But how is this "abounding iniquity" (gross injustice being present in great quantity - Webster) being manisfested ? Everything that comes to us in the realm of the physical has it's origins in the spiritual. " For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead...." (Romans 1:20) Even so it is with peoples' behaviour. It must first take place in the spiritual, the heart of man, and then we get to see the results in the physical, either in acts of kindness or in acts of hatred.
" But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2Tim3:13) These are the seducers. Those men who have given themselves over to the lust for power and riches have caused, through their abounding iniquity, that the love of many has waxed cold so that people are now living in a state of fear and apprehension (suspicion or fear especially of future evil - Webster) instead of in a state of grace and faith as God intended. It is not the possesion of wealth that is a problem, but it is the lust for it that is. We brought this out as the root cause for this "iniquity", or gross injustices being commited. " For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1Tim 6:10)
The seducers make it so that we are constantly tempted to buy into their world of materialistic fulfillment, and leave off the values of faith and humility and the resultant apostasy is seen in the "love of many waxing (growing) cold" as people strive for material wealth and solace in posessions but finding none, as true fulfillment can only be in the spirit and it is through our making peace with God and accepting His Son's blood that inner peace can be achieved.
Of course, truth is an enemy of the seducers, as is love and consideration for one's neighbour and they will do anything to attempt to destroy that so that their control may reign supreme. Some of these seducers are even so-called christians, not really sincere in their faith but rather just using it as a means to an end. Peter ran into just this sort of thing. " But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of ." (2Peter 2:1-2)
The world in general is heading headlong to destruction as we enter another phase of the period the Bible calls The End Time. Jesus, in Matthew 24, gave a point by point chronological order in which things would develop prior to His return and we are seeing these very things become reality every day before our eyes. Nation against nation, earthquakes, pestillence in divers places ect... all getting more and more numerous as things start to wind down to one last great showdown between the servants of God and the servants of the seducers and decievers. The Bible calls that time The Battle of Armageddon when the worlds of the spiritual and physical clash as one.
The Bible tells us, " Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Gal 6:7-8) Will you "sow" the fruits of the spirit of God, which are, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,meekness, temperance: (Gal 5:22-23) or wil it be that of the seducers which are, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:(Gal 5:19-21) ?
" See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." (Eph 5:15-17)
" For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again ." (Mt 7:2)