Mystery #10 mystery of lawlessness (disobedience or with disregard of God’s law)

2 Thessalonians 2:7

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work only he who now restrains (holds back that day) 

will do so until he is taken out of the way then the lawless one will be revealed.”

 

Introduction:

 

This idea of lawlessness is that those who keep the law will be the first fruits and will go in the rapture to be taken out of the way before the man of lawlessness (the anti Christ) reveals himself.

This mystery of lawlessness is the fact that the law abiding family members will not have to take part of the lawless time of judgement. 

 

Only those who are not not lawless will be taken in the rapture before the age of Tribulation is revealed. Paul already told this message in 1 Thessalonians. Satan has deceived the church into a lifestyle of lawlessness….yet it is the grace that Christ gives us to renounce lawlessness. 

 

The first example of lawlessness was when Moses brought down the ten commandments and the Israelites were worshipping an idol. It was the Levites that sided with Moses and were used as an instrument of death to the families that worshipped the idol.

 

The same pattern of lawlessness is seen in Christ….he came to fulfill the law (Romans 3:31 and 8:4) within us. By faith in Christ in following Him as our Lord and continuing in the faith and loving Him back through obeying His commands we are told that at the end of our journey we will receive the Promised Land which is our day of rest….1000 years reigning with Christ. The mystery of lawlessness is that we are in the same wilderness journey and the lawless One is trying to take us captive and keep us from finishing the race. Esau did not remain faithful and he lost his inheritance, the Israelites did not remain faithful and they lost their inheritance. We don’t want to lose ours!

 

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works…For this is the will of God, your sanctification…That no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who had also given us His Holy Spirit. He gave us His Holy Spirit for the process of sanctification.”

 

Conclusion:

 

We need to focus on the acts of faithfulness that the Israelites taught us what NOT TO DO. To worship, obey and trust the Word of God.

 

(See Key to Good Works; Key to Agape Love)