“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” – Romans 13:10
Have you seen the new social media generated phenomenon, Teen Takeovers? A Teen Takeover is when a riot of teens, in numbers overwhelming to local police, flood a local prearranged through social media to wreak havoc. Youth run wild, defying authority, starting fires, ramming police cars, smashing windows, robbing stores, doing anything and everything that comes to their minds that is against the law and societal order. It is a young human explosion of anger, rebellion, organized chaos, destruction of property, breaking laws, theft, and bodily injury. Those involved say they are looking to really hurt anybody. They only aim at destroying their little part of Western Civilization as a protest against what they have been indoctrinated to believe are rampant injustices.
At the risk of beating the same ignored drum, what we are seeing is just one more product of the breakdown of the family and the infiltration and indoctrination of our educational institutions by the enemies of not only the United States of America, but western civilization. The Teen Takeover situation is only going to worsen as Law Enforcement catches up with the situation and takes steps to stop it. This present Administration is not like the previous complacent compliant ones that looked on riots as part of their platform. This present Administration sees clearly and identifies enemies, foreign and domestic, and implements effective defenses. This present Administration will prepare and tactically apply the necessary law enforcement resources and put an end to the new trend. It will likely be messy at first. But I’m betting on societal order to be restored. [1]
Teen Takeovers are signs of the times in which we live. The Bible states, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self- control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). It would not be hard to find numerous examples of such rampant sinful godless behavior from top to bottom in society and the world today. In a word, what we see is anarchy.
Anarchy is humanity throwing off what they purport to be the shackles of restraint in law. Anarchy is lawlessness. Anarchy is anti-law. Anarchy is violent antinomianism. The greatest most otherworldly voice in human history spoke very clearly on lawlessness. I’m talking about Jesus. In our age of divisiveness it probably wouldn’t be hard to find people practicing or at least condoning riots like those in the Teen Takeovers, who claim to be “Christian.” If you are one of them, or know someone who is, please read on. Jesus was not obscure about “lawlessness.” We may not like what He had to say. But clarity not obscurity is what we receive from Jesus when it comes to lawlessness.
What Jesus Said About Lawlessness
The Sermon on the Mount is arguably Jesus’ best-known teaching (cf. Matthew 5-7). It is a message of His given particularly for “disciples” (Greek mathetes) or learners, those who followed Jesus as their Teacher and learned from His life practices as well as His verbal teachings. A good conclusion to a sermon ties all the loose ends together and provides a practical path for the listener to follow. How did Jesus conclude this greatest of His sermons? He said:
Matthew 7:21–23 – “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ [2]
Jesus said lawlessness is a characteristic of those who may claim to know Him as Lord, but who Jesus says, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Lawlessness is evidence of self-delusion, misapprehension, a false personal appraisal. If you call yourself a “Christian” and act lawlessly, you need to repent and reconsider your waywardness before the Lord. The lawless “Christian” is out of touch with Jesus.
Jesus taught in parables. Parables are teachings taken from life situations. A parable is a teaching that is so clear that to not understand it exposes either spiritual deadness or willful disregard for the truth Jesus was teaching. Some parables seem confusing or beyond our grasp today, but that is only because we do not live in the cultural and societal milieu of Jesus’ day. Jesus spoke in parables to expose hypocrites and fakers (Matthew 13:11-15).
Tender heart’s hungering and thirsting for righteousness are better suited to understand a parabolic teaching of Jesus. But the religiously spiritually dead pharisees, those Jesus described as “whitewashed tombs. . . full of dead men’s bones” were willfully resistant to Jesus clear teachings (Matthew 23:27). He said, “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:28 emphasis added). Pharisees were players. They were posing as righteous but inwardly they were nothing more than proud prancers. “Lawlessness” is equated with spiritual insensitivity, willful dullness, being closed to the teaching of Jesus. Consider this if you are acting lawlessly.
