What is lawlessness? Generally speaking it is
not keeping the law: driving 45 in a 40 MPH zone is lawlessness; taking
something that does not belong to you and that you do not have permission to
take is lawlessness; telling a little white lie is lawlessness; as you study
the definitions and scriptures below you’ll see that lawlessness is simply
disobedience. We divide it into two groups, minor and major or what we do and
what others do! But, JESUS says it keeps people out of His Eternal Kingdom of
Heaven! JESUS said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
GOD and mammon (Lit., in Aram., riches).
Matthew 6:21,24 NKJV
Here is the scary part, in Matthew 7:21-23 JESUS
is talking to believers who have been doing mighty miracles, but He says they practice
lawlessness and cannot enter into His Kingdom. How are prophesying in His Name,
casting out demons in His Name and doing wonders in His Name lawlessness? He
answers that in verses 24-29 (24, 26) “Therefore whoever hears these saying of
Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a Rock:
But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be
like a foolish man who built his house on the sand (world):” So how is the group
in verse 24 not the people in verse 22? They seem to be doing what Jesus said!
Well, they could be like the people in Matthew 23 where Jesus is chastening the
religious leaders of the Jewish people. Or they could be like Simon the sorcerer
that was converted but had not yet been discipled (Acts 8); some Christians
never get discipled or they get discipled into something that GOD did not call
them to.
In Matthew 6 JESUS teaches us that we must seek
first the Kingdom of GOD and His righteousness and pray to do the Will of the
Father in the earth as it is in Heaven. In John 10 JESUS teaches us that we
must be connected to Him if we are to be productive in the Father’s Kingdom; in
John 13 JESUS teaches us that we have to love one another; in John 15 JESUS
teaches us that we must hear and obey His voice; in John 14 and 16 JESUS
teaches us about His Spirit, the HOLY SPIRIT who will come and teach us about
JESUS; in John 17 JESUS teaches and prays that we will be in unity with Him and
the Father as He and the Father are in unity.
Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14
about the gifts of GOD for His people and in Galatians 5 he reminds us what
Jesus taught about unity in His Body, then he contrasts the fruit of the flesh
and the Fruit of the SPIRIT. In Romans 11 Paul reminds us that GOD has given
each person a gift and a calling, from our mother’s womb (Psalm 139), and they
are eternal.
This is where many Christians get messed up, we
seek to do the works of GOD that we want rather than what He has ordained for
us. Most Christians are not doing what GOD wants them to do where they are,
many are not where GOD wants them to be and some want to be something that GOD
has not called or gifted them to be. All of these situations make us lawless or
a law unto ourself. Many Christians are not taught or discipled to find out
what GOD called them to be therefore many just waste their life doing virtually
nothing at all except going to Church meetings regularly and giving money
(tithing) because that is all they’ve been taught. Many Christians don’t know how
to hear the voice of GOD and do not know that He has a plan for their life.
Every Christian is called to have a personal
relationship with GOD the Father. How do we do that (John 12:44-50, 17:1-3)? By
having a personal relationship with His Son JESUS (John 1:12, 3:16). How do we
do that (John 14:1-6)? By His HOLY SPIRIT that lives in every Born Again
Christian (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 6:11-18, Ephesians 4:30) and by
His written Word the Bible (Joshua 1:8-9, Psalm 119, Matthew 7:24-29, 2 Timothy
3:14-17, Revelation 1:1-3, 22:12-21)!
Remember Christianity is not a religion but a
personal relationship with GOD Almighty, the creator of everything that exists;
the One who formed us from the dust of the earth and breathed His breath of
Life into us making us a living spirit. GOD gave us procreation to continue the
creation and the parameters (marriage of one man and one woman) for that; and
Salvation to restore us to the Father’s Eternal Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 9:56, John
1:12, 3:16-21, 6:37-40).
Remember Faith is Trust, having faith in GOD
means that we trust GOD. To trust GOD or anyone we have to know them,
understand what they are about and how we fit into their world. As we grow and
mature, as we are taught and discipled we will know GOD more personally and
deeply which will lead to a greater relationship and a lawful obedience to His
will and purpose for us.
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities
of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1 KJV “We then who are
strong ought to bear the scruples (weaknesses)
of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1 NKJV “Now may the GOD of
Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing, that you may abound in Hope
by the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT.” Romans 15:13 NKJV “May GOD, the source of
Hope, fill you completely with Shalom
as you continue trusting, so that by the Power of the Ruach HaKodesh you may overflow with Hope.” Romans 15:13 CJB Oswald
Chambers said of Romans 15:1, “Intercession leaves you completely and entirely indentified
with GOD’s interests in others lives.”
