The Lure of Lawlessness

" But, of course, what mattered most of all was my deep-seated hatred of authority, my monstrous individualism, my lawlessness.  No word in my vocabulary expressed deeper hatred than the word interference.  But Christianity placed at the centre what seemed to me a transcendental interferer.  If its picture were true then no sort of 'treaty with reality' could ever be possible.  There was no region even in the innermost depth of one's soul ( nay, there least of all which one could surround with a barbed wire fence and guard with a notice ' no admittance'.)  And that was what I wanted; some area, however small, of which I could say to all other beings, 'This is my business and mine only'."
                                                                                                                                      C.S. Lewis



     In our society, it is more normal to rebel than it is to submit.  Especially to the boundaries and standards established for us by the authority and will of God.  Lawlessness abounds and the trajectory for more lawlessness is increasing.

     We do not have to search at all to find examples of this lawlessness: crime rates are increasing, drug use is increasing, terror attacks are increasing, destructive riots are increasing, mass shootings are increasing, as are the legalization of previously illegal activities.  We have people in positions of authority that are re-writing laws and even historical occurrences.  The Supreme Court is now known for ignoring the true intent and meaning of our Constitution.  And, the worst part of all, is that we are losing religious liberties and monuments with every passing day.

     There are two Greek words in the Bible used for modern society: Kosmos and Aion.  The word kosmos means " the present world order". When the Bible uses this word it means that this world is not submitted to the righteous government of God.  It is an order that is completely in rebellion against God.

     The word aion means " an age". It is a measurement of time.  This Greek word gives us the English word eon.  God's kingdom calendar consists of ages that follow one another.  The strongest phrase in the Bible is " forever and ever", which means "to the ages of ages".  ( ex. 1 Chronicles 29:10 and Revelation 22:5).

     God's Word tells us that this age will one day come to an end.  It is God's purpose, through the cross, to deliver us from this present evil age.  Here is the way it appears in the book of Galatians:
" [Christ] gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age." ( Galatians 1:4).

     The more dysfunctional our society becomes, the easier it is to point fingers at the plethora of injustices we see. But, if we only focus on the societal aspect of lawlessness, we lose the message that God would speak to us individually.  The apostle, John, explains, " Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness ( the breaking, violating of God's law by transgression or neglect- being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will)."
 ( 1 John 3:4).

     The Greek word anomia is the word used for lawlessness.  It means " a condition of being without the law because of ignorance of it or because of violating it."  It means not submitting to the law or the authority of God.

     At this point, it would be easy to assume that lawlessness only comes from people who do not know Christ.  But this assumption is false.  Jesus tells us the following parable:
" A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.  At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'
But they all alike began to make excuses.  The first said, ' I have just bought a field and I must go and see it.  Please excuse me.'
Another said, ' I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out.  Please excuse me.'
Still another said, ' I just got married, so I can't come.'
The servant came back and reported this to his master.  Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ' Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame..'
'Sir', the servant said, ' what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
Then the master told his servant, ' Go out into the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.  I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"  ( Luke 14:16-23).

     This is a very sobering parable because this parable is about the Church.  Jesus is the servant and He is extending invitations to the marriage supper of the Lamb.  None of the original people invited were doing anything overtly sinful but their priorities were skewed.  They cared more about what they were doing than about obeying divine authority.

     These were not people who questioned the status of their salvation.  And yet, it was questionable.  Without submission to the Lordship of Christ, we miss the fundamental aspect of Christianity.  Most people decide they will submit only if they agree.   True Biblical submission doesn't even begin until there is disagreement.

     As the apostle Paul wrote, they have " a form of godliness but deny its power".  ( 2 Timothy 3:5).  This is the power that transforms us from being ungodly to godly.  It changes us from unholy to holy. It morphs us from being unthankful to being thankful.  It moves us from being a lover of self to a lover of others.

     The apostle Paul also tells us that " the secret power of lawlessness is already at work" ( 2 Thessalonians 2:7).  In other words, there is a mysterious seduction that lures us to do the bidding of lawlessness.  Deception first worked with Eve in the Garden of Eden, and it is actively at work today.

     The root cause of deception is found in the book of James.  He says, " Be doers of the Word [ obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [ into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. "  ( James 1:22). The reason deception ( lawlessness) will run rampant in the last days is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:10. It says, " they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved."

     The first chapter of Romans shows a downward progression in the deterioration of human character, individually and in society.  Each person is given an opportunity to choose the path of righteousness or choose the path of destruction.  If we continue on the path of destruction, eventually we will be given over to a depraved mind.  The anecdote is to not be ashamed of the Gospel and to choose to submit and honor Him.  Then, our hope becomes secured to the throne of God.

