The Mystery of Lawlessness
The Mystery of Lawlessness
Pastor E. Keith Hassell
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
I. Two Lawless Realities
A. The mystery of lawlessness is already at work
B. The lawless one will be revealed
II. What is lawlessness?
A. Webster’s Dictionary: Lawlessness is anarchy: The absence of government; a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority; absence or denial of any authority or established order
B. Lawlessness is living as if there is no
1. Standard (right or wrong)
2. Law (commandment)
3. Accountability
4. Consequence
5. Judgment
6. God
C. Lawlessness is doing what is right in our own eyes
1. Deuteronomy 12:8 (NKJV) “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—”
2. The Days of Noah
a Genesis 6:5 (NKJV) “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
3. The Days of Lot
a 2 Peter 2:4-11 (NKJV) “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.”
4. The Days of Early Israel
a Judges 17:6 (NKJV) “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
D. Sin is lawlessness
1. 1 John 3:4 (NKJV) “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
III. The Lawless One
A. He is also called
1. The man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
2. The son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3) (i.e. “eternal damnation”)
3. The Antichrist (1 John 2:18)
B. He will come at the appointed time (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
C. He will come according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9)
D. He will come with all unrighteous deception among those who perish (2 Thessalonians 2:10)
E. The Lord will consume him with the breath of His mouth and the brightness of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
IV. The Mystery of Lawlessness
A. Mystery: The hidden truth or hidden reality
B. Lawlessness will cause love to grow cold
1. Matthew 24:12 (NKJV) “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
C. Lawlessness will bring great deception
1. Matthew 23:27-28 (NKJV) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
2. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NKJV) “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason 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.”
D. Lawlessness will bring about the great apostasy (falling away)
1. Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
2. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NKJV) “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,”
E. It is dangerous to live by what is right in our own eyes
V. Lawlessness and the Believer
A. Titus 2:11-15 (NKJV) “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. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”
B. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (NKJV) “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’”
VI. Good News for the Lawless!
A. Hebrews 8:12 (NKJV) “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
B. Hebrews 10:16-17 (NKJV) “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’”
C. Romans 4:7-8 (NKJV) “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
VII. Response to the Word
A. Are you living in sin? Then you are living a lawless life.
B. Repent and make Jesus Christ Lord and Savior of your life.