It seems to be and can be hard to be yielded to
GOD so that we only do what He shows and tells us like JESUS did, “For I have
come down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the
will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may
have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:38-40
NKJV And His most famous prayer, “He went a little farther and fell on His face,
and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39 NKJV, study 26:39-44,
Luke 22:39-44. If we are not doing the will of GOD then we are lawless.
“JESUS answered ‘The first of all the commandments
is: Hear, O Israel, the LORD our GOD,
the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, with
all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the
first commandment. And the second, like it,
is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other
commandment greater than these.” In Matthew Jesus is quoted as saying, “On
these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Mark 12:29-31 NKJV,
Matthew 22:34-40 NKJV This is the Will of GOD and to not fulfill these two
commandments is lawlessness.
JESUS told us to, “Enter by the narrow gate; for
wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are
many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which
leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:12-14 NKJV Why do few
find the narrow gate and difficult way, because few are looking for it; most of
us are happy to be on the wide and easy way. But when GOD finds us and takes us
from the way of destruction and puts us on the way to life if we do not stick
to the difficult way then we will become lawless.
Lawlessness is not an accident it is a series of
choices which are either purposeful or from being lazy and comfortable! That is
what happened to me, I chose how I would serve GOD and that led to rebellion
and backsliding. When I repented GOD put me back on the straight and narrow and
showed me what I did not know and now I try to be obedient to the will of GOD
for me.
Matthew 7:21-23 (23) “And then will I profess
unto them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.’” KJV “And
then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness (Strong’s Gk. 458).’” “Then I will tell them to their faces, ‘I
never knew you! Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’” CJB – Psalm 6:8-10
(8) “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity (Strong’s Heb. 205); for the
LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.” KJV “Depart from me, all you workers
of iniquity; for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.” NKJV “Get away
from me, all you workers of evil! For ADONAI has heard the sound of my weeping.”
CJB
Matthew 23:1-36 (28) “Even so ye also outwardly
appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (Strong’s
Gk. 458).” KJV “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside
you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” NKJV “Likewise, you appear to
people from the outside to be good and honest, but inwardly you are full of
hypocrisy and far from Torah.” CJB
Hebrews 1:8-9 (9) “Thou has loved righteousness,
and hated iniquity; therefore GOD, even Thy GOD, hath anointed Thee with the
Oil of Gladness above Thy fellows.” KJV “You have loved righteousness and hated
lawlessness (Strong’s Gk. 458); therefore GOD, Your GOD has anointed You with
the Oil of Gladness more than Your companions.” NKJV “You have loved righteousness
and hated wickedness, therefore O GOD, Your GOD has anointed You with the Oil
of Joy in preference to Your companions.” CJB – Psalm 45:6-7 (7) “Thou lovest
righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore GOD , Thy GOD, hath anointed Thee
with the Oil of Gladness above Thy fellows.” KJV “You love righteousness and
hate wickedness; therefore GOD, Your GOD, has anointed You with the Oil of
Gladness more that Your companions.” NKJV “You have loved righteousness and
hated wickedness, therefore GOD, Your GOD, has anointed You with the Oil of Joy
in preference to Your companions.” CJB
Romans 14:23 “But he who doubts is condemned if
he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” NKJV Hebrews
11:6 “But without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for he who
comes to GOD must believe that He is, and that
He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” NKJV Study the whole
chapter.
Study these scriptures on what lawlessness
actually is; Psalm 81:8-16, Romans 1:18-2:29, 14, Galatians 5:19-26, Ephesians 4:1-5:21,
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 1 Timothy 1:8-11.
Hebrew [Strong’s
205] ’aven aw’-ven; from an unused
root perh. mean, prop. To pant (hence
to exert oneself, usually in vain; to
come to naught; strictly nothingness; also trouble, vanity, wickedness; spec. an idol;–affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners
(-ing), naught, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, vain, vanity, wicked (-ness) Comp.
869
Greek
[Strong’s 458] avopia anomia, an-om-ee’-ah; from 459; illegality, i.e. violation of law or (gen.) wickedness;–iniquity, X transgress (-ion
of) the law, unrighteous-ness.
