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TACTICS OF THE LAWLESS
by Pastor Jeromy John Visser
(Introduction:)
Good day -- today's subject is Tactics of the Lawless and I hope to take a deeper look at some of the strategies that antinomians use to promote lawlessness or attack honest Christians that seek to follow Yahweh's perfect Law. Over in 1st Timothy 2:3-4 we're taught by Paul; "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." This 'falling away' is considered the apostasy and we clearly live in those days when so many -- especially among the Christian ranks -- seek to do away with Jesus' eternal and unchanging Laws.
My friends, Yahweh never changes (Malachi 3:16) and Jesus warned us in John 14:6; "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" meaning that any other person claiming to offer the 'way, truth or life' is an obvious false prophet and antichrist by Biblical definition. Concerning the apostasy, the Master also taught us; "Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity [lawlessness] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:11-13)." It's my hope that this particular study will help other Christians to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3)" and help us all to never fall aside to these 'new doctrines.'
Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:1-2; "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times [apostasy] some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron." These so-called 'doctrines of devils' would obviously seek to protect Satan and his progeny so many of these new 'educated thought processes' saying that Satan is not a literal being or that angels are 'just messengers' should be considered as fairly obvious attacks against the unchanging God of Israel. It's my wish that this four-part series will allow us all to "Put on the whole armour of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. And having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:11, 13)."
(One Word:)
The most-used maneuver by the enemy is to 'take away or add to' the already perfect Word of Yahweh. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)" so the creator Jesus is that living Word (Revelation 19:13), therefore any attack on the integrity of the pure text could be considered an attack on God Himself. Examples of 'adding to or taking away' can be seen by Lucifer throughout the whole of scripture starting in the third chapter of Genesis when the serpent, or "whispering magick enchanter (Strong's #H5172)," says to Eve "Yea, hath God said?" casting doubt on the infallibility of Yahweh's Word. When Satan 'tempted' Jesus in the wilderness he used this tactic.
When explaining the parable of the sower, Jesus Christ taught; "Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved." We're also warned in Revelation 22:18-19; "For I [Jesus] testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." It should go without saying that Christians should be divided against those who teach doctrine not found in the Bible.
Let's take a look at who does and doesn't make it into Yahweh's Kingdom in the verses just above those, let's read verses 13-15; "I [Jesus] am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Break this verse down -- notice that Jesus claims to be the 'Alpha and Omega' which further proves He is the Word from start to finish, or 'A to Z.' Next, we see that those who make it are the ones who 'do' the commandments of Yahweh just like He taught in Matthew 7:21; "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Also take note that outside the Kingdom are "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" meaning that nobody will be able to claim they were "tricked" by any individual or universal church. Sadly, people flock to what they love and a majority of sheeple will seek to justify their 'new doctrine of devils' outside the Word or in a bastardized version of the Bible.
Indeed, the world is filled with literally millions of so-called 'Bibles' but not every book claiming the title is the Word of God as we briefly covered in New American Standard: Corrupt, Period. The quickest way of subverting people's minds into believing a lie is to present an 'edited' version of the Word usually with about 10% of the content removed, usually from the source manuscripts themselves. This is one of the many faces of 'taking away' the Word and without question hundreds of cults have sprung up this through this ploy while other false prophets care less and simply rewrite the Bible to suit their agenda. Of course these bogus Bibles are billed as "the most accurate translation ever" by those who seek to whitewash the ever-living Word of Yahweh.
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" so let's all do our parts to seek every Word that was spoken. There are many good translations out there but we must use discernment in order to pick them out for ourselves. Never allow any man to tell you that it's up to a building or particular organization to interpret the scriptures for you, this is another face of 'taking away' the Word. Christians are commanded to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [And to] shun profane vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness (2 Timothy 2:15-16)."
