The Mystery Of Lawlessness

by H. Darke, Vancouver, B.C. | Category: The Mysteries | Aug 1960

(Mystery, in the Scriptures, denotes that which is only known through revelation to those taught of the Holy Spirit).

As many readers will know, the title of this article is taken from the 2nd epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 7. It is not intended herein to deal specifically with the aspect of the subject referred to in that portion by the apostle. Nevertheless as one of the twelve articles to appear during the year on the subject of the various Mysteries it will be found to fill its place appropriately in the series.

A long view is taken in the article of the evil machinations of Satan who is the source of all lawlessness and whose true character has been given to us clearly by the Lord Jesus Himself. His varied ways of deceitful working with his ultimate overthrow and his eternal doom in the Lake of Fire are fully revealed in the New Testament Scriptures.

The apostle John in 1 John 3.4 instructs us that every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness and sin is lawlessness." To be lawless means not to be subject to law. It belongs to the same family as iniquity, wickedness, darkness, transgression, unrighteousness, evil, error, disobedience and self-will. It was so rampant in the days of Noah that it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth" (Genesis 6.6), and His judgement by the flood was universal, righteous Noah and his family alone being saved.

In the days of Abraham lawlessness again brought from heaven the wrath of God, this time against Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the Plain (Genesis 19), only righteous Lot and his family being delivered from the fire and brimstone. The ultimate end of lawlessness will be destruction at the hand of God.

Peter tells us that the world of Noah,

"being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens that now are, and the earth ... have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men" (2 Peter 3.6, 7).

It is a mistake to think that lawlessness is restricted to unbelievers, for there is ample evidence in the Scriptures to show that men who were characteristically godly could at times yield to the temptation of Satan and commit acts of a lawless nature.

David is one such example, and one of the least expected, seeing he was a man after God's heart. When he plotted the death of Uriah, and took Bathsheba to wife (2 Samuel 12), he was asked by Nathan the prophet, Wherefore hast thou despised the word of the LORD?" (verse 9), and heard the judgement " therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised Me" (verse 10). Bathsheba's child died despite David's pleadings (How could God

answer David any other way?), and Israel's king was humbled by God's judgements. In Psalm 51 he cried,

According to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin " (verses 1, 2).

This act of David cost the life of one soul, but later he was moved by Satan to number Israel (1 Chronicles 21), and this led to the death of 70,000 men (2 Samuel 24.15). God was so displeased with David's action that He sent a pestilence upon Israel with the resultant heavy death roll. Again David confessed,

"I have sinned greatly ... I have done very foolishly"

(1 Chronicles 21.8),

but we cannot close our eyes to the seriousness of David acting without divine authority.

What shall we say of Dathan and Abiram, who acted presumptuously and in self-will? Their jealousy and murmuring against Moses led to open rebellion in the camp of Israel (Numbers 16). God's judgement was swift, in the earth swallowing them up. This presumptuous character was true also of King Saul, who ignored the command of God and substituted his own will. He was told to utterly destroy Amalek and all that they have, and spare them not" (1 Samuel 15), but he flagrantly defied the word of God and spared Agag, the king, and the best of the sheep and the oxen. Saul's intentions might have been good, but his act was one of flagrant disobedience to the will of God. "He is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments," said the LORD to Samuel (verse 11). God's judgement was to take the throne from Saul and to say to him, "The LORD ... hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou," for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king."

What a serious thing it is to act without authority as did Dathan and Abiram! Serious to disobey the word of God as Saul did! One important lesson to be learned by all believers from the foregoing examples is that lawlessness in any of its forms is abhorrent to God and must be judged by Him. Another lesson is that the word of God is supreme and must be obeyed. When describing the true character of Satan (the originator of lawlessness) the Lord Jesus said,

"He that is of God heareth the words of God" (John 8.47), and again,

Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it"

(Luke 11.28).

This wise counsel comes from One who lived by the word of God and did always the things which pleased His Father, "who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2.22). He was the perfect Son and the pattern Servant, and to us He says, "Come ye after Me."

