The
coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power,
signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who
perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should
believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth
but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV
If
you have followed the rhetoric by those of a liberal bent being directed
towards Christians lately, you may have noticed that some of the terms they use
come directly from the Bible.
Unfortunately for them, however, is that they fail to notice that those
terms are not used in the Word in reference to believers but rather are
reserved to describe nonbelievers. You
see, rather than believers being “delusional” because of their beliefs, it is
the unbelievers who reject the truth as revealed by God who are described in
this passage from Paul as being deluded.
In
this chapter, Paul is addressing the believers at Thessalonica concerning their
fear that the tribulation might have already begun. Here Paul reassures them by explaining just
what needs to occur before that time begins.
As he describes the coming of the antichrist, he makes it very clear
that his acceptance will be abetted by the fact that those who remain after the
rapture of the Church are here “because they did not receive the love of
the truth, that they might be saved”. The
truth, according to one commentary I read, is that these people will be
deceived by the antichrist because they want
to believe his lies.
What
we see right now, all around us are the lines being drawn between those who
choose to believe the truth as God has revealed it and those who choose to
reject it. The Greek word for “delusion”
is translated as a “mental straying,
error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion”. If one chooses to believe that the Bible is
the inspired Word of God, then there should never be any question as to what to
believe because the Word makes it abundantly clear what God thinks, especially
as it pertains to morals and religion.
The only question before us is do we choose to accept and believe, or
reject and disobey?
In
the first chapter in the book of Romans, Paul explains in more detail what
delusional people are like. We are
basically told that it is when a person chooses to reject the truth of God; God
will then “give them up” to their choice to be “deluded”. The Greek phrase used here means simply to
allow or permit them to believe as they wish.
As one commentator put it, “people
can eventually come to the place where it is impossible to believe”. Neither you nor I know where this line
may be drawn, but God does. It is at
this point that God will then “give them up” and allow them to believe the lies
they have chosen to follow. Paul
describes them this way;
For the
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what
may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For
since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they
did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their
thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they
became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made
like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts,
to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for
the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is
blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For
even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise
also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for
one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves
the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do
those things which are not fitting;
Romans 1:18-28 NKJV
The
“debased” mind in verse twenty eight is also translated “reprobate” in the King
James Version, and in the Greek it literally means “unapproved, i.e. rejected; by implication, worthless (literally or
morally):—castaway, rejected, reprobate” according to Strong’s Definitions
(1890). If you are like me and look
around at what we are seeing today from society as a whole, and witnessing the
scorn and persecution of believers beginning to make the weekly news, does it
not feel as if the stage is set for the ‘delusion” to take place? Considering the
extent to which many have not only rejected, but are beginning to attack those
who choose to believe the truth, is it hard to understand why they will be so
easily deluded by the appearance of the antichrist at the end of this age?
When
discussing the passage from Thessalonians, Ray Stedman put it this way; “However, the deception can only take root
in those who do not receive the love of the truth. These people are ready for
the deception of the antichrist, because they want a lie, and God will send them
a strong delusion.” This delusion
will be the man of sin who deceives the whole world with his “power,
signs, and lying wonders”. People
will flock to him and believe because they have already rejected the truth of
God and want to believe the lies the antichrist has for them.
Paul
makes it very clear that these people have no excuse. It is not that they don’t know of God, but
rather that they have seen and chosen to reject. Now you tell me, who do you
believe is truly delusional; those who have chosen to believe the “love
of the truth” or those “who exchanged the truth of God for the lie”? This world may well be full of delusional people,
but according to God, it’s not His believers.
Keep
watching.
