THEME: BRINGING THE NATIONS BACK TO CHRIST (JEREMIAH 29:14) 

PREAMBLE  

PEACE BE UNTO YOU! 

Hello, people of God, we are on a mission of gathering creation back to God—the Creator —through Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Saviour, Redeemer, Restorer, and Judge. Jesus Christ is the King of Glory and Governor of the nations. He comes soon for the glorious march, celebrating our redemption and reward for glorious works and righteous, and faithful service with him. As we all know, the Church’s mission in the nations is a battle; the vineyard is a battlefield.  The Church is engaged in contending with spirits and men—principalities and powers that have held the human race and rest of creation under dominion, oppression, and captivity.  We are, indeed, not fighting with flesh and blood. The Church follows Jesus Christ in holy garments of war, bearing the Cross and Godly armour, weapons, and all.  

First, we ‘lock horns’ with Sin, Satan, and Death with the Gospel of Salvation, Redemption, Reconciliation, and Restoration. 

Second, we battle human weakness, fear, and prejudices, as well as the works and systems of darkness, evil, and wickedness.  We confront the combined forces of man’s corruptibility and mortality and the state and/or condition of futility to bring hope and joy into human affairs. 

Third, the Church delivers peoples, families, towns, villages, and cities, communities, tribes, nations, and creation as a whole—from “Satan-man” reigning and ruling power systems, structures of abomination, oppression, dominion, kingdoms, and thrones. 

Essentially, the Church is engaged in battles to redeem peoples, nations, and creation from satanic rebellion, man’s disobedience, and Satan-man alliance in the rejection of God, His Law, Commandments, Light, and Way, above all—the knowledge of Him and His dominion and Kingdom on earth. Yes, it is the ruling spirit of rebellion, disobedience, and rejection of God the creator in human affairs that is behind the spirit of lawlessness in the nations.  Indeed, the secret power behind lawlessness is Satan’s spirit of rebellion and works of darkness. 

In the world today, Satan’s rebellion against God—His supreme and sovereign reign and rule, and His Kingdom and His Throne—have been mounted as a galloping horse, drawn in fury and destructive fire against man and creation.  He knows that his days are numbered. As the scriptures declare, it is Satan’s spirit of rebellion against God that led him to seduce Eve and deceive Adam to disobey the commandment of God in the Garden of Eden. This is the seed of and beginning of lawlessness on earth.  

Since that fall, Satan and man have formed an alliance to reject God, His knowledge, reign, and rule on earth. Together, they have combined to establish their own reign and rule and kingdom, under the overall supervision and control of Satan the devil.  Indeed, men have taken side with Satan to dismantle and render irrelevant the war between the serpent and the seed of Eve (Genesis 3) 

 

CHRIST INTERVENTION AND CHURCH MISSION 

The ‘Satan-man’ state of war set in place by God as an escape route to dismantle the Satan-man alliance in rebellion and disobedience—is the backbone of Christ’s intervention and Church’s mission in human affairs. Christ has come to reconcile men and creation with God, to save from sin, Satan, and death, to set captive free and establish His Government and Kingdom for Godly Order, Righteous, Reign, and Rule and the Kingdom of God on earth. Hence, Church mission is a battle cry and victory trumpet signifying Christ’s Victory over the serpent.  This is followed by transformation and rise of A NEW THING and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.   

The Divine invitation to the people and nations of the earth is not only to reject the Satan-man alliance in rebellion and disobedience against God  and dismantle the kingdoms thereof, but also to accept Jesus Christ as Son of the Living God, Saviour, Redeemer, and Messiah for the establishment of peace, righteousness, and joy in the godly order and Kingdom of God on earth.  

