GOD’S DIRECT COVERING
“THE SECRET POWER OF LAWLESSNESS”
LESSON: TWO
I: Jesus said, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Matt 24:4
A. Deception is a scary thing: Why?
a. When a person is deceived, they believe with all their heart that they are right when, in reality, they are wrong.
1. When the disciples asked Jesus about His return, Jesus warned His disciples, “Take heed that no one deceives you.”
B. Two Important Question
a. We must ask two important questions;
1. First, what is the root cause of deception?
2. Second, why is this deception able to run its course unchecked?
b. To answer the first, the root cause of deception is none other than what we discussed in the previous lesson;
1. “Disobedience to divine authority, or lawlessness.”
2. James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves.”
N> Scripture is saying, “when a person hears the Word of God yet does not
obey, deception enters.”
N> This person is living under the conviction that they are on target when
they are living in error;
N> Where there is no true submission to God’s authority, which includes
the authority of His Word, the door is opened to deception.
c. Why will deception run rampant in the last days?
1. Paul told us many will be deceived, “Because they did not receive the love of the truth?” II Thess. 2
1b. To love the truth is not just to enjoy hearing it, but to love
obeying it;
2. God spoke to Ezekiel and said, “"As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.'
My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Ezek 33:30-32 NIV
N> Many in church love good preaching and teaching but when it comes
down to reality, they still love their own ways more than they love Gods;
** Paul told Timothy, “For men shall be lovers of their own
selves,…more than lovers of God; 2 Tim 3:2, 4
N> I must love truth more than anyone or anything in my life.
N> And I must passionately desire His will more than my comfort or life;
II: The Secret Power of Lawlessness:
A. There is another factor to consider in understanding why lawlessness is so rampant in our day:
a. 2 Thess 2:7 says, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:”
1. Iniquity means, “To violate the law, or to be lawless:”
2. Notice that this iniquity is a “mystery,’ meaning, it’s work is very silent and almost undetectable;
1a. The mystery is hidden in its secret power;
N> Lawlessness would not be effective if blatant, to a believer, so it comes
wrapped in a religious cloak and is subtle and deceptive;
B. Satan is the master of deception, even he can be transformed into an angel of light;
a. Satan led 1/3 of the angels in heaven into rebellion;
1. He deceived millions of angels in a perfect environment;
2. Why do we foolishly think, he cannot mislead us, in this earthly environment, in which he is called the prince and power of the air:
1b. Even Jesus said that in the last days, “if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect.” Matt 24:24
b. Paul told the church, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Cor 11:3
1. Paul compared the vulnerability of believers to the deception of Eve.
1b. Eve lived in a perfect environment, free from demonic rule
and influence.
2b. She walked in the very presence of God, unhindered by her flesh.
2. By understanding his tactics with Eve, we expose his best weapon; we gain understanding of how he deceives us as well as why so many fall into disobedience;
1b. Eve was beguiled into disobedience, but Adam knew exactly what
he was doing;
2b. Some people in the church transgress Gods Word, fully aware of
what they are doing;
3b. Others, are deceived like Eve.
** Ignorance has opened them to deception, the secret power
of lawlessness;
N> Ignorance is a breeding ground for deception.
** God said, “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because
they have no knowledge.” Isa. 5:13
N> Knowledge of Gods ways and His spiritual laws guard us from the
enemy’s deceptions.
C. So how did the serpent deceive Eve?
a. Remember what God said,
1. Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen 2:16-17
1c. Notice Gods goodness and blessing, “you may freely eat of every
tree…….”
2c. While His authority restricted, …..”but of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil thou shalt not eat….”
N> God emphasized their liberty to eat of every tree with the exception
of one.
2. Now listen to the words of the serpent;
1c. Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which
the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath
God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
N> The first thing strategy of satan was to distort God’s command;
** By twisting its meaning, he brought into question God’s motive;
** He wanted to lead Eve down a path of reasoning where she would
eventually question God’s goodness and integrity.
** Once he accomplished that, it would be easy to turn her against
His authority.
N> Satan implied something good was being withheld from them by God.
**And said, “So, God said you can’t eat from every tree?”
** Satan called Eve’s attention to the only tree they could not eat from.
** And he made God look like a “taker” rather than a “Giver”;
N> By causing the Lord to appear unjust, the serpent could attack God’s
dominion.
** Satan went after the very foundation of the Lord’s authority.
** “Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of His throne.” (Ps. 97)
N> Satan knew if he could pervert God righteous character through
deception and distortion, then the very foundation of His authority
is under question .
N> The serpent seized the opportunity to undermine God’s authority,
truthfulness, and integrity by boldly saying;
** “you will not die, but be like God..”
N> With God’s character, and goodness in question, and the assurance of
no harm, there no longer remained any reason for submission to His
authority.
N> By questioning Gods authority, and His will and reasoning with what
God had said, Eve opened herself up to be deceived.
N> Notice, God said they would die, yet they did not die;
** But scripture speaks of two deaths;
1) Physical death and Spiritual death;
N> Because God doesn’t chastise us immediately for our disobedience we
have a tendency to believe, we’re ok;
** Therefore we never repent to God, and now we’ve become
deceived into believing, I’m OK;
** Yet they did die that day, and it was a spiritual death;
N> Their disobedience severed their relationship with God;
III: The Scheme is No Different Today;
A. Satan’s goal is to cause me to question Gods goodness and integrity;
a. And once I question God, it is easily to turn against His authority;
b. And once I per-take of the sin of disobedience, and nothing seemingly happens, satans’ job is to deceive me into believing, I’m OK;
1. When in reality, I’m lost;
N> When a person can point their finger in a destructive way, yet can’t see
the beam in their own eye, they are deceived;
** When I can lie and feel no conviction, I’m deceived;
** If I can criticize others, and criticize the ministry and feel no
conviction I’m deceived;
** If I can back bite, and talk about others, and express my opinion
without conviction I’m deceived:
N> May the Lord help us to have conviction, and a readiness to repent of
our disobedience and not be deceived;