(One Baptism:)
Turn with me to Ephesians 4:4-5 where Paul says; "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Jesus taught throughout His entire ministry that he was 'one' with Yahweh like this important verse in Mark 12:29; "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord." A sure-fire sign of a false prophet is he will seek to destroy this 'oneness' under several masks like teaching devilish doctrines like Jesus isn't Yahweh, the Word isn't perfect or baptism isn't essential. It's a commandment that can also be found in Deuteronomy 6:4; "Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God is one Yahweh."
The reason many evil people like to teach against baptism by water for remission of sins is because they already know that they aren't going to make it into the Kingdom so they will do all they can to keep others from being baptized. Jesus teaches us in Mark 16:16; "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" so we should be able to render a harsh rebuke against those that would teach against this essential step of salvation.
When the men of Israel asked what to do to be 'saved' in Acts 2:37, Peter replies; "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Without baptism for remission of sins, the unfortunate believer in left unclean and unable to partake of the Holy Spirit's guidance which is required to unlock scripture, tap into Christian 'power' and build spiritual discernment just to name a few. This aspect is apparent in Jesus' own actions when after He was baptized by John the Immerser "And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him (Mark 1:10)" as recorded in all four Gospels. We should also take notice that Jesus did this to begin His own ministry and "Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil (Luke 4:1-2)." We need to be baptized for both the Holy Spirit and the ability to 'rightly divide the word of truth' like Jesus to use the sword, or the Word of Yahweh.
Before going any further, we should examine two facts; First off, Jesus Himself was baptized and He is our perfect example to follow so who but the antichrist would teach against it? Next, baptism is by water as the Bible plainly states and the word baptize, taken from the non-translated Greek baptizō (pronounced bap-tid'-zo) has only one meaning; "to make whelmed (that is, fully wet) or washed (Strong's #G907)." Oh, the enemy will come up with many justifications like comparing 'the water' to womb fluids, but let me ask right now -- is it worth your place in the Kingdom to merely "chance it?"
(One Law:)
Following on the heels of 'taking away' both the Word and crucial baptism are those sham prophets that like to teach against the eternal Law of Yahweh the Law-Giver. The enemy will do all they can to keep you as an 'unclean vessel' and sin is what separates us from Yahweh being "a transgression of the Law" as we can read in 1 John 3:4; "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." The unchanging food laws are usually where evil men will start sowing their lawlessness in the hopes that well-meaning Christians will eat swine or buzzard in order to defile themselves. Ironically, most of the false prophets who promote the eating of unclean foods are also the ones who abstain from it themselves while pushing that immoral agenda. The Law is essential, it's what we're judged against by the 'living Word' so we must always contrast man's teachings with that of the Bible and when they don't correlate we have to choose the scriptures, period.
Jesus taught "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil [perfect]. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (Matthew 5:17-18). Do those sound like the words of a Savior who 'abolished the Law of Yahweh? The strange thing is that Jesus taught the Law, carried a script of Deuteronomy, continually battled against the scribes and Pharisees who sought to replace the Mosaic Law yet the tireless snakes love to push Biblical lawlessness on the children of God.
In Deuteronomy 7:9-10 we're taught; "Know therefore that Yahweh thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face." Also, over in Ecclesiastes 12:13 we learn; "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" so anyone that would teach against the Law of Yahweh is seeking to promote the kingdom of 'the lawless one' or 'the prince of this world (John 12:31)." The 'whole duty' of man is to fear [reverence] Yahweh and keep His eternal Law.
Jesus plainly taught "If ye love me, keep my commandments" in John 14:15 among other places so naturally the only way the serpent enemy can support their lawless agenda is to teach the erroneous doctrine that Jesus isn't God. This is the very aspect that defines them as antichrist according to the four Biblical definitions of the very word yet so many 'money changers' love to say that 'all gods are one' or that Jesus Christ is just a 'good man' or 'excellent prophet.' The Word of God teaches that there is only one God and His name is Jesus or Emmanuel (God with us) and that "by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:16-18)."