The Gospel of Jesus Christ brings the glad tidings of news of Divine heavenly proposition of reconciliation, salvation, and redemption, and God kingdom order and His reign and rule on earth. This understandably is deemed an affront by Satan and wicked men, principalities, and powers that dictate the affairs of the nations and run the systems and kingdoms of the world. It is this that the Psalmist laments about in Psalm Two saying: “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The Kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:1-3 NKJV) 

It goes without saying that Satan’s rebellion and man’s disobedience and the combined effect of Satan-man alliance to rebel against and reject God and His Heavenly Kingdom Order  in Worship and Submission to God’s supremacy and sovereignty in obedience to His Will, Law, and commandments and observance of His Truth, Light, and Way in the nations on earth is the secret power behind lawlessness from the beginning to-date. 

The politico-economic arrangements to maintain the rebellion against God are unacceptable to God, hence, the need of take-over and transformation by Christ and His Church. Thus, it is true to say that the regime of rebellion and disobedience championed by Satan and men in alliance is the factor that has created a state of LAWLESSNESS with its diverse manifestations and ramifications on earth. 

Lucifer and his angelic/demonic hosts, working in collaboration with disobedient and wicked men opposed to Godly Rule and Kingdom on earth, are behind the mystery of lawlessness in the nations. It is this Mystery of Lawlessness that is the focus of our deliberation this hour, under the topic: THE WORKS OF THE SECRET POWERS OF LAWLESSNESS IN TO-DAYS’ WORLD (2Thessalonians 2:7) 

 

INTRODUCTION 

The topic dwells on “the works of the secret powers of lawlessness not the secret powers themselves.”  Second the topic is calling attention to works of lawlessness in today’s world. The apparent reason is that the spirit of rebellion and disobedience and the systems, structures, and institutions of lawlessness on earth have dated way back from the Garden of Eden, right from the serpent –Eve encounter (Genesis Three). 

Having already drawn attention to the secret powers of lawlessness, we will discuss the works of Lawlessness under three sub-topics: 

 i. The Background spirit nature and mystery of lawlessness on earth 

ii. The Manifestations and Ramifications of Lawlessness on earth 

iii. The works of lawlessness in today’s world. 

We must emphasize once again that Lucifer (Satan) is the spirit –power behind lawlessness in the world. He is the father of lies and the author of deception, rebellion, and disobedience.  Again, Satan is the champion of the rejection of God—His Will, Law, Commandments, and Knowledge, and His heavenly order on earth. 

There is this mystery, however, how Satan manages to sow the seed of rebellion and disobedience, discord, and lawlessness in people, in society, and in nations. The truth is that Satan first succeeded in beguiling Eve and Adam. That opened the door of deceit and disobedience into the human soul-spirit and human system. He succeeds therefore, in deceiving, manipulating, and calling peoples and nations to reject God and submit to him as God, thereby, unconsciously accepting his reign and rule on earth. It is quite obvious the satanic underpinning of the spiritual, political, social, and cultural order in the nations.  The demonic controlled African tradition, culture, and rulership is a clear reference point. 

The second point of the mystery is that Satan is able to trace the inner weakness, frailties, fears, the aspirations, and desires of spirits and men. He operates in that realm to force people(s) into bondages and /or enlist them in his abomination and diabolical works against God and men. 

Third, Satan is endowed with higher spiritual powers than men. These he uses to coerce, manipulate, seduce, and make people victims of the spirit of lawlessness. He can cause wars, strife, confusion, disease, and all to coerce people under his rule (Isaiah 14). It is this subtlety of Satan—his mysterious working power to seduce and manipulate people into lawlessness that the Spirit of God has brought to attention through the Apostle Paul in 2nd Thessalonians chapter Two. The above constitute part of the mechanism of the spirit and secret powers of the mystery of lawlessness on earth. 

 

THE BACKGROUND SPIRIT NATURE AND MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS ON EARTH 

The background to the mystery of lawlessness as we have stated is the working power of the deceptive, manipulative, and coercive power of Satan. Lucifer as an archangel is of a spirit nature and power above fellow angels and man. It is this Spirit- Power Nature that he used in a crafty and subtle way to deceive other angels in heaven, Eve, and Adam in the Garden of Eden and the human race as a whole since.  

