I roto i a Matiu 24:12-13, Ka mea a Ihu, i mua i tona hokinga mai i nga ra whakamutunga ka matoke te aroha o te tini tangata. The main reason that the love of many shall wax cold is that iniquity shall abound. This is exactly, what we see in our world today, an increase in iniquity.
What does iniquity mean?
Iniquity is translated from the Greek word ‘Anoero‘ (G458 (and comes from G459)) ko te tikanga: legality, ko tena, violation of law or (whānui) pūmanawa: – Tuhinga o mua, X transgress (-ion of) Te Ture, He
If we don’t keep the Law of the Spirit of life; if we don’t obey the words and nga whakahau a Ihu Karaiti but instead do what we want to do and walk after will, lusts and desires of the flesh our love shall wax cold.
We see that the words of Jesus concerning the love that shall wax cold, are being fulfilled in these days.
The decline in moral behavior
When we look at the world, we see a change in moral behavior and the character of people. Most people are selfish and live for themselves and don”t care about other people’s well-being. They aren’t calm, patient and respectful, and submissive towards authorities, but easily irritated and angry and disrespectful, and rebellious and disobedient towards authorities.
I roto i nga whanau maha, we see rebellious children, who don’t love and respect their parents and don’t want to submit to them, but they stand up against their parents and rebel against them.
We see that parents focus on themselves and their careers and own happiness, instead of really being there for their spouse and children and raising their children in the love and fear of the Lord
We see family members that don’t care and look after each other. There are exceptions, but in most families, we see that the love has waxed cold. As soon as someone does something, that oppose the will of the other person, the person becomes 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.
He pukumahi te katoa, doing their own stuff. Kaore he iwi maha, who serve others. Some might think they serve others, but when you look closer, you will find out that they only 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?
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matiu 24:12-13)
How can iniquity enter the life of Christians?
Even in the church iniquity abounds in the lives of people, e kii ana he Karaitiana ratou. Iniquity can enter the life of Christians through:
- Nga Ture teka that teach, hei tauira, a false grace and that it is ok to sin, that you can do whatever you want because you are not under the law anymore but under grace (Roma 6:15).
- Spirit of worldliness
- A life philosophy, which stands for absolute individual freedom (free-spirit)
Te tukanga o te whakatapu
In today’s church, 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.
I roto i nga tini hahi sin is tolerated and accepted. Sin is no longer considered evil but sin is considered normal and part of life.
The terms ‘love of God’ and the ‘grace of God’ are used to make sinning approved.
Na tera, many Christians live in sin and are transgressors of the Law of the Spirit of life. They are seated in darkness instead of the light and are spiritually blind.
When we look at the Bible and look at what God means with love, we can conclude that we have driven far off the truth.
God’s definition of love is so different than our definition of love.
When we say that evil things are good and alright to do and accept them, while God says that they are evil and not alright and oppose His will, then the love of God is not present in our lives.
If we disobey God and 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 belong to Him and don’t know Him and we certainly don’t walk in love, as so many people believe they are.
What is true love?
True love is being obedient to God and keeping His commandments, because you love God with all your heart, wairua, hinengaro, me te kaha. When you obey His words and keep His commandments and do what He says, you please God and show that you love Him through your works.
Many Christians say, that God’s words, commandments and Law are outdated and not valid and applicable anymore. But the people that say this are false Christians. They are not born of God and don’t belong to God and don’t know Him at all.
They are wrong, because the Bible says, that God is the same, inanahi, i tenei ra, a ake ake. Therefore God’s will never change. That’s why God is trustworthy and we can trust in God and His Word. God’s commandments and the moral part of the law, which originates from His nature and reveals His will, he mana tonu.
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 (e pa ana tenei ki nga tane me nga wahine) through faith and regeneration in Christ, we shall no longer live after the flesh, engari i runga i te Wairua.
We shall walk in love and obey the Father and keep His commandments and do His will.
E ratou tama a te Atua, we walk in righteousness and please the Father, instead of walking in sin and pleasing ourselves and our previous father the devil (te papa o te tangata kua hinga)..
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.
Āta noho, it is better to lose a person, than to lose God and His favor. It’s better to be denied by friends, family members, hoa mahi, nga tangata mohio, etc. than to be denied by Jesus Christ.
We should love our God, with all our heart, hinengaro, wairua, me te kaha, 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 words amd commandments.
They do what pleases them and walk according to their own will, hiahia, and desires instead of God’s commandments.
E kī ana a Ihu: Ko te tangata kei a ia aku whakahau, ka pupuri ratou, Ko ia te aroha ki ahau: ko te tangata e aroha ana ki ahau, e aroha ana ki toku papa, a ka aroha ahau ki a ia, a ka whakaaturia e ahau ki a ia (Hone 14:21)
If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love; Ka rite ki taku pupuri i nga whakahau a toku Matua, ka noho ki tana aroha (Hone 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 that the commandents of Jesus are exactly the same as the commandments of God, because Jesus did the will of His Father on earth. Ka rite ki te mea pono, 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 the Father. Jesus fully 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 and crucify 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?
Te haapa'oraa i te mau faaueraa a te Atua
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 unseemly, 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 (wairua) law and therefore we shall walk in lawlessness (Tuhinga o mua) me te hara.
Ko te tangata e mea ana i te hara, he takahi tana i te ture: he takahi hoki te hara i te ture
1 Hone 3:4
In the last days, the love of many shall wax cold
If we do not keep His commandments, we sin. Kia mahara, 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, e kore e iti noa, so that the 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 (Panuitia hoki: The love and the grace of God don’t compromise with sin').
“Hei tote mo te whenua”
