Matthew 24:12 tells us one of the characteristics of the last days will be that the “love of many will grow cold”. I don’t know about you, but when I thought of that verse before, I always thought Jesus was talking to those who were outside the Church; those that were in the ‘world’. But of recent days, I have begun to see how this verse may apply to those who are within the Church, or appear to be in the Church.
In the last days, churches will contain both, wheat (the real deal Christians) and tares (pretenders). Within their ranks, there will be those who are ruled and motivated by many things; some by a search for significance, some by a need for control, some by a need for recognition, and some are motivated by love. Jesus said not to try and separate them because only He knows the heart – and if you try to uproot the tares, you may pull up and destroy some wheat with them. But be assured, there is a Church within the church.
Jesus also said that you would ‘know them by their love’ for one another. Yet, this love that is supposed to exist for one another is suspiciously absent in many churches. I’m not talking about congeniality or surface social graces. I’m talking about the kind of love that stands with a brother or sister in the dark hours of trials, even when the reason for the trial may have been self-inflicted.
Today’s Christianity all too often casts aside those who exhibit anything less than perfect performance according to the letter of the law. In the Old Testament, David gave us much to think about in how we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ. David had made far too many mistakes. He had not only made mistakes but also had committed deliberate, treacherous acts of adultery and even murder. He had repeatedly sinned against God and his fellow man – yet he was still God’s chosen leader! Though God chose David and never changed His mind, David’s friends and family had all left him! David’s anguish can be heard in the following verse:
Psalm 142:4 “Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.”
You see, David had a heart that was repentant – many times repentant! God described David as a “man after my own heart”. He had sinned grievously and repeatedly but he had also repented from his heart, with tears and cried out to God not to take His Spirit from him, but to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. He was a God-seeker, though he had given in to his natural desires and even to his rages on many occasions. David appeared to be the epitome of a hypocrite – yet he was anointed of God to lead and defend God’s people!
David was well aware of his own failures and he grieved over them! He hated the weaknesses of his own flesh and despised himself for giving in to them. But one thing he could not and would not do is to deny who he was in God. If there was one thing he was sure about – it was his identity and the anointing that was on his life. God had ordained him in his youth to be a king and a king he would be! Though the world, the flesh, the devil and all of hell had tried to remove David’s God-given purpose, they could not!
Saints of God, the enemy of your soul is after your very identity in these last days! Do you remember when Jesus asked the disciples, “who do you say I am”? Every single religious authority had challenged Jesus’ very identity. In fact, they crucified Him for telling the truth of Who He really was! If those who said they loved him didn’t know who He was, then how could the world be expected to? Only by divine revelation of LOVE can any of us love the other as Jesus commanded.
One of the most devastating and psychologically damaging things that can happen to a person is to take away one’s identity. Sometimes this is done when people are abducted or kidnapped, sometimes when they are abandoned or imprisoned, sometimes when they simply move to a place where nobody knows them. The feeling of being unknown or anonymous is very close to feeling as if you do not exist at all.
As humans, we are relational and if we are normal, our desire is to know others and to be known, i.e. relationships. As spiritual beings, it is even more essential that we are known (intimately) in the recesses of the heart by our fellow followers of Christ. Jesus said, you don’t know ME because you don’t know my Father (referring to God the Father), because if you did know God the Father, you would have known ME! When others challenge your identity in Christ, you would do well to remember how Jesus handled that accusation. And if you challenge the identity in Christ of another, remember who the Accuser is. It is not your place to judge another’s heart – that is reserved for the One Who can.
It’s your job to LOVE one another and encourage each other.
Those who are survivors and champions of life, those who held onto the promises of God though none stood with them, and those who fought the good fight of faith; those who through it all, did not lose their faith or the knowledge of who God had called them to be…. Are worthy of honor and of love and of respect.
Care for someone’s soul today.