The spiritual craftiness and subtlety of Satan is the basic weapon and mechanism by which Lucifer has sown the seed of rebellion, deception, and lawlessness. From the human perspective therefore the seed of sin—i.e. transgression against the law of God—into the human spirit nature and being, through the craftiness and subtlety of Satan via the serpent is the Backbone of Lawlessness.   

Lawlessness is by definition, therefore the product of man’s sinful nature.  In psychological terms, we can talk of Lawlessness as an expression of the inborn spirit power of sin, the sinful nature of man that is. Of course, the root of the inborn spirit of sin (this disobedience of God and transgression of the Law of GOD) is the desire of man to be ‘God,’ to be God of himself and to himself, and God to the rest of creation assigned to him by the creator. 

The desire to be God, to be an independent, autonomous, self-motivator, self-asserting, self-indulgent, self-pleasing, self-gratification, and self-glorification—breeds the spirit of disobedience and lawlessness. Lawlessness makes nonsense of laws, rules, regulations, law, and order. The desire to be God, to worship self, and to please self-breaks down authority and power, obedience, righteousness, and justice in the world. This is the root cause of wars and rumors of wars.  Everyone indeed wants of be God. 

 

THE MANIFESTATION AND RAMIFICATION OF LAWLESSNESS 

From the foregoing, we can discern the manifestation and ramifications of lawlessness essentially, lawlessness is the mounting and exaltation of self as ‘God,’ before the creator, before spirits and powers, before men and creation. This is the foundational manifestation of lawlessness. The consciousness of self and the desire and works to exalt, promote, and extol self is the second realm of the manifestation of lawlessness. The truth is that lawlessness breeds unrighteousness, injustice, evil, and wickedness in society. This is the basic manifestation of lawlessness in the nations (Cain was the first person to exhibit the rejection of God in self-exaltation and self -worship, self-projection, and wickedness). Unrighteous, unjust, and wicked ways in society in their diverse ways create opportunities for diverse manifestations and ramifications of lawlessness. 

In the final analysis selfishness—the embodiment of self-projection, self-gratification, self-worship, and self-glorification breeds pride in its diverse forms. Pride is the height of rejection of God and lawlessness. The scriptures confirm this saying “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). Pride raises the self against submission to God, His will, law, and the knowledge of Him, submission to authority, and power as well. 

 

THE WORKS OF LAWLESSNESS IN TODAY’S WORLD 

These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him; a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6: 16-19 NKJV)  

This scripture acts as a window into the spirit and works of lawlessness in today’s world. Now, the foundational truth and backbone of lawlessness is Man’s desire to be “God”—free from the Creator, free from law, order, and accountability to any higher authority and power of any kind.  Man is supposed to have been born free with inalienable rights to life and liberty, such that God and man, authority and powers have no right to demand submission of will, right to life, and liberty and thus, decisions as to what is good, right, and acceptable to him/her. Each is accountable to himself/herself for his/her life, and thus answerable to no one but himself/herself.  

This is the prime philosophical assumption for order and conduct in today’s world. On this basis hangs Human Rights, Political Power, and Governance, Law, and Order and Conduct in the nations. The fundamental assumption here is that there is no God, no Truth, no Absolute and thus no Divine Right of Kings, nor any ruling knowledge and truth of God. Jesus Christ cannot, therefore, claim to be God and King with authority and binding powers.  

 

We will consider the Works of Lawlessness in this respect from four angles: 

a. The spiritual and social order 

b. The works of darkness and death 

c. The global politico-economic order 

d. The religious order in the nations 

Indeed, Jesus has come precisely to establish a New Heavenly Spiritual and Social Order so the knowledge of God shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 9: 6-7; 42: 1-12; 11:9). 

