p. 8 | LOVE WAXING COLD

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 5, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 23.

LOVE WAXING COLD.

This is what the Master declares will be a characteristic of the last days. “And because iniquity [lawlessness, disregard of law] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24:12, 13. The abounding lawlessness is everywhere manifest not less so are the evidences of love waxing cold in the courts of Zion. Here is an instance, one among many, which we take from the Christian Advocate of May 9:—

“Literal Description of a Certain Methodist Church.

“A Methodist church has not far from 300 members; it is beautifully located amidst an intelligent population, and on pleasant Sundays quite well attended. But seldom is the voice of any member under forty years of age heard in the weekly prayer-meeting, nor do more than three below that age take active interest in the church, and these are perhaps twenty-five or twenty-eight years of age. The young men of the congregation seldom attend the morning service, and not many of them attend the evening service. Even in the social assemblies and entertainments of the church, the workers are generally women in middle life. Yet the community swarms with young people, many of whom are worthy of high admiration, seem to love and desire to know the truth, and to be willing to do right, but the church is not reaching them. Unless there is a speedy change, that church is doomed to disintegration. Within fifteen, or at most twenty, years the leaders and workers will be disqualified or dead. None are ready, or becoming ready, to take their places.

“What is the matter? Life never brings forth the fruits of death. Death is decomposition; life is construction. Most of the people seem content while they find the pastor pleasant company; and not more than one pastor has appeared to have any burden on his heart. Yet no church where the pastor and the people are growing in grace, anxious for the wisdom that winneth souls, can be in such a state. Nor can a spiritual pastor and an unspiritual people long be on happy terms, nor a spiritual people long bear the incubus of a careless pastor, however popular he may be in the outside community.”

It is in no spirit of criticism that we repeat these things. Would God there was the same power among Methodists now that was seen in the days of the Wesleys. But these stern facts are sad facts which point out sad conditions. A dying Christianity can not even help the world. A love waxing cold will not beget love or win the world-loving. The church needs reforming; but the reforming power must be the transforming power of Christ’s life received not from error-perverted traditions or dead creeds, but from the living Word of God, regardless of creeds. God’s message of transformation is Rev. 14:6-12.