REVISED
We used to hear the phrase “law and order” in many conversations, but I have not heard a soul say “law and order” in a long time. Has this phrase left our vocabulary? No. It has just been unheard by me but not forgotten and it is more relevant today than any time in history. It is more relevant today than ever, but it is not the answer to the challenge facing all of us. Let me say right here and now that enacting more laws is nice and good but it is not the long-term solution. Laws do not change men and women’s hearts!
Men and women have hearts that may change for a moment because of the consequences of a law enacted that gives them a hefty fine or sends them to jail for a period. What happens is that the laws are enacted, and people respond by being “GOOD” for a while but as soon as the heat is taken off or something else is more urgent people will resort back to their old ways – breaking the law.
They break the law because they do not have any conviction on the inside of them. They do not feel it is their responsibility to follow the law. This short-lived behavioral shift is because they have no commitment from the heart to do what is right when no one is looking. Many people are driven by the fact they see a police person near the corner, so they make sure they come to a complete stop before proceeding.
This visual confirmation works when they see a police car but what are they doing when there is only a camera viewing their activity, or nothing there monitoring them at all? It appears that society without Jesus on the inside truly needs “Big Brother” to keep an eye on their every move. Over the years many have ridiculed the efforts of “Big Brother” and what it could mean to a society that does not do the right thing when no one is looking. How unfortunate that many people are leaning more and more to do what they feel is right for themselves by demonstrating Narcissistic Personality Disorder behavior. Which is defined by Wikipedia as a personality disorder in which there is a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration, and a lack of understanding of others’ feelings
I know this may appear to be rather harsh to categorize so many people with this disorder, but when you see people in the church and in the world time after time do things that glorify, himself or herself and leave others in the background. You begin to see an unhealthy pattern of behavior that will at some point cause a great deal of devastation and utter destruction of life and limb. You are probably wondering what could leave such a loss of life and limb and other destruction.
Here are a few examples of:
People who talk and text while they drive
People who fail to stop at stop signs in the local communities or anywhere else when they do not see police or cameras
People who constantly take selfies without paying attention to what is going on around them
Grandiosity with expectations of superior treatment from other people*
Fixated on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness, etc.*.
Self-perception of being unique, superior, and associated with high-status people and institutions*
Needing continual admiration from others*
Sense of entitlement to special treatment and obedience from others*
Exploitative of others to achieve personal gain*
Unwilling to empathize with the feelings, wishes, and needs of other people*
Intensely envious of others, and the belief that others are equally envious of them*
Pompous and arrogant demeanor*
*Source: Wikipedia.
Today was no different than the last few days in this community when it comes to the behavior of people who willfully break the law and think nothing about it. What has gotten into people to be so bold as not to be concerned about breaking a law or any of many laws. The scripture says it best: 1 Timothy 1:9 (KJV) 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, this scripture considers elements of the lawless.
Modern translators describe people unrestrained or not controlled by law, especially God’s law. As rebellion against God, sin is lawlessness 1John 3:4 (NKJV) 4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Those individual soldiers and leaders who were responsible for Jesus Christ’s death are considered lawless as described in Acts 2:23 (NKJV) 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death, as well as Gentiles in their practice of idolatry.
The leader of the eschatological (end-time) rebellion is called the man of lawlessness as spelled out in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NLT) 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. I believe this scripture is being fulfilled in our lifetime as described in the next verse 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (NLT) 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. I also believe this next scripture will be the end of the lawless one: 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NLT) 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
Until the Lord Jesus destroys the lawless one, we will have to contend with the spirit that is in the earth. We must not get weary in well doing as the lawless one would desire but we must keep the faith and continue to resist the Devil (Lawless One) whenever approached by it. We must not let what we see discourage us but continue to trust in the Almighty God with our faith rigidly fixed on Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. If we need further encouragement, consider the use the Prophetic Counseling to help us clearly find the way to truth and obedience to the laws of God and man.
Will you resist the lawlessness?