Thankfully, we're saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8) but the Law given by Yahweh is in a sense the only real glimpse of the 'morality' of Yahweh and we must always strive to please our Father. In Leviticus 11:14 it states; "For I am Yahweh your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy" so let's do all we can to follow His commands.
(One God:)
Jesus taught in both the Old and New Testaments that Israel was to have only one God and to only worship Him. For example, under the old covenant we're taught; "Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2)" and Christ taught; "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment (Mark 12:29-30)." Considered the first commandment above all others, serving any other God outside of the Creator Jesus is a very serious offense so naturally the serpentile enemy loves to do all they can to rip apart the Godhead.
To state it in the simplest terms, Jesus is "God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16)" or "God with us (Matthew 1:23)" and again; "By him were all things created (Colossians 1:16)." The Bible is very clear about Jesus being Yahweh and any honest student should have no problems noticing this important fact when reading the scriptures, it's when man starts inserting his own doctrines or faulty traditions that 'confusion' sets in and the first commandment starts being violated. One God is just that -- one.
Beware of people who might teach that Jesus wasn't equal with the Father or not God, chances are they will also be found guilty of the numerous offenses we've already discussed like attacking the perfect Word, essential baptism or eternal Law. Most of these snakes will say something along the lines of "Jesus was a great man, but not the Messiah" or they'll just call Him a 'simple prophet' equating Him on the same level as Isaiah or Jeremiah. Jesus said; "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him (John 14:6-7)." How it is that many lukewarm Christians intend to 'slide past' Jesus and have access to another God or simply refuse to pray 'in Jesus' name' is beyond me -- Jesus is the only God for Israel.
There is no confusion about the matter, both covenants were made with Israel as the Bible teaches; "Behold, the days come, saith Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah (Jeremiah 31:31)." It's just another 'tactic of the lawless' to suggest that the Old Testament is now 'done away' because not one covenant made between God and Israel has ever been disannulled. Whether it be the Adamic and Noahic Covenants or the Abrahamic and New Covenants, not one of these eternal promises has ever been 'done away' with by God.
Now that we've covered that serving only Yahweh is considered the 'first' commandment, it should be rather obvious why many false prophets like to teach against this aspect -- it can keep you from the very Kingdom they won't be in. If you require more scriptural proofs that "Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8)" be sure to read Jesus, Yahweh or Not? or Jesus, God or Not? available at our website. This is an extremely important issue because we can't call ourselves Christians unless it's Christ that is our Savior and we can serve only Him.
(Intention:)
My intention at this point in the sermon will be to give you an overview of the following three studies that complete the entire CPM: Tactics Series and suggest that you order the Deluxe 2 CD Edition that we recently released. We must be wise to the devices of the enemy so each of the remaining articles have a specific focus on a Biblical individual:
Tactics of the Lawless One deals with the topic of Satan, explains his creation and we look at detrimental new 'doctrine of devils' that seek to protect the lawless one by explaining away his existence. We look at the many commandments that tell us to study the scriptures and look a little deeper at demons and angels like the one that appeared to Balaam's ass. An in-depth examination of the many names of Satan, the so-called 'temptation' of Christ and the parable of the tares is included.
Tactics of the Lawless Children goes deeper into the characters of four wicked men beginning with Cain and his bastard seedline. We then analyze some of the methods of the false prophet Balaam, the betraying Judas Iscariot and first 'pope' Simon Magus. These men are all examples of what our kinswoman shouldn't look for in a husband.
Tactics of the Lawless Whores inspects the characters of four wicked women starting with the beguiled Eve. This informative sermon covers the harlot Rahab, the trampled Jezebel and informant Delilah. This should help our male brethren to arm themselves against 'loose women' and prove that there is "no new thing under the sun."
Like always, I pray that Jesus Christ gets the honor from these studies and that His name is glorified through this ministry! If you'd like to help Covenant People's Ministry to grow than please remember us in your prayers!
[ Date:
Sunday, May 8th,
2005 ]
Last Page Update:
February 07, 2006
Covenant People's Ministry
Box 256, Brooks, GA 30205