 

THE WORKS OF DARKNESS AND DEATH (ISAIAH 61: 1-3) 

The spirit of lawlessness has created a spiritual and socio-cultural order of darkness and death in Idolatry, sorcery, witchcraft, wicked works of spirits, demons, cults, blood sacrifices, etc.—are the part of lawlessness, robbery, murder, and destruction. Let us consider for example the socio-cultural phenomena of sex, booze, violence, and war against things that are true, noble, lovely, and just. There is a loss of the sense of morality and decency, the ugly and disorderly, in the arts, particularly in music, drama, dance, dressing code, language, and speech. These and all are works of seduction, and deception in Satan’s arsenal of craftiness and subtlety to bring men under oppression, captivity, and death. As the Bible declares in Isaiah 60, the Church mission is the avenue for the Shinning Forth of the Light of Christ and the Marvelous Light of the Triune God over darkness, evil, and death in the world (Isaiah 60: 1-3; 1st Peter 2: 1-10). 

 

THE GLOBAL POLITICO-ECONOMIC ORDER 

We are not ashamed to state categorically this blessed hour that the global politico-economic order is of satanic dictation, direction, and domination. That the works thereof—  whether at national levels, international, or global levels—are all the product of the Secret Power of Lawlessness, where men assume control over the lives of other people seeking to dictate, direct, and control not only living conditions, the nature and extent of liberty, right to individual natural endowments, and even national assets and wealth, and right to life in general.  Many nations are not free in the global village. 

Essentially, today’s world order is based on philosophies, ideologies, scientific, and social theories that reject and deny GOD, and instead install men as redeemers, emperors, kings, and queens in the world. It is a sad commentary that even Israel, Europe, and America have not merely accepted the satanic kingdom and world order but indeed, have become the advocates, prophets, kingmakers, and royalists in the global politico-economic order of rebellion and the rejection of God.  Jesus Christ bemoaned this and warned about false Christs, false Prophets, and false Teachers in the end times in Matthew 24: 4-15. Lawlessness abounds in the politico-economic order in particular, and the world order in general. 

 

THE RELIGIOUS ORDER IN THE NATIONS 

We are told in Matthew 24 that because of lawlessness(iniquity) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Furthermore, false Christs and false prophets will arise, performing great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. The religious world therefore is beset, fraught, and bound by “signs and wonders” in an age of risen, human technology, scientific discoveries, human knowledge, scientific advances, discoveries, and technological wonders in meeting challenges and mitigating pain while enhancing pleasure and longevity. Even the church has begun to shift grounds in the rejection of Satan, idolatry, humanism, and false worships, rulers of conduct and life based on the truth of scripture, the sovereignty, and knowledge of God. Philosophical pluralism has hit the church to the extent that there is now “religious pluralism” where the “all is of God” and none bears witness of sole truth and true worship. 

There is now so-called inter-faith movement where Christ Jesus is no more the Saviour, Redeemer, Lord, King and the King of Glory in the world.  We are being told that all religion whether it be the worship of man or the serpent, river or trees, stone or metal, they all are of God the Creator. They all must be given space and respect. This is a blatant denial of God and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, and thus, His reign and rule on earth. This is an open denial of Christ, the Christian faith, and God’s heavenly order on earth.  Let us be aware. 

 

CONCLUSION 

I want to conclude by commenting briefly on the Holy Spirit assertion in 2nd Thessalonians 2: 7. “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” 

Hence, we are told that the Mystery of Lawlessness, as we have discussed, is already at work. The lawlessness and/or iniquity—accompanied by “signs and wonders” mentioned by Jesus Christ in Matthew.24: 24—have already entered the Church deceiving many, even the elect of God. 

The critical problem we face now in Church Missions is that; 

i. We shall seek to know God, and Worship Him in Spirit and Truth 

ii. Bear open and true witness of Christ, believing, proclaiming, and abiding by and defending the Truth of Scripture. 

iii. Crown Jesus Christ as Saviour, Redeemer, King of Glory, and Governor in the nations. 

We should be aware of the spirit foundation and mystery of lawlessness, knowing that sin, Satan, and death have been vanquished by Christ. That in the final analysis the church mission battle against Satan, the serpent, and wicked man has been won. The Kingdom of God is here. Hence the end-time mission in today’s world is TO GATHER CREATION BACK TO VICTORIOUS CHRIST, THE KING OF GLORY.  AMEN!! 

 

SEPTEMBER 5-11, 2011