Lawlessness Is Unacceptable!

Modern-day Christianity has become a faith that promotes lawlessness. Too many Christians live with the mindset that all they have to do is be baptized and accept Jesus. Once they accept Jesus, they believe that they’ve locked in their spot in heaven and are eternally secure. They’ll go to church on Sunday, then live like the world every other day of the week. When you talk about the need for Christians to stop living like the world, you are labeled a “Pharisee”. When you turn to the scriptures to condemn lawlessness, people stop listening when you quote the Old Testament, as they see it as you trying to “put them under the Law”.

While it is true that the Law does not save (it reveals our sin), Christians have become too comfortable living in sin. We abuse the grace given to us in the New Covenant, using it as an excuse to practice lawlessness. This article will cover the topic of Christian lawlessness, and why it is unacceptable. In an attempt to remove a stumbling block, I will only quote the New Testament, as some Christians find fault in using the Old Testament to speak against lawlessness.

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Jesus Condemns Lawlessness In Matthew 7:21-23

Jesus makes it clear that not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is saved. There are Christians who draw near to Him with their lips, and worship Him in vain, but their hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8-9). Jesus makes it clear that these are real believers who prophesy, cast out demons, and do wonders in his name. However, they practiced lawlessness and were rejected by Him. To give Jesus’ exact words, He says:

“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. 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?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

In my opinion, this is one of the scariest quotes of Jesus in the Bible. It hurts my heart to know that there are Christians who think they know Jesus, but practice a faith of lawlessness and will be rejected. This is why I stress the importance of Christians not being lawless. God’s grace is not an excuse to live in sin; we are called to be set apart.

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Paul Condemns Lawlessness In Romans (and other epistles)

Out-of-context quotes from Paul are often used by Christians to defend their lawless application of the faith. Therefore, the rest of this article will be used to provide quotes from Paul that clearly condemn lawlessness and living and sin. I have chosen to quote from Romans, as this is the book that Christians usually reference when promoting lawlessness.

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Romans 1:26-32

“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:26-32)

Paul condemns living in sin and says that part of God’s wrath and judgment on people living in sin is to allow to them abound in it; he gives them over to a reprobate (debased) mind. This is another scary passage, as it shows that God doesn’t always bring correction to sin. Bringing correction to sin would be God showing mercy, but sometimes he allows their lawlessness to abound more and more, which leads to destruction. Lawlessness often leads people down a slippery slope, and it is important that Christians don’t provoke this type of judgment from God.

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Romans 6:1-2, 10-14

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:10-14)

Paul makes it clear that grace is not an excuse to keep sinning. Jesus died once for our sins, now we must die to sin and stop letting the lusts of the flesh control us. We must bring every thought under the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) and exercise self-control through the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Lawlessness is unacceptable, as we are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Paul then finishes Romans 6 talking about how we were delivered from uncleanness and lawlessness, having become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-20). We were once slaves to sin (John 8:34-36), and the wages of sin is death, but God set us free and gave us eternal life through Jesus (Romans 6:22-23).

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Romans 8:5-8, 12-14

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8)

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14)

Paul makes it clear that walking in the flesh is death, and it puts you in enmity with God because it is lawless. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God, which connects back to Jesus condemning lawlessness in Matthew 7:21-23. Moreover, Paul showed us in Romans 1:26-32 that walking in the flesh provokes God to wrath, which is why some are given over to a reprobate (debased) mind. Believers should walk in the Spirit, as it is the only way to live.

Throughout Romans, Paul makes it clear that lawlessness and living in sin is unacceptable. People love to quote Paul when he talks about how we are delivered from the Law because it cannot save. However, they overlook the fact that he condemns lawlessness and tells believers to walk in the Spirit. Read the Word in its entirety; don’t cherry-pick verses to help promote your doctrine.

I will stop here so this article doesn’t ramble on. These are only a few of the many times that Paul clearly condemns lawlessness. For extra reading, 1 Corinthians 5-6, Galatians 5, Colossians 2-3, and 2 Timothy 3 are more instances of Paul condemning lawlessness and telling believers to walk in the Spirit.

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Conclusion: Be Set Apart

As Christians, we must be set apart. To reference John 17:14, we are in the world, but not of the world. The world lives lawlessly, but we cannot live like them. We must walk in the Spirit, and not in the sins of the flesh. We should worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), surrendering our entire hearts to Him. Lastly, we must get to know Jesus. I don’t want any believer to hear Him say, “I never knew you”.

Thank you for reading, and always remember to stay vigilant!