The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12,
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."
"Those who are perishing", who, "refused to love the truth and so be saved" are sent a powerful delusion from God to believe "the lie" and be condemned. These are ones who delight in their wickedness, such that they reject the truth. I am reminded of what Jesus taught Nicodemus in John 3:19-20, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed."
It is my understanding from Paul's comments in 2 Thessalonians that there is a point at which God will take action against someone who refuses to believe in the truth, rejecting it, in favor of clinging to their sin. This action is identified as a "powerful delusion", so they will believe "the lie."
Certainly, inextricably bound up in this lie, is that there is no merit in the claims of the gospel message. The gospel informs us that we are all sinners, that Jesus Christ died on that cross to pay the penalty for our sins so we might gain eternal life with him, and that all he requires is that we place our faith, our trust in him. The gospel tells us Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that his Father raised him following his crucifixion, proving that the Father's sense of justice was satisfied in the payment Jesus made through his death on the cross.
The horror of the delusion from God is that these folks will never respond to this gospel message.
Why would God do such a thing? In addition to God being loving, God is just. God is holy and righteous. All who reject him, reject the gospel are subject to his wrath. Jesus also told Nicodemus, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." John 3:17-18. These that fall under God's judgment of delusion first exercised their own free will in refusing "to love the truth and so be saved."
Can someone reject the gospel and go for a time without being sent a "powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie" and be condemned? When is that line crossed? At what point can someone be found to be deluded such that they will never embrace Jesus Christ in faith? I don't know the answers to those questions. All I know is that this is something Paul raises as he considers future things. The consequences of rejecting the truth of the gospel are horrific.
"It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."
"Those who are perishing", who, "refused to love the truth and so be saved" are sent a powerful delusion from God to believe "the lie" and be condemned. These are ones who delight in their wickedness, such that they reject the truth. I am reminded of what Jesus taught Nicodemus in John 3:19-20, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed."
It is my understanding from Paul's comments in 2 Thessalonians that there is a point at which God will take action against someone who refuses to believe in the truth, rejecting it, in favor of clinging to their sin. This action is identified as a "powerful delusion", so they will believe "the lie."
Certainly, inextricably bound up in this lie, is that there is no merit in the claims of the gospel message. The gospel informs us that we are all sinners, that Jesus Christ died on that cross to pay the penalty for our sins so we might gain eternal life with him, and that all he requires is that we place our faith, our trust in him. The gospel tells us Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that his Father raised him following his crucifixion, proving that the Father's sense of justice was satisfied in the payment Jesus made through his death on the cross.
The horror of the delusion from God is that these folks will never respond to this gospel message.
Why would God do such a thing? In addition to God being loving, God is just. God is holy and righteous. All who reject him, reject the gospel are subject to his wrath. Jesus also told Nicodemus, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." John 3:17-18. These that fall under God's judgment of delusion first exercised their own free will in refusing "to love the truth and so be saved."
Can someone reject the gospel and go for a time without being sent a "powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie" and be condemned? When is that line crossed? At what point can someone be found to be deluded such that they will never embrace Jesus Christ in faith? I don't know the answers to those questions. All I know is that this is something Paul raises as he considers future things. The consequences of rejecting the truth of the gospel are horrific.
"It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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