Lawlessness 2

Lawlessness

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.