Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 08.02.2010
The Secret of Lawlessness
God's secrets are published in the Bible but only the Holy Spirit can give us power to adopt them. The seed of lawlessness germinates and grows well in the Christian culture.
Open secrets
Many God's secrets are published in the Bible. They have been said there openly and readers understand them intellectually, but they remain secret for their hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can give us power to open our inmost heart for them. If only man opened his heart to listen to the Spirit of Jesus Christ, he would get into the secrets of God.
The gospel of Jesus is a secret and only a repenting sinner gets into it. "Now (be glory) to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began." Ro.16:25
The identity of Jesus Christ is a secret. "When you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." Eph.3:4 Though it is proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the true man and the true God, this remains secret to many. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the understanding to know Him and He doesn't give it to the proud ones.
Also the identity of Antichrist is an open secret. Therefore carnal believers have a wrong understanding about the beasts of the Revelation book. Antichrist is an opposer of Jesus Christ who takes the place of christ to be Christ instead of Christ. "Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2Th.2:4
However he will not be revealed until the secret of lawlessness causes it to happen. This secret worked already in the apostolic congregation. "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. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming." 2Th.2:7-8
God will send Antichrist. Therefore He is the restrainer mentioned, who now is the obstacle in the way of the beast preventing its coming. The fact that many enough have not yet been saved restrains Him from sending this strong delusion. "God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2Th.2:11-12
Many God's secrets are published in the Bible. They have been said there openly and readers understand them intellectually, but they remain secret for their hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can give us power to open our inmost heart for them. If only man opened his heart to listen to the Spirit of Jesus Christ, he would get into the secrets of God.
The gospel of Jesus is a secret and only a repenting sinner gets into it. "Now (be glory) to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began." Ro.16:25
The identity of Jesus Christ is a secret. "When you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." Eph.3:4 Though it is proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the true man and the true God, this remains secret to many. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the understanding to know Him and He doesn't give it to the proud ones.
Also the identity of Antichrist is an open secret. Therefore carnal believers have a wrong understanding about the beasts of the Revelation book. Antichrist is an opposer of Jesus Christ who takes the place of christ to be Christ instead of Christ. "Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2Th.2:4
However he will not be revealed until the secret of lawlessness causes it to happen. This secret worked already in the apostolic congregation. "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. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming." 2Th.2:7-8
God will send Antichrist. Therefore He is the restrainer mentioned, who now is the obstacle in the way of the beast preventing its coming. The fact that many enough have not yet been saved restrains Him from sending this strong delusion. "God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2Th.2:11-12
The seed of lawlessness
The secret of lawlessness is a power trying to bring Antichrist to power. Jesus reveals that there will be a lot of lawlessness at the end times. "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Mt.24:12-13
The gospel causes love to God but lawlessness tries to remove it from believers. Therefore this secret, which has influenced 2000 years in Christianity, is dangerous. It makes backsliders and it is very sad.
If the gospel preaching doesn't bring out that Jesus experienced God's wrath on the cross due to our sins, then seeds of lawlessness are being sowed. God's love to sinners becomes very much weaker, if the reality of God's judgment is kept secret. You get to be saved from God's wrath and not only from a bad conscience! Only this kind of a salvation can warm up your heart to love God.
The fire of God's judgment once flashed on Golgotha. In its ardour the fire of His love will kindle in your heart. This fire burns off your love to unrighteousness and the ground of your heart is prepared for receiving Jesus life.
There is a great temptation to speak only about God's love because listeners who don't regret their sins don't want to be aware of the fact their deeds deserve God's anger. The gospel from which God's holiness is removed has pushed many to make a decision of faith, wanting to use the power of Jesus' blood only as a medicine for remorse. The unholy gospel offers better life in this world and collecting a ticket to heaven, but not the real love to God.
The gospel in the spirit of lawlessness makes self-centered believers who believe in God only in the hope that God would bless their earthly life. They have human love to God because of the blessings they have got but they don't love Him because of His Sacrifice.
Human love to Jesus vanishes in daily trials like morning dew when the sun rises. All who exalt themselves will be humbled. The beast who exalts himself above all will be humbled into the eternal fire.