     Psalm 97:2 tells us that " righteousness and justice are the foundation of God's throne."  We must settle it in our hearts that there is no good thing for us outside the authority and will of God.  That must be established as part of the foundation of our existence.

     Our trust cannot be in governments, civilizations, or cultures.  We put our trust in the One who stands above institutions, history, and time- by whose power and permission they exist. We are determined to obey His precepts regardless of the backlash.  This is what will protect us from the seductive lure of lawlessness that fills our land today.


" Because of the increase of wickedness , the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."                                                                                Matthew 24:12-13
                      

Heirs of the Promises

" Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." 
                                                                                                             ( Hebrews 10:35-36)




     There are literally thousands of promises contained in God's Word that are just waiting to be claimed by faith.  Because the Scriptures are inspired by God, every word can be powerful and life changing.  No matter what circumstances we may face, the Bible contains the answers and solutions we seek.  " It is because of His glory and excellence, [that] He has given us great and precious promises." ( 2 Peter 1:4a).

     When we think in terms of a man of great faith, Abraham is the one that easily comes to mind.  When God first spoke to Abram, He said, " Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 
( Genesis 12:1-3).

     God told Abram to do one thing- "Leave"- and in return, God would do eight wonderful things for him. This required Abram to live by the promises of God, as he responded in obedience to the call of God on his life.  These promises paint a portrait for us of the graciousness and goodness of God.

     Abram did have to leave his comfort zone in order to move on to something new that God had in store for him.  The source and the initiator of these promises was God and this is what sustained Abram as he continued to follow God's lead.  Power comes through the channel of grace that releases God's promises.  This is because it is His promises that bring hope when one responds in faith.

     Abram journeyed toward Canaan, though he knew not where he was going.  This required a great deal of faith and trust in God.  The difference between belief and trust is that trust requires a risk.  It is only when we risk something that we can truly see God come through for us! But this is also where the true reward is found.  Charles Spurgeon said, " A little faith will bring your soul to heaven; a great faith will bring heaven to your soul."

     Abram had great faith.  This is defined as " a firm persuasion; a conviction based upon hearing".  In other words, Abram was convinced that what God told him was true and that there was no way God's plans could fail.  He was happy to step out not knowing where he was going because he knew who was going along with him.  Because of this, Abraham is now known as " the father of all who believe,... the father of [those] who also walk in the footsteps of faith,... our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed,... the father of many nations." ( Romans 4:11-12, 17-18).

     Abraham is the father of all who believe God's promises.  As Christ followers, we are grafted into the lineage of Abraham.  We receive God's promises not because we obey God's laws but because we "trust God to keep His promise(s)." ( Romans 4:13).  "That is what the Scriptures mean when they say that God made Abraham the father of many nations.  God will accept all people in every nation who trust God as Abraham did." ( Romans 4:17).

     What God did in Abraham's life was not about Abraham.  It was all about God and His desire to bless His people.  God's desire in all our lives is to engage in a love relationship with us so that as we grow in intimacy with Him, we will also grow in likeness to Him.

     This inevitably means that, at times, our faith will be challenged.  Possessing a strong faith does not mean that doubt will never come to us.  True Biblical faith is one that perseveres even when doubt does arise.

     Endurance is more than just 'doubling down" and believing more.  It is persistence in both trusting and obeying when you cannot see the outcome ahead of you.  This is how we persevere through our doubt.  When disbelief rears its ugly head, we kill it by trusting God and obeying His call on our lives.

     Faith is fluid.  Abraham's faith continued to grow as he continued to walk with God.  "He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing [Isaac] even before it happened.  He was completely sure that God was well able to do anything He promised.  And because of Abraham's faith God forgave his sins and declared him 'not guilty'". ( Romans 4:20-22).

     " Now this wonderful statement- that he was accepted and approved through his faith- wasn't just for Abraham's benefit.  It was for us, too, assuring us that God will accept us in the same way He accepted Abraham- when we believe the promises of God who brought back Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He died for our sins and rose again to make us right with God, filling us with God's goodness."
( Romans 4:23-25).

     Once we are made right in God's sight by faith in His promises, we can have peace because of what Jesus has done for us.  Jesus brings us to the " place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be." ( Romans 5:2).

