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| The perfect storm when lawlessness appears! |
God is
perfect. His is holy and His word is not the problem. Sinful flesh of man is
the problem. And yes, it does stink to the high heavens!
You can see some in high offices today who probably do not really know God, but operate in that situation-oriented, subject to change at a moment notice to suit their fancy toward remaining in their seat of “self” where their position seems to be elevated even higher in their next law making decisions. They seem to speak in an exalted arrogance that points to their great rule and yet if fails miserably with no substance because it has nothing to do with God who is life!
Again this is of the “willful” and disobedient man or woman and can be found in churches as well as in government. They will often dismiss God's laws by claiming that they personally have "spiritual guidance" and have no need of law, or any law. Sometimes they use a misinterpretation of 1 John 2:27 to excuse their lawlessness. 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches concerning all things and is true, and is not a lie and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Abiding in Christ Jesus is by faith in Him and of a
obedience. It is walking in righteousness that reveals a righteous behavior. It
will be of love for others and still bring a correction if required. It is not
just talk but love that has legs that walk out what God gives. It is never about taking advantage of others
in their present condition!
The subject matter is the doctrine of Balaam, and it was the
sins of eating things sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immorality.
Also listed is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
And it is Jesus Christ Who implies these three are the same basic heresy
in different guises. They are three, but still has the heading of ‘antinomian’ teaching that
was affecting the church in Thyatira seen in verses 20 and 21.
Now from that recorded by Moses in Numbers 22-25, 31, we
have Balaam a prophet who was moved by Balak, king of Moab to curse the
Israelites. Yes, this was of course was a job for the prophet. But Balaam
instead blessed the Israelite people. Then the prophet Balaam counsels Balak to
send Moabite and Midianite women into the camp of Israel to seduce the men and
to invite them to the sacrifices of their god seen in (Numbers 25:1-2); and seen also in Numbers 31:16 Look, these
woman caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass
against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the
congregation of the LORD.
These two practices arise in the Jerusalem Council in AD 49.
You find that Paul and Barnabas, with Peter's help, convince the assembled
elders that Gentile converts to Christianity should not be required to be
circumcised and keep the law of Moses, Judaism's rigorous "yoke" of worthless
laws in Acts 15:10.
Given in Acts 15: 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by
putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were
able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Christ we
shall be saved in the same manner as they. 12 Then all the multitude kept
silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and
wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.
Seen here is that James names both the Holy Spirit and human initiative (ours) as factors in what is the council's decision! We must have the divine of the Holy Spirit to guide our human actions.
There was no need to add the law of Moses to faith and test
God! Jesus’ sacrificial death was enough! Acts 15:28-29 For it seemed good to
the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these
necessary things: 29 that you abstain
from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from
sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.
It is obvious that the Council's decree does not exempt Gentiles
from keeping the Ten Commandments, for it is clear from many New Testament
passages that Jesus and the apostles taught them to both Jews and Gentiles seen
in Matthew 19:17-19 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good?
No one is good but One, that is God. But if you want to enter into life, keep
the commandments.” 18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “You shall not
murder; “You shall not commit adultery, “You shall not steal, “You shall not
bear false witness, 19 “Honor your father and your mother, and “You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.” ; and in
Romans 13:9 for the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, “You
shall not murder, “You shall not steal, “You shall not bear false witness, “You
shall not covet and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in
this saying namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 “Love does
no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Ultimately two issues appear, one is idolatry and another is sexual immorality. The conflict
between true Christianity and Hellenistic Gnosticism, and a person's stance on
them exposed and which side he favored.Thus,Nicolaitanism, along with Balaamism are the biblical symbols or representatives of the larger, yes Gnostic, antinomian influence on Christianity.
One thing is certain, and that is Jesus’ admonitions in Revelation
2 indicate highly that this antinomian influence will remain until His return.
He gives warnings to both Pergamos and to Thyatira. “ Repent, or else I will come to you quickly
and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. . . . But to you I say,
and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have
not known the depths of Satan [another allusion to antinomianism], as they call
them, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I
come. (verses 16, 24-25)
Jesus gives warning of the concern about the antinomian
spirit, that attitude of lawlessness of which allows sins to infest the church
at large. When members of the church
teach and practice that they are not obliged to keep the laws of God, sin will
inevitably break out vigorously. Under
this occurrence, then Christians are no longer under grace but under the
penalty of the law and the wrath of the Judge (Romans 6:11-23) also seen in Hebrews 10:26-31.
Hebrews 10:26-31 NKJV
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries
. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of
two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much
worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled
the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was
sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him
who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord, And again, “the LORD will judge His people.” 31 It is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Matthew
24:11-12 Jesus spoke: “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And
because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
What will happen to such lawless people? Jesus Himself
answers: Matthew 7:22-23 NKJV 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!"
Those who practice lawlessness will not be with Jesus. They will be in another place.
The true disciples hear and obey. They are not frightened by His voice or His
leading. The confirmed are those who have a consistent life that is characterized
by righteous behavior. Here
in Matthew 7:22-23 we see those who
never knew Jesus and He did not know them. Their lawlessness takes the meaning
of deeds of lawlessness; they are characterized as living lives by wrongdoing
constantly!
I refer back to 1 John 2:27……But the anointing which you
received from him is remaining in you, and you have no need for anyone to be
teaching you except as his anointing is teaching you about all things, and is
true and is no lie. According as you have taught it, remain in him.
We remain in Jesus, led by the Spirit of God: Holy Spirit. He
gives us the ability to discern between truth and error. We must have the Holy
Spirit. He reveals good and evil. We are to learn what God has given. He requires
no one to teach HIM, He is God. But we certainly require His wisdom to live out
this day without going astray! We must hear His message, the gospel of Grace,
and walk through each day by faith in Him!
Remember, we have been warned by Jesus in the book of
Revelation! Pay attention to how He looks and what He speaks and then obey!
New teaching at: Voice of Prayer
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