b. Is the reader to assume that the second statement is the result of the
first? (Matthew 24:11-12) Because many
are deceived does it produce an abundance of iniquity? Long term conditioning
of the world has led to mass deception, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole
of the law”…phrase coined by Aleister Crowley in “The Book of the Law” which
was apparently dictated to him by the dark spirit entity named Aiwass.
§
False Prophets à
Deception à
Iniquity à
Love (true love) is scarce
c. The abundance of iniquity results in what? The waning of Love
§
Love – ἀγάπη
agapē, feminine noun, affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly
love
§
Iniquity – ἀνομία
anomia, feminine noun, a
condition without law either by ignorance or by intentional violation.
i.
From this statement can we infer a direct
inverse correlation between love and iniquity
ii.
As iniquity increases love decreases
iii.
As love increases iniquity decreases
§
1 Corinthians 13:12-13 -For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;but the greatest of these [is] charity.
i.
In these last days it is going to be very
important for us to love each other and not be pitted against each other
through the deception of a Hegelian dialectic or a tactic of the enemy that
uses conflict between two or more groups to ultimately advance society toward
a communist/dictatorship form of
government. Examples of the Hegelian dialectic can be seen in:
1. Race – example: black v. white
2. Religion – example: Muslim v. Judaism
3. Gender
4. Wealth
5. Career – example: union v. non-union
6. Region – example: east side v. west side, north v. south
7. Politics – example: democrat v. republican
8. Education – college degree v. non-degree
9. Age
10. Marital status
ii.
If we remain loving toward one another as
Y’shuah instructed us to do this tactic is rendered ineffective. Love is the key to overcoming the enemy, its
easy to get caught up in this game, but remember when we do we are behaving in
the exact manner that the enemy desires.
§
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 -Though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a
tinkling cymbal. And though I have [the
gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the
poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
i.
Charity - ἀγάπη agapē, feminine
noun, affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love
ii.
From this passage and the prior passage
we explored in Ephesians we can determine a pecking order of importance. Faith is the most important piece of godly
armor, yet Love is the most important of all attributes.
iii.
We can see from this passage that it is
quite possible to do a great many “good” works, but the motivation behind why
we do them is more important than the actual deed itself. Are we motivated by our love for God or
fellow man or for recognition?
iv.
We can also see this in what Christ
deemed important in the two greatest commandments:
1. Matthew 22:36-40 -Master, which [is] the great
commandment in the law? Jesus said unto
him, Thou shaltlove the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. On these two commandments hang
all the law and the prophets.
2. Though faith is of the utmost importance to God, these two greatest
commandments do not mention faith (however, faith in God is required in order
to be able to love Him).
§
The message of the deceivers back
in vv. 4-5 was to come from imposters of Christ, here we see a message counter
to the message to Christ’s message of love.
§
Proverbs 10:12 -Hatred
stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
i.
Hatred - שנאהsin'ah, feminine noun, hating,
hatred, hate
ii.
Covereth - כסהkacah, verb, to cover, conceal or hide
iii.
Sins - פשעpesha`, masculine noun, transgression,
rebellion (could also be iniquity) so, this passage gives further clarity as to
the relationship between love and iniquity, the reason iniquity decreases as
love increases is because love conceals or hides iniquity. If we view love as a blanket, the bigger the
blanket all the more can be covered.
iv.
Note that Love covers all sin, but does not remove them. They are still there because they still
happened; when love diminishes it can reveal old sins of the past. This is the difference between the love of
man and the love of God. God’s love
(through His sacrifice) has the power to remove sin, man’s love can only cover
sin.
1. Psalm 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our
transgressions from us.
2. Why not North from the South?
Because North and South are finite (one can only go so far south (or
north) until you start heading north (or south) again), but East or West is
infinite. (Written way before Columbus
proved that the earth was a sphere)
§
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 - Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,i That ye be not soon shaken
in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from
us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any
means:ii for
[that day shall not come], except
there come a falling away first,iii
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. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with
you, I told you these things? And now ye
know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already
work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the
way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed,iv whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [Even him], whose
coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, And with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved. And for this
cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie:v That they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
i.
This subject of this passage is to
address the return of Christ Jesus and our gathering back to him. There is no indication that these are
separate events, but one in the same.
ii.
Here is a command to “let no man deceive
you” which is what is happening at this juncture of the Matthew 24 discourse,
the false prophets are “deceiving many”
1. An interesting observation here about the word man in this passage.
This word τις tis is a pronoun meaning: 1) a certain, a certain one
or 2) some, some time, a while. Thayer’s
lexicon says that it refers to “persons or things the writer cannot or will not
speak more particularly.
2. This could tie in to a supernatural being such as “an angel of light”
or possibly “alien” beings from another world.
We need to be grounded in our faith that no matter who or what might
contradict what the bible teaches, we remain steadfast.
3. 2 Corinthians 11:13 -15
-For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles
of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light. Therefore [it
is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the
ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their
works.
iii.
Paul clearly states here that until
certain events transpire that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will not
occur, in other words His return does no precede the appearance of the “son of
perdition”
1. Revelation 13:6-7 - And he opened his mouth in
blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle,
and them that dwell in heaven. And it
was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power
was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
·
What is “His tabernacle”?
·
1 Corinthians 3:16 -17 -
Know ye not that ye are the temple of
God temple
of God
iv.
The wicked are revealed, this was the purpose
of allowing the wheat and the tares grow in the Matthew13 parable of the sower
1. Matthew 13:30
- Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of
harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares,
and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
·
Matthew 13:38-40 -
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the
tares are the children of the wicked [one]; The enemy that sowed them is the
devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the
angels. As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
v.
God, Himself will send a strong delusion
to those who are given the opportunity to receive the “love of the truth” and
reject it, so that they will believe a lie
1. This is the effect, and the cause…they received not the love of the
truth
2. John 14:16 -
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
3. What is the “love of the truth”? Receiving the Word of God, Y’shuah Mashiyach (Jesus Christ)
4. Joshua 24:15 - … if it seem evil unto you to serve
the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve…
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