Lawlessness stands as the preeminent sign of the times, the most telling sign that Christ’s return and establishment of his Kingdom is near.  Nothing perhaps is more lawless than the pronouncements of leading evangelical Christians, like Rick Warren, proclaiming support for gay rights and marriage as he did this week.  Or, the blasphemous babblings of Jezebels, like Dean Katherine Ragsdale, who pander to feminists and gays and push abortion rights down every one’s throats.

“Don’t be so judgmental,” some will say, but forget that Jesus said, “My Word will judge you.”  Paul taught that the spiritual man judges all things.  Men like Warren and women like Ragsdale are not spiritual; they are carnal Christians wrapped in a robe of false spirituality which denies the power of godliness.  Jude the prophet speaks very eloquently of them, saying, “For there are certain men [and now women] crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying [contradicting] the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4 KJV)

An important New Testament scripture regarding the timing of the LORD’s second coming deals specifically with this type of lawlessness we see in Warren and Ragsdale.  Paul said,

Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 ASV)

God gave us his law for a reason, so that we could learn to discern good and evil.  If there is no law, there is no evil.  If there is no evil, then Christ died for nothing because there is no need to repent of anything.  Likewise, Jesus did not die to “put away the law.”  Again, if the law is put away, there is no sin, no evil, and no need for repentance.  There mere fact that today we see prominent Christians defend the rights of others to sin without the need of repentingreveals the ubiquitousness of lawlessness and eminence of Christ’s coming.

“Forsake not the episunagoge,” said Paul.  He meant, forsake not the doctrine of Christ’s second coming, “especially as you see that day approaching.”  Brothers and sisters, let us be clear.  We see that day approaching!  Do not neglect to repent from sin and to preach repentance from sin until he comes!