     Whatever God promises to us will happen.  Let us not for get that " He who promised is faithful". (Hebrews 10:23).  Indeed, " not one word has failed of all His good promise." ( 1 Kings 8:56). Not only is God Faithful but He is also able- there is nothing that He cannot do.   Our job is merely to BELIEVE!!!!


                                         " Let God's promises shine on your problems."
                                                                                     Corrie Ten Boom

Great Expectations!

" The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them."
                                                                             George Bernard Shaw,  Great Expectations



     In Charles Dickens' thirteenth novel, Great Expectations, the author focuses on the life of the main character whose name is Philip Pirrip ( nicknamed Pip).  This orphan, named Pip, could only dream about rising above the humble station of life to which he had been assigned.  After an apprenticeship as a blacksmith, Pip was ultimately able to acquire wealth from an anonymous benefactor to become the gentleman that he desired to be.  His victory was short-lived, however, due to his final disillusionment when he discovers the source of his fortune.  Slowly, Pip realizes the vanity of his false values.

     While this novel is not an autobiography, there are some certain parallels between the life of Pip and the life of Charles Dickens.  When Dickens was only twelve years old, his father was sent away to a debtors prison.  Charles was relegated to work at a blacking factory- chained to a convict!

     Disappointments in love interests were also a commonality.  After Charles married Catherine, more unhappy secrets ensued as Dickens pursued an extramarital affair that ended badly.  After twenty-three years of marriage, Catherine divorced Charles. It was right after his unwanted divorce that Charles penned the words found in Great Expectations.

     Disillusionment probably prevailed as he wrote this novel.  The original ending of his book was so sad that he was counseled to re-write the ending.  Even so, he ended the story ambiguously.  The reader can never be certain if the story ended happily or not.

     A similar biblical story exists to illustrate the pursuit of worldly gain.  Known as the son of the "man after God's own heart", Solomon voraciously pursued both wealth and women.  In the end, he concludes, that if we don't serve God wholeheartedly, "All is futile... utterly futile."  (Ecclesiastes 12:8).

     These examples show us the futility of serving ourselves and our own interests.  They may bring to us a season of enjoyment but they will never fulfill our lives in the way God intended.  And, they will never bear the eternal fruit that will satiate later.  Eternity lasts much longer than our short temporal lives, so wisdom would point to that which is eternal.

     When we allow God to write the story of our lives,  God intends that every circumstance would have significance and relevance.  In fact, He weaves His gold thread of redemption through them all.  The things we prefer to ignore or run from will become the places of God's greatest glory if we allow Him to imprint them with His fingerprints.  Redemption never shines brighter than when God touches, heals, restores, and now bears His reflection.

     Our passions and desires are also gifts given to us from God when they are directed toward His glory.  If it is our own glory we seek, we will be found wanting.  However, when we passionately seek to advance His kingdom there are no limits to what God can and will do in our lives.

     The enemy of our souls wants to bring discouragement and disillusionment through these difficult places of our lives, but God's intent is always victory.  He is in control.  And, when we allow Him access to all, He will be victorious over all darkness and evil that would attempt to loom...

     Hope and faith conjoin to bring forth that victory!  The author of Hebrews tells us, " Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, a conviction of things not seen."  ( Hebrews 11:1).  The Holy Spirit will lead our attitudes and the words we choose, if we allow Him to.

     Biblical hope is a joyful expectation and desire for something good in the future.  Hope is the reason we think our desires may be fulfilled.  It is waking up everyday expecting something good to happen.  It is not wishful or fanciful thinking and it is not finger-crossing.

     Our hope is a necessary part of our biblical faith, which is rooted in trust of our Heavenly Father.  It is a rational sense of certain expectation that is founded on truth.  This results in a knowing and conviction in the promises of God and in His character.  It is grounded in the truth of God's Word and the truth of who He is.  Faith is larger than hope because it is a conviction of those things that are not seen.  Faith is the full assurance of our hope.

     Hope does not waver because it is rooted in the faithfulness of God.  No matter what the circumstances may be, it is impossible for God's faithfulness to fluctuate.  The will and purposes of God are like iron, not chalk.

     Our biblical reality is that the worse our situations and circumstances become, the more likely we are to see God move on our behalf.  Historically, when there were famines, God provided for His people. When there were wars, God gave strategies and delivered His people.  It is not different for us today. We serve a living and active God who is very much involved in the lives of His people!

     Our God is also a "God of hope".  ( Romans 15:13).  Biblical hope has moral certainty because it is never based on what is possible with man.  In fact, it looks away from man and toward the promises of God.  The gospel of Mark tells us that " All things are possible to him who believes."  (Mark 9:23).