Jesus said the most important of all His parables was the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23). On the heels of this most important parable He gave a warning to those who would resort to lawlessness to accomplish their missions in life. Scripture states:
Matthew 13:36–43 – 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Lawlessness is practiced by those destined for “the furnace of fire,” where “there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. If you are resorting to lawlessness, breaking God’s laws, breaking law period, to accomplish your “Christian” tasks, beware. Lawless people face God’s judgment.
As a point of clarification I think we need to distinguish laws particularly given to God’s people the Jews for a specific historical time and context. Dietary laws were a precaution to avoid illness. If you eat shellfish you’re not going to hell. But the Ten Commandments are universally applicable. But to further clarify, we are not saved from our sins by keeping God’s law. Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount that the righteousness He was teaching was one that “exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees” (Matthew 5:20). “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Mattheew 5:8). Jesus calls us to give Him our heart (e.g., Matthew 5:21-28).
There is nothing wrong with God’s law. “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12). And we are not to simply throw God’s Law away once we come to Jesus through faith in Him according to His Gospel. No, we are to be born again of the Spirit through faith in Jesus. The indwelling Holy Spirit then pours God’s love into our heart (Romans 5:5). And in the power of the Holy Spirit, in His love, we fulfill God’s law. “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).
Lawlessness is the anti-love. Love fulfills the law. Remember that when you’re jumping up and down on that car owned by someone who worked hard to pay for it and keep it running safely. Remember the love of Jesus when you are breaking that window, starting that fire, stealing that piece of merchandise. Remember that when you are trying to justify your anarchy by saying you are doing it to support “justice.” Justice keeps the law. Love fulfills the law. Love and justice walk hand in hand. Suffice it to say that “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, . . . Let all things be done decently and in order,” not lawlessness (1 Corinthians 14:33 and 40).
The Bible equates lawlessness with sin and its author the devil (1 John 3:4 and 8). The Antichrist is strongly linked with lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3-9). When Satan is referred to in scripture lawlessness is closely related with who he is and what he is all about (Job 1-2; Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28). Keep that in mind if you are rioting in a Teen Takeover.
The Bible states that the unsaved world is under the influence of Satan (1 John 5:19). Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us to see anarchy and lawlessness on the rise in this fallen world. The devil knows his time is short. He’s trying to take as many souls to hell with him as he can. Don’t be one of them!
In Jesus’ Olivet Discourse made on the Mount of Olives just outside the eastern gates of Jerusalem, He spoke of lawlessness as a characteristic of the Latter Days. Jesus said, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). According to Jesus, lawlessness leads to lovelessness. Lawlessness is the product of lovelessness. Lawlessness leads to more and more lovelessness. The person who acts lawlessly finds more and more excuses to paint their opponent in a darker and darker light. The lawless person finds more and more excuses to act lovelessly toward those they oppose. Lawlessness breeds hate. And that is exactly what we see in our streets.
Let me ask you something, what is your heart response to what is going on? Love? Or Hate? Lawlessness is a rotten fruit of lovelessness (i.e., hate). Lawlessness, facilitates and pours fuel on the fires of hate. How many of you hate me for simply reading these words of Jesus? How many of you hate anyone who doesn’t agree with you or support you regardless of right or wrong, truth, or falsehood.
Dealing with Tyranny
Jesus taught we should give what belongs to God, to God. Give what belongs to government, to government (Matthew 22:15-22). God ordains government for His purposes one of which is keeping the peace and order by keeping the Law. God is indeed for law and order (Romans 13:1-7). There are times when government becomes genuinely tyrannical. That is not what is happening in our country, no matter how much that talking heads of the left in media try to say it is. Even when governments act tyrannically, God would have us pray hard and seek the leading of the Holy Spirit before we take to the streets. The only time rebelling against government is justified is when it runs contrary to God’s word (in its appropriate context). We should always exhaust all peaceful means of change before anyone takes to the streets.
The Pledge of Allegiance
In 1943, a time of world war where Nazis were trying to force their hateful worldview on planet earth, in our country it was decided that no child should be compelled to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public school classrooms. About half of the fifty states in our Union no longer recite the Pledge at the beginning of the school day. I think it’s time and appropriate to revisit this decision.