The gospel is not easy to listen to. "I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man." Ga.1:11 Those who want to make Christians by flattering are easily driven to be agents of Antichrist.
The secret of lawlessness is a power trying to bring Antichrist to power. Jesus reveals that there will be a lot of lawlessness at the end times. "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Mt.24:12-13
The gospel causes love to God but lawlessness tries to remove it from believers. Therefore this secret, which has influenced 2000 years in Christianity, is dangerous. It makes backsliders and it is very sad.
If the gospel preaching doesn't bring out that Jesus experienced God's wrath on the cross due to our sins, then seeds of lawlessness are being sowed. God's love to sinners becomes very much weaker, if the reality of God's judgment is kept secret. You get to be saved from God's wrath and not only from a bad conscience! Only this kind of a salvation can warm up your heart to love God.
The fire of God's judgment once flashed on Golgotha. In its ardour the fire of His love will kindle in your heart. This fire burns off your love to unrighteousness and the ground of your heart is prepared for receiving Jesus life.
There is a great temptation to speak only about God's love because listeners who don't regret their sins don't want to be aware of the fact their deeds deserve God's anger. The gospel from which God's holiness is removed has pushed many to make a decision of faith, wanting to use the power of Jesus' blood only as a medicine for remorse. The unholy gospel offers better life in this world and collecting a ticket to heaven, but not the real love to God.
The gospel in the spirit of lawlessness makes self-centered believers who believe in God only in the hope that God would bless their earthly life. They have human love to God because of the blessings they have got but they don't love Him because of His Sacrifice.
Human love to Jesus vanishes in daily trials like morning dew when the sun rises. All who exalt themselves will be humbled. The beast who exalts himself above all will be humbled into the eternal fire.
The gospel is not easy to listen to. "I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man." Ga.1:11 Those who want to make Christians by flattering are easily driven to be agents of Antichrist.
Have you a share in the secret of lawlessness?
Many are grateful to Jesus for His help and blessings they have received. Do they also thank God for having got away from His anger into His grace? If you don't share this kind of gratefulness, you have a share in the secret of lawlessness.
Everyone who has come to faith enjoys sharing God's love, but if someone shares the influence of lawlessness he lacks the true love to God. A saved person's love to God is a natural consequence of the salvation and not an additional condition of the salvation. "Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1Jo.2:5-6
A believer captivated by lawlessness doesn't want to live according to the teachings of Jesus. He thinks that following Jesus means being under the law and falling from grace. Every believer has heard some teaching of Jesus and rejoiced at being allowed to do as my Loved One says. There is love to God in this attitude: "I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." Ro.7:22 "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." 1Jo.5:3
Maybe you now ask whether you should live according to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount so in order to be saved? If you asked this, it proves that you have a share in the secret of lawlessness. You HAVE a permission to live according to it, because you love Jesus. If you don't love Him, go back and look at His love for you, when He on the cross experienced God's anger instead of you crying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Internalize the gospel to fall in love in Jesus and you will get grace to love God. "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Joh.14:23
Many are grateful to Jesus for His help and blessings they have received. Do they also thank God for having got away from His anger into His grace? If you don't share this kind of gratefulness, you have a share in the secret of lawlessness.
Everyone who has come to faith enjoys sharing God's love, but if someone shares the influence of lawlessness he lacks the true love to God. A saved person's love to God is a natural consequence of the salvation and not an additional condition of the salvation. "Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1Jo.2:5-6
A believer captivated by lawlessness doesn't want to live according to the teachings of Jesus. He thinks that following Jesus means being under the law and falling from grace. Every believer has heard some teaching of Jesus and rejoiced at being allowed to do as my Loved One says. There is love to God in this attitude: "I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." Ro.7:22 "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." 1Jo.5:3
Maybe you now ask whether you should live according to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount so in order to be saved? If you asked this, it proves that you have a share in the secret of lawlessness. You HAVE a permission to live according to it, because you love Jesus. If you don't love Him, go back and look at His love for you, when He on the cross experienced God's anger instead of you crying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Internalize the gospel to fall in love in Jesus and you will get grace to love God. "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Joh.14:23
The Bible version used in references is NKJV