Anarchism in the church – pseudo-godliness

2 Timothy 3:5 (NIV) says, “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

I believe when Adam fell he created anarchism.

The definition of anarchy is:

1. a state of society without government or law.
2. political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control: The death of the king was followed by a year of anarchy.
3. a theory that regards the absence of all direct or coercive government as a political ideal and that proposes the cooperative and voluntary association of individuals and groups as the principal mode of organized society.
4. confusion; chaos; disorder: Intellectual and moral anarchy followed his loss of faith.

[Origin: 1530–40; (< MF anarchie or ML anarchia) < Gk, anarchía lawlessness, lit., lack of a leader, equiv. to ánarch(os) leaderless (an- an-1 + arch(ós) leader + -os adj. suffix) + -ia -y3]

For the record, I do not condone bullet 3 which describes the false teaching of anarchism.

The root of the word is actually a Greek word, anarchia, or lawlessness. If I have no law or am not under a law then the only law I have is “a law unto myself.” I believe this is the core of anarchism.

Romans 2:15 says, “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”

When I read this it tells me I was created to have some sort of law always written in my heart. Either one I independently suppose or one written my heart by the Spirit of the Living God by His grace and power!

2 Cor. 3:3 says, “[Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”

Also, speaking of the New Covenant, the writer of Hebrews 8:10 says, ” For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:”

I believe when law or legalism is put on a believer (read “How to make a zombie?“) in Christ this enlivens the old nature that is inherently anarchistic. Is anarachistic a word? Yes, just confirmed at dictionary.com. I wasn’t sure. Now, I am.

So, the old nature is enlivened. Big deal. If you go to that church or are in leadership it is a big deal. It also someone’s life that Christ has redeemed. The sinful or old man is predicated on the law. This old man was NAILED to the cross with Christ and killed! He or she is dead! That dead person is then resurrected with Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and High Priest in the order of Melchisedec (Heb. 5:10) to newness of life. A life that never previously existed, but now exists only supernaturally by the revelation of Christ in the believer. The unveiled knowledge of Who He is growing everyday in Him, all the time, forever!

Essentially, what happens when law brings the old nature to life is spiritual anarchy in church. Sounds very familiar to what Paul dealt with over and over again with each of the churches he ministered to. He says in all his epistles, “Grace and peace unto you from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.” Grace to enable you to walk and live in Christ and His peace from the judgment and penalty of the law.

To me, a doctrine that enables the old nature is one that ministers works. This doctrine can manifest in different forms that “has a form of godliness”, but no power. When push comes to shove that doctrine becomes a foundation of sand to stand on and not bed rock. Matt. 7:25-26.

I remember I used to rebel so hard to the law of religion and the law of expectations I put upon myself and I thought I was rebelling against the Lord. Some of it was rebellion, but that got old quick. I was rebelling against religion and would go ‘back in the flesh’ under grace, but into things not beneficial for me or my family. This confused me so much and God is not a God of confusion, but order.

Looking back, I realize I was chasing my tail and fulfilling Gal. 2:18. I was building again the things (dead works) which were annihilated in Christ at the cross, Col. 2:14. I was sewing the fig leaf of whatever I thought seemed right. In doing so, I was becoming pseudo-godly like a frog in a pot of slow boiling water. This reminds me of Rev. 3:16. I loved the Lord, but my walk was like the stock market at best, UP and DOWN. How could this be if Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8)? I believe because I was mixing another gospel which really wasn’t another gospel into my life, 2 Cor. 11:4, Gal. 1:6-7.

Jesus said in Matthew 9:16, “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.”

As I have said in the “about revelator” link I have come to realize Christ is my LORD and Savior.

And now, I want to serve Him truly because I want to. He has made me new and changed me. Now, I possess godliness and acknowledge the source. I am growing more in Him and His godliness through grace and epignosis, 2 Peter 3:18.