The desired situation is not perfect liberty and happiness, it is perfect obedience to God. Every person who practices perfect obedience to God is a blessing to those around him. But he who insists on his own liberty and happiness harms and deprives others.

There may be little we Christians actually can do about the lawlessness in the world other than to pray to God for our own nation, that God will bring in righteousness at any cost; not peace at any cost, but righteousness at any cost. We are not to seek first the joy of people but the joy of God.

There is, however, much we can do about our own condition before Christ. We can flee from the teaching that suggests Christians are not to be governed by any law. Indeed, we are under the sternest of all laws—the law of the Spirit of life. To be under the law of the Spirit of life is to obey the Holy Spirit strictly, to walk in the Spirit. When we live by that law our actual righteousness of behavior exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.

Also, the Lord is coming to His Churches today and demanding that we receive Him as absolute King and Lord of our lives. Numerous Christians have received Jesus as their Savior without receiving Him as absolute Lord over every part of their behavior.

As we enter Christ we find that the Spirit of God deals with the sins of our flesh, such as drinking alcohol, smoking, swearing, lying, stealing, and all forms of sexual immorality, hatred and murder. In addition, the Spirit uncovers our attitudes, our imaginations, our motivations, our words. The Spirit brings us into trouble and suffering that reveal to us the monster our self-seeking soul actually is.

Little by little we become the Lord's possession. Soon we find ourselves in arenas that develop finer points of faith, trust, and hope. Now we are walking in the wisdom and power of the Spirit of God Himself. We have climbed out of the gap of lawlessness and have placed ourselves under a completely demanding law—the law that requires our perfect union with the Life of Christ.

Many—perhaps most—of the believers in Christ are living in the gap of lawlessness. They have been taught that the Law of Moses does not apply to them but they do not understand how to enter the law of the Spirit of life. They do not realize we have become dead to the Law of Moses in order that we may be married to Christ, not so we can live as we please. They are waiting to die and go to Heaven so they may be happy. The Kingdom principles of righteousness, peace, and joy are not known to them.

Multitudes are in the valley of decision. The Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. Will you be one who climbs out of the valley of decision, out of the gap of lawlessness, and chooses to submit to the law of the Spirit of life?—to Christ's scepter of righteous behavior? (from The Gap of Lawlessness)