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LAWLESSNESS IS NOT PLEASING TO GOD...
The word INIQUITY is used throughout all the scriptures. The KJV is
the version which we have used, but a brother in the Lord quoted many
scriptures out of his New King James version that replaced the word
INIQUITY with the word LAWLESSNESS. This brought on an intense study to
find out exactly what the word INIQUITY means...
The Strong's Concordance states the following Old Testament
definition:
Hebrew 5771: perversity, evil; fault, mischief, punishment, sin.
This definition doesn't talk about lawlessness. It simply means sin.
But wait, the New Testament meaning for iniquity has a very different
meaning:
Greek, 458: Illegality; violation of law; transgression of law;
unrighteousness.
Greek 93: Legal injustice; wrongfulness of character, life or act;
iniquity...
Again, we are under the NEW covenant of grace through Christ Jesus.
But by grace do we no longer obey God? God forbid. The scriptures
caution us against this and also prophecy that this gospel of
disobedience will grow as we near His return:
Matthew 24:11-13 "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
decieve many, And because iniquity (Lawlessness) shall abound, the love
of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end shall be
saved."
One of the most sobering scriptures is the following:
Luke 13:23... "Then said one unto him, Lord, are there FEW that
be saved? And he said unto them, 'Strive to enter in at the strait gate;
for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door,
and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door saying, Lord,
Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not
whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in
thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I
tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me all ye workers of
iniquity (Lawlessness).'"
This scripture is so very distinct in the reason as to why they could
not enter in. They professed Him, but they still did not obey God's
Word.
2 Timothy 2:19 "Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let
every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
(Lawlessness)
We are to depart iniquity. When you depart something you are to leave
it. Did you know that when something is departed it is dead? When one
gives reference of one being departed this means that one has died. So
should we be towards sin. We are alive in Christ and dead to sin!
Romans 6:16-19 "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin
unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that
ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form
of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye
became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men
because of the infirmity of your flesh; for as ye have yielded your
members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so
now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."
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THE OPPOSITE OF LAWLESSNESS IS OBEDIENCE.
John 14:15-21 "If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will
pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may
abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him;
for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Yet a little while, and
the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me; because I live, ye shall live
also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me,
and I in you. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is
that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I
will love Him, and will manifest Myself to him."
Obedience to the Father and His Word comes down to the point of
loving God. As Jesus asked the disciple, so we must direct that question
to ourselves, "Do you love me?... Do you love ME?... DO YOU LOVE
ME...?"
An amazing study revealed that there are over 2000+ commandments in
the New Testament alone. Through His Spirit, we are to set our hearts to
obey them.
We all have seen true legalism at work. We have seen those who try to
impose man-made rules upon brethren rather than those from Scripture.
There is such a thing as legalism in a very negative sense, but we must
be awake and alert to not allow those who try to find excuses not to
obey the Word of God claim that obedience is legalism.
We cannot work our way into heaven. We are only saved through our
believing in our Lord and Saviour. But when we believe and have faith in
Christ, our faith will have fruit. We will be filled with good works.
Today in our religious culture, the word "works" is almost
something one must whisper. We are admonished not to good works but to
be careful that we are not working to "be Good". Oh, but how
blessed it is to have another saint urge us on towards good works... To
have just one who encourages others on towards a walk of obedience
through God's Holy Spirit...
In the world there are many people who look at Christianity and
wonder if it could really make a difference in their lives. As we raise
our children to be the next generation of vessels to be used of the
Lord, we must teach them that Christianity is not just words, not just
head knowledge, but is a lifestyle. A CHANGED lifestyle. Many sad and
hurting people need to be given the HOPE of the Gospel which is that of
SALVATION. When the world sees Christians as being no different from
themselves, where is the hope? Where is the lifechanging example that we
ought to be showing?
By just having a gospel that is spoken rather than lived we
demonstrate to the world and all heaven that the Gospel REALLY doesn't
work. Only when we LIVE lives that are different from the world do we
offer any HOPE! Hope that Christ DOES overcome the world.
The way that we show the world we are different is by living obedient
lives unto God's Holy Word. By being living examples just as our Lord
was. If we do not follow His ways, how can we show the world the truth
that He is indeed greater who lives in us than he that is in the world!
2 Peter 2:21 "For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ
also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his
steps."
Let us follow Jesus. In our hearts, in our souls and in our minds.
Let us being examples to our children that the Gospel truly makes us
different from the world. We must not forget our true citizenship which
is in heaven. We are aliens, sojourners here, and let us not become too
comfortable as we live in the world. We have been commanded to not be OF
the world. And if the world labels us wrongly as "legalists"
because we truly are simply trying to obey our Lord's teachings,
remember the Words: "Yea, and all that will live Godly in Christ
Jesus SHALL suffer persecution..." 2 Timothy 3:12.
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