Lawlessness first reared its ugly head long before this earth and its inhabitants were created. It originated with Satan who was not content to be the anointed cherub, but he endeavoured to wrest the very throne from the Most High Himself. Ezekiel says of Satan at the time of this great catastrophe,

"Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee ... thou hast sinned: ...0 covering cherub,... Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty" (Ezekiel 28.18.19).

Isaiah tells us

"How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 day star, son of the morning!"

And thou saidst in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation ... I will ascend above the heights of the clouds ; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell" (Isaiah 14.12-15).

Oh, the arrogance and self-will of Lucifer! In the pride of his heart he thought he knew better than the Eternal One, and could displace Him, but God's judgement was swift, and Satan was cast out from His presence. The Lord Jesus, who witnessed these dramatic events, told His disciples, " I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven" (Luke 10.18).

Having failed in heaven, Satan was determined to succeed on earth, and when he entered the garden of Eden he was successful in getting Adam and Eve to disregard the word of God and substitute their own wills. "Yea, hath God said," was the subtle doubt he placed in the mind of the woman (Genesis 3.1); "ye shall not surely die," was the lie which deceived her into disobeying God's command. The door was opened to sin with all its consequences, and from that time Satan's great endeavour has been to blind and deafen the unsaved to the wonders of the gospel, and the redeemed to a full knowledge of God's truth.

Although nearly 6,000 years have rolled by, Satan can look with some satisfaction on his success of keeping children of God from carrying out "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20.27). He has striven to get believers to think and act for themselves, to the exclusion of God's will, with resulting division and great confusion. This tendency first revealed itself in a collective way at the tower of Babel (Genesis 11), and there we have the first example of the meaning of " a sect" (to self-choose). God's mind was not sought and men "said one to another, let us make brick ... let us build ... let us make us a name ...

This is a grim reminder of the originator of lawlessness who said, I will ... I will ... I will...." So man built according to his own plan, using the substitutes of brick for stone and slime for mortar, but God was displeased and confounded their efforts. The name of the place was called Babel (confusion).

How different things could be for God's children today, if only they would deal with Satan as the Lord Jesus did at the time of His temptation (Matthew 4)! Thrice He quoted the sacred writings, and with those memorable words, "It is written," He put to flight the powerful adversary with the all-powerful word of God. This was His sole authority. So the clarion call goes out to all believers, " Back to the word of God," for that is where we can find out how to carry out God's will, and that is how we can frustrate the adversary in his efforts to bring about continued confusion and disunity.

We plead for a return to the " old paths," to the law and to the testimony" (Isaiah 8.20). What we shall find there is the revealed will of God for every believer, set forth in a clear, simple pattern. For, as with Israel of old, God has a divine dwelling-place for His people today. Please notice the way God led Israel, step by step, before they became His gathered-out worshipping people. Saved from judgement by the blood of the paschal lamb, they were separated from Egypt, brought through the Red Sea, guided across the desert sands to Mount Sinai, where they were sprinkled with the blood of the covenant (this was different from the blood of the paschal lamb), and they pledged themselves that what the LORD had spoken they would do and be obedient (Exodus 24).

They were now ready to build a house for God, to be a holy nation, a holy priesthood, and a peculiar treasure unto the LORD. God has His counterpart in the present dispensation for all who are prepared to follow the direct steps He has set out: salvation, separation, baptism, sanctification unto obedience. God commenced this dispensation with the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and as the result of Peter's preaching, 3,000 were added to the first church of God, which was planted at Jerusalem. How did it come about? We are told in Acts 2.41, 42 (R.V.M.),

"They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and in fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers."

This was and still is the divine pattern for all churches of God, builded together to form a house for God (Ephesians 2.21). It is clear from Peter's first epistle, for example, that God's dwelling-place today consists of those who have been sanctified "of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1.2); and as living stones (there are no substitutes as at Babel) they are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices " (2. 5). They are also an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession" ... called out of darkness (error) into His marvellous light (2.9).

How far have you followed these steps, dear reader? There is no confusion here; no man-made directions; no self-choosing, but a clear, direct God-given plan which He longs to see carried out by all those whom He has redeemed. Anything that is built contrary to this must constitute a flagrant defiance of God's will, namely lawlessness.

H. Darke, Vancouver, B.C. | Aug 1960
The Mysteries