{"id":45066,"date":"2020-11-21T21:16:06","date_gmt":"2020-11-21T18:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=45066"},"modified":"2025-05-09T12:32:42","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T09:32:42","slug":"45066","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2020\/11\/21\/45066\/","title":{"rendered":"YOUR LOVE GROWN COLD?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, let us reflect on a prophetic warning that speaks directly to the time we are living in\u2014a spiritual condition that Jesus said would mark the days leading up to His return.<\/p>\n

The Prophecy of Fading Love<\/h3>\n

In Matthew 24:12 (ESV)<\/strong>, Jesus gives a sobering warning:<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This statement is part of Jesus\u2019 teaching on the end times, also known as the Olivet Discourse<\/strong> (Matthew 24\u201325). He outlines various signs of His imminent return, and among them is this heartbreaking condition: the cooling of love in the hearts of many.<\/p>\n

What kind of love is this? While it certainly includes love between people, a deeper look into Scripture shows that the primary love being lost is the love for God Himself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Understanding \u201cFirst Love\u201d<\/h3>\n

To understand what Jesus means, we must look at what the Bible calls the \u201cfirst and greatest commandment.\u201d<\/strong> When asked about the most important law, Jesus responded in Mark 12:29\u201330 (ESV):<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important is, \u2018Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
\nAnd you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And the second is like it:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.\u201d<\/em> (Mark 12:31, ESV<\/strong>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here, we see a clear priority:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Love for God<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Love for others<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So, when Jesus says \u201cthe love of many will grow cold,\u201d He\u2019s primarily referring to our love for God<\/strong>\u2014which should be wholehearted, passionate, and enduring.<\/p>\n

    Who Are \u201cThe Many\u201d?<\/h3>\n

    This warning is not about unbelievers. As Romans 8:7 (ESV)<\/strong> says:<\/p>\n

    \u201cFor the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God\u2019s law; indeed, it cannot.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    The world does not love God by nature. Therefore, Jesus is referring to professing believers<\/strong>\u2014those who once followed Him, prayed, studied Scripture, served, and worshipped with zeal. These are Christians who, over time, allow sin, distractions, and spiritual laziness to erode their relationship with God.<\/p>\n

    This is what theologians call spiritual apathy<\/strong> or lukewarmness<\/strong>, which Jesus directly rebukes in Revelation 3:15\u201316 (ESV)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    \u201cI know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
    \nSo, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    The Church That Left Its First Love<\/h3>\n

    This issue is also addressed in Revelation 2:2\u20135 (ESV)<\/strong>, where Jesus speaks to the church in Ephesus:<\/p>\n

    \u201cI know your works, your toil and your patient endurance… But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
    \nRemember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Jesus praises their perseverance and doctrinal purity, but rebukes them for leaving their \u201cfirst love\u201d<\/strong>\u2014again, their love for Him.<\/p>\n

    He gives them a way back:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Remember<\/strong> where you fell from.<\/li>\n
    2. Repent<\/strong> sincerely.<\/li>\n
    3. Return<\/strong> to doing what you once did when your heart was on fire for God.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      This three-step call is not just a suggestion\u2014it is a divine command<\/strong> with a warning:<\/p>\n

      \u201cIf not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.\u201d<\/em> (Rev. 2:5)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      The Symbolism of the Lampstand<\/h3>\n

      The lampstand<\/strong> represents the presence, guidance, and spiritual vitality<\/strong> of God in a person\u2019s life, a church, or even a nation. Removing the lampstand means spiritual darkness, confusion, and decline.<\/p>\n

      In the Old Testament, we see how the nation of Israel<\/strong> suffered exile and destruction when they turned away from God. The prophet Jeremiah, for instance, mourns the fall of Jerusalem, which came after years of persistent sin and spiritual rebellion (see Jeremiah 25:4\u201311<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

      How Does Love Grow Cold?<\/h3>\n

      It doesn\u2019t happen all at once. It starts subtly:<\/p>\n