02/22/2021
Freezing Weather…Frozen Hearts by Steve Locklair
Over the last week, temperatures in the Metroplex have dropped and, in the next few days, are expected to plummet further to dangerous, life threatening levels forcing many to say indoors trying to safe and warm with the potential loss of power. Just like the freezing temperatures can leave us feeling depressed, discouraged, and down in the dumps, the same thing can happen to us spiritually. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:12, “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold”. Our love for the Lord may have been hot at one time when we were joyfully obeying His word but may have cooled when we started suffering persecution for the cause of Christ; experienced trials or health concerns; or enduring with the fear, anxiety, and isolation during this Pandemic. This may have caused us to wonder why our prayers haven’t been answered and led to us becoming bitter as the wind, biting in your demeanor, and frigid in all your relationships with others. Are you allowing your love to grow cold in your relationships to others?
Don’t Let Your Love Grow Cold for Your Spouse.
Don’t give them the “cold shoulder treatment” (which may lead to the forbidden fruit of adultery- Proverbs 5:15-20; 6:20-35; 7:10ff) but instead love them as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:1-2, 25:33; Colossians 3:17-19). During this Pandemic you may have to be spending a lot more time at home with your spouse which can lead to a lot of friction and bitterness if let unresolved. We should be the one who tries to seek reconciliation instead of retaliation with whatever issue is causing a problem in our relationship. This means you will have to humble your pride, repent of your sins when necessary, confess your wrongs, forgive, be quick to listen, slow to speak, have your anger under control, and pray that it might be resolved. It is amazing how many times that when you take the initiative that your spouse will respond with the right attitude and a penitent heart for any wrong they may have committed. Are you letting your love grow cold for your spouse or is your love still boiling over with enthusiasm for your fellow heir in the grace of life?
Don’t Let Your Love Grow Cold for the Church.
Jesus Christ never let His love grow cold for the church! As a matter of fact, He suffered, bled and died for it having purchased it with His own blood. He is the Savior of the body, the Head of the church, and the church is His bride. Those who have obeyed the gospel are our brothers and sisters in Christ as we are kin through His precious blood. Since we have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead, we should be boiling over with love for our brethren (1 Peter 1:3, 22-25). We should worship our God together with joy stimulating one another toward love and good deeds toward that heavenly goal and not forsake our assembling together with our spiritual family (Hebrews 10:23-25). But sadly there are many Christians who have allowed their fire for the church to go out because they have not worshiped with their brethren during the Pandemic. We can help to encourage the weak, strengthen the fainthearted, restore the fallen back to their first love, and rekindle that love which we had when we first became a Christian (1 Thessalonians 5:14; Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20; Revelation 2:5). All people will know that you are His disciples by your love for one another (John 13:34-35). Are you letting your love grow cold for the church or are you still loving one another fervently from the heart?
Don’t Let your Love Grow Cold for the Lost Sinner.
Jesus never let His love grow cold for sinners which not only includes the “cold blooded murderers” who had him crucified and let a murderer go free instead of Him but also each every one of us for we have all sinned and have separated ourselves from God. Let us imitate His example of love and take advantage of the opportunities we all have to plant the seed of the gospel to our friends, neighbors, loved ones, classmates, coworkers and God will give the increase to those who have good and honest hearts (2 Timothy 2:24-26; Colossians 4:2-6; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Are you letting your love grow cold for the lost sinner because of persecution or are you still praying and planting the gospel wherever you are going?
We can all make excuses if our love has grown cold towards our spouse, the church, and the lost but we will be held accountable for our words and deeds in the Judgment Day (2 Cor. 5:10). Think about Jesus when He came into the world. He always obeyed His Heavenly Father, taught the truth, healed the sick, raised the dead, rebuked the religious elite, and came to save sinners and how did they respond? They challenged, rebelled, mocked, had him scourged, and allowed a murderer to go free and crucified Him in cold blood. But how did Jesus respond to them? He had the power to destroy them but instead, He prayed for them to be saved (Luke 23:34) and they were given the opportunity 50 days later when those who were convicted that they crucified the Son, repented and were baptized in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of all of their sins (Acts 2:36-41). Jesus never allowed His love to grow cold for the and we must not either if we want to go to heaven!
