The Mystery of Iniquity !

2 Thess 2:7

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

What is this Mystery of iniquity ? The word Mystery denotes something that cant be known naturally, but it must be revealed, or made known, sorta like when Jesus told Peter after he made that great confession Matt 16:17

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And thats how it is with this Mystery of Iniquity, flesh and blood can never reveal it, but only the Spirit of God.

It was actually an iniqutiy being committed by men by nature, which he is ignorant of, of which was already at work in Pauls day, so he writes in the text " the mystery of iniquity doth already work"

Its already operating. The word iniquity, anomia= lawlessness, its an utter disregard for God's Law, His Written and Living Word. Now herein lies the Mystery, and it is this, that man by nature is self deceived in his self righteousness, thinking that the good things he does morally and or religiously, either makes him accepted of God, or it helps contribute to it, not realizing that such thinking is evil, is iniquity, sin and disobedience ! Its also a religious iniquity, remember when Jesus said here to religious people Matt 7:22-23

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

What was there iniquity ? Vs 22 , their prophesying or preaching in His Name, their casting out demons/devils, and all the wonderful works they did in His Name !

That word wonderful means:

extraordinarily good, tremendous, terrific works, and may i say sincerely !

Jesus is saying these words to drug dealers, and thieves, the gangsters and prostitutes, else that would be naturally understood why He calls them " Ye that work iniquity" !

See, man by nature has no idea that his best morality, sincerity in religion, doing good to his fellow man, being a faithful loving husband or wife, that all of this, when it comes into thinking that it makes them accepted of God, worthy of reward, that its evil, its iniquity !

 

The Mystery of Iniquity !2

See, man by nature has no idea that his best morality, sincerity in religion, doing good to his fellow man, being a faithful loving husband or wife, that all of this, when it comes into thinking that it makes them accepted of God, worthy of reward, that its evil, its iniquity ! In fact, that is primary what Jesus is speaking of here Jn 3:19

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

The darkness and evil deeds here that men Loved is self righteousness, religion in sincerity, its what Paul wrote that his jewish brethren were guilty of here Rom 10:2-3

2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

The jews were ignorant of the One True God in their religious ways, and the Gentiles were in their own religious ways, Pauls point here Acts 17:23

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

One doesn't have to be a jew to ignorantly worship God, and one doesn't have to be a Gentile to ignorantly worship God, its just an ignorance and darkness we all have by nature !

This is the way of man, of cain Gen 4:1, cain self righteously brought the best crops he had tilled for to the Lord for an offering, to be accepted of the Lord Gen 4:2-3

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

The word tiller means labour, to do work, he tilled unto the sweat of his brow, but all to only hear from God that he was not accepted, he had not done well or good, but evil, and all of us by nature are in the way of cain Jude 1:11

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

And this sin, the way of cain, the mystery of iniquity cannot be known by man by nature, hence we read Prov 14:12

12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Prov 16:25

25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

The key here is that it seemth right ! It seems to be right and correct !

It seems right to man by nature, that we can be accepted by God by our sincerity in religion, our morality in knowing and doing right opposed to wrong behavior, not knowing that such thinking is iniquity !