keeps his nose out of my business. We love our fellow worker as long as he doesn’t interfere with my efforts to get ahead.  I love my husband until some handsome man comes around who pays attention to me. I love my government until it keeps me from doing what I want to do.

 

And, of course underneath it all, we love ourselves so much that we do not love God who warns us about the dangers of sin and the terrible punishments that come on the wicked. We don’t love Him enough to obey him if His demands interfere with our personal desires. We don’t love His Christ, for we really do not appreciate what Christ did for us when He went to hell for us. We don’t love Him enough to serve Him as our King. We don’t love Him enough to understand that if we truly love someone, we obey someone. If we love our parents, we obey them. If we love our God, we obey Him.

 

And the love that waxes cold is, at last, a love that does not love His truth. Yes, we say, of course, I love God, but don’t bother me with His word or with the truth. I haven’t got time in my mad pursuit of good marks and better jobs and more money to read good sound Reformed literature. I haven’t the time to read that which alone can nourish my soul. Oh, I read religious books all right, when I get a chance, but they are the silly, superficial religion of modern evangelicalism or the syrupy romantic tales of religious writers who in the end only curdle one’s blood.

 

If we would be separated from a girl friend or a boy friend for a long period of time, the letters from the one we love are the most important events in our lives. We tear open the envelope and devour the contents and read the letter over and over. If we are asked why a letter is so important to us, our answer is, “I love him/her” But, while we say we love God, we are fundamentally uninterested in His book or in books about Him and His mighty works.

 

There is a chilling verse in II Thessalonians 2:9-12. Let me quote the whole passage. And please, read it over and over again and let the words sink into your soul. “Even him (the Antichrist), whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonder, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send the strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

 

Why does God send people a strong delusion that they believe the lie? Not because they did not know the truth, but because they did not love the truth. That makes us sit up and take notice.

 

We are able to see, are we not, that this sign is taken place in the world (and church) around us?  The big question is: Are these things taking place in our lives? We had better do some strong and honest self-examination, and, if necessary, repent and turn to God.

 

Prof. Hanko.