What is the essence of the Son of Perdition?

Its essence lies in presenting a façade of being Christian, while in reality undermining the implementation and enforcement of Christ’s rightful rule,  His Ten Commandments, and the principal doctrines of the faith.  So it was with Judas Iscariot, who put on the façade of Christianity, while in reality stealing from the coffers of Christ and ultimately having Him killed, to satisfy his own lusts.  And so it is with the Romish Papacy, who parades around the world as if she is Christian, being the largest Christian denomination, yet denying Christ’s gospel of grace and inventing her own worship and promoting idolatry and a false gospel.   Yes, like Judas Iscariot certain things are done in conformity to Christ’s law (e.g., Rome condemns abortion and contraception), but at its heart it overturns Christ’s rightful rule.
 

The Mother of Harlots

But Rome is not only a whore herself, she is the Mother of Harlots who serves as an example and even promoter for others to follow in her footsteps of lawlessness.  There are many ways in history she has sought to accomplish this.  She tried the method of brute force to re-conquer Protestant nations, but this ended in the stalemate of the Thirty Years’ War.  Her most successful efforts have been subtle ones.  She has undermined the enforcement of the Ten Commandments in Protestant nations, in the name of ‘religious toleration’ and pluralism.  This was King James II’s effort in seventeenth century England.  And Romish Maryland was the first state to pass a formal ‘toleration’ act, setting a pattern for other colonies and ultimately a new nation to follow.  Romish products like Descartes, the ‘father of modern philosophy’, promoted the "Enlightenment", which is a humanistic attack on true Christianity and true Christian nations.  And her Jesuit educators and authors successfully spread heresies far and wide.

Some Protestant denominations were never able to fully shake off the heresies and un-Biblical worship rites even when they left Rome.  These errors have been stumbling blocks, leading to graver errors in later years.  They have paved the way for a return to many more Romish ways, and to Rome herself.

But Rome has led by example perhaps even more than she has directly caused lawlessness.  Many Protestant denominations have followed her example of putting on a Christian façade, while yet undermining (in some instances in ignorance and not willfully, but in other instances quite calculatedly) Christ’s laws and Christ’s gospel.  These have attacked:

· The authority of scripture
· The regulative principle of worship
· The doctrines of grace
· The establishment principle
· Christian Sabbath observance and overall obedience to the Ten Commandments
· Full subscriptionism to sound reformed confessions
· Sexual purity
· The integrity of the Lord’s Supper (by opening it up to heretics)
 

Nero slew his thousands, but the Son of Perdition slays his tens of thousands.

Over the course of Christian history Christ’s church has met much opposition.  One early opponent was Nero.  Another was the Judaistic Jews who rejected Christ as Messiah.  But Christianity’s greatest threat has never been external, but internal.  It is the party which like Judas Iscariot puts on the façade of Christianity, while yet undermining the implementation and enforcement of reformed Biblical Christianity.  It is the party that turns the Lord’s Supper into the Mass.  It is the party which invents Christian rites and ceremonies, thus corrupting true Christian worship.  It is the party which talks a good talk about abortion, while undermining the authority of scripture and the doctrine of sola scriptura. It is the party which promotes humanism.  The Papacy's ungodly ex cathedra pronouncements overturn Biblical principles and laws.   Its essence is lawlessness, for it undermines Christ’s rule and law, and sets itself up as the real authority.