Many People will Be Deceived, Lawlessness

In the last days, perilous times will come. There will be people living in lawlessness: lovers of worldly pleasure rather than lovers of God, and these people will turn away from the knowledge of the truth. In most modern churches today, it can be hard to find the difference between the Christian and the non-Christian. Too often their lifestyles are the same; they have conformed to the things of the world, and they have not had the baptism of the Holy Spirit that gives them the power to overcome sin and have a changed life. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we need to continue to allow the Holy Spirit to keep on filling us, so that our flesh will be crucified so that we can walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one that brings knowledge of the truth so we won’t be deceived. We can never come to the truth without the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 4:3 — “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.”

1 John 3:3-10 — “And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

Titus 2:14 — “Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

Matthew 13:41-43 — “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

1 John 5:18-19 — “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

When we become born-again Christians filled with the Holy Spirit, we will have the power to overcome sin; the wicked one will not touch us. Being disobedient to the word of God is sinful, and gives the devil legal rights in our life to kill, steal, and destroy. We should always live our lives submitting to God and His word, and when we do that, the devil will flee from us.

John 10:10 — “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

James 4:7-8 — “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

The people who live under the elements of this world are in bondage to the lust of the flesh. They have conformed to this world, and are friends with the people that have made themselves an enemy of God. We need to be careful with who we are friends with. Too many people are friends with people they don’t even know on Facebook. Ask the Lord for wisdom in choosing your friends.

Galatians 4:3 — “In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.”

Romans 11:2 — “God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?”

Titus 2:12 — “Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…”

1 John 2:15-17 — “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

James 4:4 — “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Colossians 3:2-10 — “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”