Lawlessness

"Lawlessness" has come up frequently in my recent study.  First in Matthew 24, Jesus' prophesy of the last days before His return, when He says "Because lawlessness is increased, the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12).

That sparked my back-of-mind remembrance that the end-time personage we call "anti-Christ" seems to be the one designated "the man of lawlessness" in II Thessalonians 2.

It came up again when I was reading Skye Jethani's chapter "How to Fail the Last Judgement," when Jesus rejects the plea of those who point to their mighty works done in His name, telling them, "...I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23).

With more study, I was reminded that "lawlessness" is I John 3:4's very definition of sin: "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness" (my emphasis).

And John couldn't be more spot-on.  God gave us "the Law:" the religious commandments to the Jews, but also the Spirit's direction in every man's "innermost being."  Any act, word, or thought contrary His Law is, therefore, by definition, "law-lessness."

Understanding what scripture says about lawlessness seems especially critical for Christians in our time, which many of us consider the "last days" Jesus prophesied, and the time "...that man of lawlessness will be revealed..." (II Thessalonians 2:8).

This is also a time when so-called "Evangelicals" have made themselves a solid political "demographic" for a faction whose ways are entirely "lies" and "murder."  Scripture's test whether we hear and understand its words is manifestly for this very time:  "...what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness ?" (I Corinthians 6:14).

Amen.

Amen.

Again: What's Jesus Mean His Followers are "Hypocrites !" ?

"And He was also saying to the crowds, 'When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, "A shower is coming," and so it turns out.  And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, "It will be a hot day," and it turns out that way.  You hypocrites !  You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time ?' "    --  Luke 12:54-56

If He'd wanted, God could have phrased Romans 2:13 and James 1:22-25 in terms of "hypocrisy."  Those scriptures contrast "hearers" and "doers" of God's word: which would be anyone's definition of "hypocrisy."  It was certainly Jesus' definition of hypocrisy in Matthew 23:3.

And any of Jesus' fallible followers are capable such hypocrisy, at a moment's notice.  At Antioch, Paul had to call out Peter for falling into it: and Barnabas as well, Paul's own fellow missionary (Galatians 2:11-13) !

But Jesus only rebuked His followers once for hypocrisy: and it wasn't for failure to do His word.  He could have dinged any of them, any of us, on that score, at virtually any moment.

His unique use of "hypocrisy" on that occasion was about His followers' failure to Spiritually "analyze" the time in which they were living.

That's significant.

It's especially significant for His followers living in these last days before His return.

Amen.

Skye Jethani: How to Fail The Final Judgement

"Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ "

                                                                                                                 --  Matthew 7:22-23

"How could such people--leaders full of power with effective ministries and dynamic preaching, who affirm Jesus' divinity--be excluded from His Kingdom ?  Why would Jesus ever say to such people, 'Away from Me' ?"    --  Skye Jethani, What If Jesus Was Serious ?, p. 163

The Greek word Jesus uses, egnōn, is a tense of γινώσκω, "to know."  Strong's glosses the word as "intimate knowledge."  That's why when the angel tells Mary she's pregnant with The Messiah, she asks how that can possibly be, since she'd never "known a man" (Luke 1:34). 

How does anyone know Jesus (or anyone else, for that matter) ?  Spending time with someone is the only way to intimately know them.

Skye Jethani's doodle for his chapter shows a Christian's check-list.  "Right Theology," "Bold Preaching," "Fights Evil / Injustice," and "Performs Miracles" are all checked "A+."  Only "Communion w/ God" is marked "F."

Jethani titles his check-list "How to Fail The Final Judgement."