2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.
Did you hear about the two Las Vegas teens who videotaped themselves mowing down a retired policeman riding his bicycle? When arrested, they showed no remorse, admitting they did it for fun. In fact, they bragged they’d be out of jail within 30 days.
We’re all familiar with the “smash and grab” crime sprees across the country. If you live in California, you don’t even get charged with a felony unless you steal $950 worth of merchandise. At least the Golden State is reducing its prison population! Yet crime increases (so does despair and misery).
Lawlessness.
Scripture says in the last days lawlessness will flood the world. And in fact, the spirit of lawlessness is already at work. Paul equates the coming of the lawless one with Satanic activity. Activity marked by deception (2 Thes. 2:9-10). So with an increase in lawlessness, we should expect to see a rise in deceit.
And what better place for Satan to weave his treacherous tapestry of deception than with distortions about the source of truth itself: God.
Many today are embracing a progressive form of Christianity that basically strips God of holiness. And without holiness, all standards of right and wrong vanish. Who needs Jesus to save us from our sins when sin exists in the eye of the beholder? We set our own standards and create a God in our image rather than us created in His. God becomes who we want him to be.
A God without holiness.
I believe this distortion of God lies at the root of lawlessness. It doesn’t take long for a lack of holiness to devolve into the unholy chaos erupting around the world. As humans, we have an uncanny ability to justify about anything. And that includes dismissing a holy God who holds us accountable via consequences.
It’s time we get back to a holy God. Theologian R.C. Sproul writes, “The Bible doesn’t say that God is mercy, mercy, mercy or love, love, love or justice, justice, justice or wrath, wrath, wrath, but that He is holy, holy, holy.” God’s essence is holiness.
So in the midst of an irreverent, lawless, anything-goes world, let’s stay rooted in the truth. Let’s take responsibility when we mess up and bow in deepest reverence to our holy God.
Let’s cry, Holy, holy, holy!