Uncovering the mystery of lawlessness!

When reading the words in Esther chapter 3 verse 8 which Haman the enemy of the Jews spoke to the Persian King Ahasuerus, I was immediately filed in awe. These are the words spoken by him to the king and I quote them for you. “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s,and they do not keep the king’s laws, therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.” Amazing isn’t it? The enemy of the people of God said to the king that their laws are different from all other people and that they did not keep the laws of the earthly king. This was said by an Agagite who was seeking homage from one man named Mordeccai the Jew and because he was refused to be honored by him he became the enemy of all the Jews.

Ofcource what grabbed my attention in this contexts is not the person of Haman or his wicked schemes, but that which he spoke about the whole nation of the Jews. I assume he has had interrogated many others besides Mordeccai and had seen a common truth being lived out among them all. First of all he was speaking of their law being so much different from all other people’s law, making them a very peculiar people. Also that they were scattered and dispersed among many people. Another sign of God’s divine election which spoke of His sovereign choice of placing them among the gentiles, also that they were worshipper of another God, with principals much different and higher from the rest of the people. This gave me the inspiration to preach tonight’s message, which is about the mystery of lawlessness. A word completely in season for the times we live in. About a secret spiritual enticement still at work in our midst.

The greatest amazing truth was that the Jews really possessed a different status before the Lord in having received the law and the promises. Though they were scattered among the nations, but were beloved by God for the sake of their forefathers. (Romans11:28) But the most amazing of all was that they were recognized by it with their neighboring nations and not only those they were living according to the profession of their faith. Just as Mordeccai who did not bow down to Haman I trust the rest of them were doers of the law and not hearers only. Ofcource I do not say they were keeping the law perfectly, but their life styles spoke of their faith being so much different than the rest of their neighbors.

This awesome testimony of the Jews troubled the prideful Haman to provoke him to seek their complete destruction. What really amazes me is the spiritual climate of the world that still continues to hate them, while they do not continue living the same way in general.

The Jews although beloved for their forefather’s sake are not all true believers in the heart Paul says, and neither are they keeping with their law as in the times of queen Esther. Israel after the flesh today is very secular at large doing all the abominations of the gentile nations. Some of the orthodox Jews are involved in kabala and other depraved teachings and very few are kept pure in observing their law. Yet some have been redeemed by the Lord to know their Messiah, however all of this does not speak of their righteous standing before the Lord our God. Yes they just like us are positionally accounted as righteous by faith in Jesus the Messiah, yet just like us it is the observance or the obedience of our faith that gives us that privileged position in Him.

The bride of Christ “Jews and gentiles” both alike are facing the same danger today. We as the majority have lost our good testimony in the world. Our neighboring nations do not see in us the same thing Haman saw then. Why?

The reason is because we both face the same threat of increased lawlessness. In Haman’s time the Jews had a very good testimony before their neighboring nations. They were a people with a different set of laws and their conduct witnessed their profession. What about today? The Body of Messiah Yeshua “Christ Jesus” is losing her ground among her neighboring nations very fast. The Christians do not even know the law of their God, in majority they live just like their unbelieving neighbors. Satan has softened the message of Christ to make it very pleasing to the Church. The law of His grace has been reduced to a license for immorality & evil things in the name of a counterfeit love. Compromised relationships speak of the life choices of many in the body of Christ. The thing that is tolerated in the name of Christian tolerance is abominable. This one new man consisted of Jews and gentiles is no different from the none regenerated men all around us. Their principals in life are no different than ours and no sign of virtue is almost left.

The lawlessness of the world around us has increased and secretly has made its way in the Church of Jesus Christ. You might ask how? Through its members. Yes the Church is the people. What you and I allow to enter in our daily lives soon has entered the Church. There was a time where Paul the Apostle could write about the increase of the Lawlessness in the world, but soon it turned its course and crept into the Church unnoticed. Nothing surprises us anymore. Many things which once used to be considered sin for us now are very normal or at its best now we call it a mistake. The gatherings of the believers has become very much times of entertainment of the flesh. Our conversations and ideas and even our friendships are very casual and secular. Godless chats and times of gossip have replaced itself with times of prayers and Bible studies. Our morals had declined to the lowest ever in all times. Oh yes we have lost our good testimony overall by living compromised lives.

The word of God says in 2^nd Thessalonians 

 “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7) This was a warning to the Church that had existed in the times of Paul in the first century; can you imagine the measure of it in our lives today? And the problem as I said is no longer in the world, but that it has reached us the Church of Jesus Christ. Oh yes it still remains as a mystery, because it makes its way to us in many subtle ways. The lawlessness of the land coming to us in abundance of sin has made the love of many to grow cold as the scripture says.

These are realities that set the stage for the coming of the “Lawless One”. The world would be perfectly ready for him when he appears. In the same letter to the Thessalonian Church Paul says they rejected Him who came in His father’s name, but would embrace him who comes in his own.

Now the question remains in his appearing to whom would you and I belong to? The harlot church that is seating on the beast coming out of the sea of this world by conforming to its image or the pure virgin of Christ? Which testimony would we possess before all men and God? Do the people around us confess that we are different from the rest in our resemblance of Him or not? Here is the question, because lawlessness has its mystery, especially in penetrating in the lives of the believing community. Yes the scripture says the restrainer is restraining its full manifestation, but are we co-operating with this retraining power in combating to remain unspotted by the adversary? Are you aware that while professing to be wise we could be found fools in the hands of a cruel enemy? Are you watching your ways to avoid all of his pitfalls? In the parable of the 10 virgins 50% were found to be fools, what about us?

Many of us in reading the scriptures like the 2^nd letter of Apostle Paul to the Thessalonian Church rejoice in the hope of Christ’s second coming. We enjoy Bible prophecy and the turns of the events happening all around us. Things that speak of the times we live in. We have a great interest in the prophetic events taking place in our lives, but most important question remains to be this. On whose camp would we end up to be? Look at the picture above. There are two distinct groups here. One joyfully waiting for the redemption of their bodies at the appearing of their Savior and Redeemer, and another group fearful and awe stricken from the terror of His sudden return. What makes this distinction is not only their faith in Him neither is their perfect doctrine, but how they were living their lives at the time of His second coming.

Living a life of utter lawlessness while professing to be Christians is nothing but a life contrary to our profession of faith. It is a life based on the fallen nature attained from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Its outlook on life is from the fruit of the unregenerate life of an unredeemed person. There is no conformity in it to the image and the likeness of Christ. It is totally governed by the sensual and demonic and worldly principals of this life. Having rejected Christ it only caters to the appetites of the flesh. I would say it has even embraced a reverse conformity to the lawless nature of an unredeemed man. Its origin starts or goes back to the fall and it totally has not embraced the redemption promised in genesis 3:15. These are the ones who are being prepared to embrace their false messiah, the “Lawless one”.

Now where do you want us to be? The world is going to embrace her own. What about us?