     The darker the world becomes, the brighter God will shine His light.  We are a generation uniquely positioned to have great impact.  To do that, we must have great expectations.  Because God is great, " let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."  ( Hebrews 10:22-23).

     Like Abraham, we will inherit God's promises if we do not waver.  The Bible tells us that " This is why Abraham's faith is 'reckoned to him as righteousness.'" ( Romans 4:22).  His faith was strongly confident in the reliability of God's Word; his hope was strongly confident in the fulfillment of God's promise.

     This time, beloved child of God, is not the time for disillusionment or discouragement.  This is the time for strong confidence in God's Word and in the fulfillment of His promises. This is the time to step out in faith and expect for God to meet you in that place.  This is the time for exceedingly great expectations!


                                                "Expect great things from God."
                                                  William Carey, known as "the father of modern missions"

The Truth

" From the liberality which says that everybody is right;
                      From the Charity which forbids us to say that anybody is wrong;
                                       From the Peace which is bought at the expense of Truth--
                                                          May the Good Lord deliver us."
                                                                                                                                 J.C. Ryle




     The conflict between two kingdoms at war within our culture continues to intensify.  What we witness in the natural realm illustrates truths we find in the spiritual realm.  On the one hand, we see the kingdom of darkness, death, and deception is abundantly thriving.  On the other hand, we see the kingdom of light, life, and truth penetrating the darkness.  Each one of us must decide to which kingdom we belong.

     Some people assume that our conflicts today are primarily political.  They are not.  Others assert our struggles are cultural, but this assertion falls short, as well.  The Bible clearly delineates what the issues are today when it states that, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." ( Ephesians 6:12).

     The war is between God and His ways and Satan and his ways.  As followers of Jesus, we are to be fighting alongside Christ.  When we live out the kingdom worldview of Jesus, we are engaging in a spiritual conflict to overthrow satan's kingdom and establish Christ's kingdom in its place.

     Through recent events in our nation, cultural Christianity has been declared "dead".  Suddenly, there is a cost assigned to our faith.  Despite this, it is time for the true believers to rise up and be counted.  The book of Ephesians tell us to "let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]."

     Not with spin and propaganda ( as the world does), but in the way that Jesus exemplified truth in His life on earth.  Jesus was always direct, and never deceptive.  Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Corinth, " We refuse to deal craftily ( to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly).  And so we commend ourselves in the sight and presence of God to every man's conscience."  ( 2 Corinthians 4:2).

     In such a rapidly changing world, some people believe that we should continue to "evolve" in our thinking and change what we believe to be true.  The problem with this reasoning is that truth is not an intangible, nebulous concept.  The Truth is a person.  Jesus said, " I am the way, the truth, and the life."  ( John 18:37).

     Jesus is still a King of a kingdom with a totally different set of basic assumptions- assumptions based in truth, which bring a different set of priorities, values, and behavior patterns.  He told Pilate (just before His crucifixion), " I came to bring truth to the world."  ( John 18:37).

     The problem is, His truth is in stark contrast to the basic assumptions of this present world.  On the very first day of Jesus' public ministry, He began to preach, " Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the kingdom of Heaven is near."  ( Matthew 4:17).

     The truth that Jesus preached was not about power and politics, earthly authority and thrones, or a permanent homeland and occupied territories.  Jesus' truth was about the heart and the sin nature, attitudes and actions, love and relationships.  His message called for a complete transformation of a person's life.  And that life change was radical!

     Jesus' worldview accurately sees what sin and separation from God have done to humans and the natural world.  Believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit can also see and understand these truths.  The apostle Paul explains that "people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit.  It all sounds foolish to them."  1 Corinthians 2:14).

     Even though the kingdom worldview is spiritual in nature, it affects every area of our lives.  It unlocks a very specific way of life, a way of knowing what is true, a picture being what God meant us to be, and the power to live that out based on our relationship with God.  This is what combats darkness, injustice, and evil within the world.  That, in turn, brings solution to the physical, economic, social, moral, ethical and environmental problems of life.

     Someday, there will be an all-pervasive world order established in a new heaven and a new earth where there is no more sin, pain, sorrow, or death.  Until then, we are to be His witnesses, combatants against the spirit of darkness, and the messengers of Jesus' worldview, which is to be lived out for all to see.  This is definitely not the time to shrink back but to " always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but [to] do it courteously and respectfully." ( 1 Peter 3:15b).


                                             "Peace if possible, but truth at any rate."
                                                                                             Martin Luther