“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.”
All who have not known grace commit lawlessness and will be revealed at the right time. God causes that time by calling us to restrain their wickedness as well as restrain (hold back) ourselves from it with faith. Then, He removes us out of the way; for He appoints us as one who restrains lawlessness by working in us His righteousness and works. When He removes us, the work of the lawless or the mystery of lawlessness is revealed. Our removal may not be death in the body.
The mystery of lawlessness works from within the church through those who assume themselves as belonging to Christ. It is force of the world. If it makes us fall, we suffer the consequences. If we are restraining from it, we still suffer, but for the reward of righteousness. We can let it rule us by fearing it and make unwise decisions. Or, we can hold ourselves back from it and enjoy the peace, joy and comfort of the Lord by the strength He gives. When it is working, either we work with it or against it. This decides the kind of people we are and become. But the Lord wants all believers to become like Him.
Lawlessness is defined simply as lawless deeds. They are ever present before us and if not careful, can appear in us. It is because of them we face the prospect of disobeying the Lord, suffer and feel as if overcome. Lawlessness has a mystery to it, since its appearance cannot be easily understood, but its working nature is deciphered by faith. Its ways and timing too cannot be perfectly predicted. What we can know by faith is that it is dangerous to our way of life. It is because of such knowledge that we should restrain it and hold ourselves back from it. Then, it will have no power or affect over us.
Life Applications:
- Be filled with the Christ’s Spirit and you shall know the lawless as well as their deeds. Your piousness will remain forever before God.
- We are called by God to restrain lawlessness and in doing so we restrain the death that comes by it.
- God has called us to remain faithful to Him until death that He might at the right time put an end to lawlessness.
- God displays us to the dying world as those that restrain death that is by lawlessness. We become His instruments for the salvation of men.