I remember starting each day in school with reciting the Pledge. But then most students did so halfheartedly. I was in school during the Vietnam conflict when being an American or patriotic was scorned. But I think we should pray and discuss the possibility of reinstating the Pledge in our schools as a unifying instrument. Read what the Pledge says:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the united States of America, and to the Republic for which it stand, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Those who choose to be citizens of our nation recite the Pledge as part of their welcoming ceremony. Those words remind us that our nation is not merely a “democracy,” but a “Republic.” Reciting the Pledge should be a part of the assimilation of immigrants as well as educating each successive generation to prioritize the loyalty and unity of our nation.
The Pledge reminds us that we are “one nation,” united. And it reminds us that the only way we can be one nation is if we are “under God.” Then we are all together, “indivisible,” with a heart aimed at “liberty and justice for all.” That’s a wonderful part of Americana that should have never been removed. How many today can even recite the pledge? How many of us would be “indivisible” instead of divided if we had remembered who we are as a nation, “one nation under God”?
The Code of Christ
As wonderful as that Pledge is, Christians, disciples, are called to a higher worldview. I’m talking about the Beatitudes of Jesus. Considering this higher view of living is the key to God’s blessings for the practitioner as well as those around them. This is a truth that is lost on the rioters of the Teen Takeovers.
Every disciple is a Christian, but not every Christian is a disciple. If you want Jesus’ best, His promised abundant life (John 10:10), if you want to be blessed in your relationship with Him, and to be a loving blessing to those around you, seek to live by Jesus’ Beatitudes. Jesus introduced His greatest sermon, the Sermon on the Mount with eight short but profoundly powerful statements of blessed truth. These statements are the beginning of blessings for the disciple of Jesus. These Beatitudes are a call to be different, extraordinary kind of life. The Beatitudes are more than a riotous horizontal worldview. The Beatitudes are otherworldly, a higher worldview, a vertical worldview. These Beatitudes are life changing and world impacting. These Beatitudes can accomplish far more than any satanically inspired riot in our streets. If only we would take them seriously.
Let’s just look at these Beatitudes:
Matthew 5:1–12
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
The Sermon on the Mount is in particular, FOR DISCIPLES. A “disciple” (Greek mathetes) is a learner, a pupil, a student. Jesus is speaking to those who want not merely to be a “Christian” but to those who want to follow in the steps of Jesus and be like Him (cf., Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:1-6).
Remember the gospel context. A disciple thus far in Matthew is one who:
- Has been born of the Spirit as Jesus patterned for us – Matthew 1 and for us John 3.
- (Has been attacked or resisted by the enemy like Jesus – Matthew 2.)
- Has been baptized with the Holy Spirit (and fire) – Matthew 3 and for us Acts 1 and 2.
- Has been led by the Spirit to be tested in the wilderness – Matthew 4:1-11.
- Has taken action to minister to others – Matthew 4:12-25.
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them,
This phrase, “opened His mouth and taught them” is an idiom to tell the listener a prophetic word was coming.
saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The word “blessed” (Greek makarios) means blessed, happy, “oh how happy.” These sayings of Jesus are not easy, they are hard. But the Beatitudes are worth the work of living them out. Riots and Teen Takeovers tear things up and break things down. The Beatitudes of Jesus build and construct and bless. They bring true eternal value. Living these Beatitudes out in life in the power of the Holy Spirit will bless us with no mere superficial earthbound “happiness,” that fades, but instead bless us with worthwhile happiness with eternal value.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-6). Everything we do as a disciple begins with humility and submission to Jesus. If I say I love Jesus, do I obey Him? Jesus said loving Him included obeying Him and His word (cf. John 14:15 and 21). Jesus wants His disciples to be sanctified or set apart for His use as guided by the word of God (John 17:17). If you want to be a “disciple” of Jesus, you can’t disregard or pick and choose what parts of His word you will live by, you have to accept it all.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
A disciple is grieved over having lived in sin in opposition and separate from God. Are you grieved at your riotous behavior? Are you truly grieved at injustices in this fallen world? There is a much better way than rioting and lawlessness to comfort those grieving true hurts. The answer to injustice is not more injustice, it is Jesus. Mourn your sinfulness and come to Him.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Rioting and Teen Takeovers sinfully throw off self-control. A disciple is self-controlled. MEEKNESS IS NOT WEAKNESS BUT STRENGTH UNDER CONTROL. The fruit of the Spirit is love and such love is characterized by self-control (Galatians 5:22-24). A disciple uses the power of the Spirit and their spiritual gifting under the control of the Spirit in submission to God and His plans (cf., 1Corinthians 12-14).
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
A disciple will hunger for WHAT IS RIGHT. A disciple will hunger for what is right and true spiritually – the just shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; 3:18-26). And a disciple will hunger and thirst for what is right socially, according to the governmental laws of the country in which they reside. If such civil law is unjust or contradicts scripture, peaceful means not anarchy is the priority to bring change. Jesus was not an anarchist, neither should His disciples be.
7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
Disciples are not merely about winners and losers, about people getting what they deserve.
- Justice = getting what you deserve.
- Mercy = not getting what you deserve.
- Grace = getting what you don’t deserve.
Disciples speak of the mercy of God to those who repent and trust Jesus as Savior. Disciples should always be facilitators of mercy. But mercy should not be an excuse for being duped politically. According to Jesus, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated. Seek the Lord! Seek His truth! Speak His truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). His truth is found in the word of God (John 17:17).
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
A disciple is always seeking to be purified of anything contrary to God’s word that is in their heart. This is sanctification or an ongoing process of the Holy Spirit making us more and more like Jesus. Seek to have a holy pure heart. “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Ephesians 2:8).
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
A disciple should be known by their efforts to show people how to be at peace with God (Romans 8:7) and also at peace with each other. Peace is the anti-lawlessness. A disciple should cheer an effort at peacemaking, not only “peacemaking” that is performed by those of their own political persuasion.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Disciples should expect to be persecuted when they seek to live righteously according to God and His word. Persecution or resistance to your Beatitude discipleship living, is often evidence you are on the right track. Jesus was persecuted. His followers will be too (e.g., Matthew 10).
So true is this expectation that Jesus went out of His way to describe the persecution a disciple would experience:
11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
If we are going to be serious Christians, we need to prayerfully ponder these words of Jesus and seek for the Holy Spirit to implement them in our lives. I encourage you, if you are a disciple or want to be one, to go over these Beatitudes. There is a blessing from Jesus for those who make these Beatitudes a part of their lives with Him.
Maybe, just maybe, if we practice these Beatitudes in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be used by the Lord to shine a light of truth and hope and eternal life to those caught up in the darkness of these Lawless Loveless days. Maybe, just maybe, if we seek the Lord, repent of our sins individually, nationally, internationally, we can see the revival we, our nation, and this worldly so sorely needs.[3] I recently attended a Pastor’s Conference where a hope for revival was expressed by seventeen hundred in attendance. There have been many positive political changes recently, but if we are to see real righteous changes, we won’t see them by way of mere politics, but only through true heart changing revival of the Holy Spirit. Unless souls are saved, disciples made and hearts changed and sanctified, we are doomed to more anarchy and worse. So I’m praying and seeking revival. Join me in that objective. Pray for it.
Lord, in Jesus’ name, please save our nation. Unite us. Give us a singular purpose. Convict the sinner’s heart, especially if it belongs to us. Move us to repentance before Your holy presence. Revive us. Help us resist anarchy and lawlessness. Help people to see Your light. Holy Spirit save, sanctify, and come upon us. Lord, in Jesus’ mighty name, please make us what we need to be, to do what You call us to do, for Your glory, until Jesus’ returns. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/dc-cracking-down-on-teen-takeovers-will-begin-prosecuting-parents-6027470
[2] All scripture is taken from the NKJV translation of the Bible.
[3] Something to consider – https://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=24152