11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2.11-14
You can see that there is a huge spirit of deception around in the world today. There are multitudes of people being put into a state of strong delusion as they believe the lie. There are all sorts of lies being told them, lies through the propaganda machines of the world whether it’s Putin and his lies for his part of the world, China and the Communist lies, all the lies which we have here in our part of the world.
There are all sorts of things being fed into people’s minds which are untrue, which are deceptions and delusions.
We talk about them sometimes, I won’t go into all the details, but you can see it happening in the world today, people believing the lie because they don’t believe the truth.
How do you defend yourself against a lie? Believe the truth. Who is the truth? Jesus is the truth. If you want to know the truth, believe in Jesus.
He said,
6 … “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14.6
So, the way to defend yourself against the lies which are coming in the world is to believe in Jesus and to believe the truth, and to be protected against the lies which come from the enemy.
And, even if the enemy does great signs and wonders, don’t be fooled by them. One of the problems of a lot of the church today has is that we’re looking all the time for signs and wonders.
Now, there can be genuine signs and miracles, I’m not denying that. But there can also be counterfeit signs and wonders and Jesus said that in the last days they going to be false christs and false prophets who rise up and show great signs and wonders to deceive if possible even the elect.
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Matthew 24.24
So there are a lot of things which are happening in the world today which are preparing for this to happen and you’ve got unsaved people who are open to deception – those who perish. Therefore, the only answer is to receive the truth. The truth is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There is even deception coming into the church in fact there’s a lot of deception coming into the church and that’s why a lot of Christians are confused today.
You’ve got churches telling you that all roads lead to God; that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere.
You’ve got churches telling you that homosexual sex is equally valid to heterosexual sex and if you’re committed to your partner, then it’s okay if you’re practicing homosexuality. That is NOT what the Bible says.
And you’ve got some Christians saying there’s going to be a great revival in which we’re going to impose Christianity on the world and make the whole world Christian. That too is NOT what the Bible says.
I think that’s another part of the delusion. You have all kinds of delusions coming on the world which are contrary to the Bible, contrary to the truth, and the only way you’re going defend yourself against the deception coming on the world today is to know what this book says; know the truth and know that Jesus is the Way, the truth and the life.
If you walk in the truth and you continue in the truth then you’ll be defended against all the deceptions that are coming in the world today.
Verse 11 says the ‘strong delusion will cause people to believe the lie and the world is being prepared today for the lie so that’s what’s coming. That’s the situation we’re in today.
What is the answer? Well, the answer is to believe the truth and to believe in Jesus. How are you going to be ready for all these things which are coming? Well, it’s quite simple: repent, believe the Gospel, believe the truth, read the Word of God, continue in the truth. Jesus said,
“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8.31-32
Don’t be put off by all the things which are coming in the world. If you hear something, even from the pulpit, then measure it against what it says in the Bible. Check it out, and check out whether it’s the truth because only the truth is going to set you free, and the truth is to be found in the person of Jesus.
Whether the Rapture comes before or after the tribulation, in one sense, doesn’t make a difference because it’s going to come what is going to matter is that you know the truth and that the truth has set you free. If that is so, no matter what, you’re going to be ready be ready for whatever is going to come in the world.
Today we should be ready to suffer, we should be ready for trouble coming, we should be ready for trouble coming in our own personal lives. The Bible doesn’t guarantee it won’t happen, but it does guarantee that, even trouble comes, God is going to be with us in that trouble, He is going to take us through.
2 “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42.2-6
But there is also the Blessed Hope, and I do believe there is this Blessed Hope that Jesus is going to come and take us out before the worst time of trouble arrives here on the Earth. If that’s going to be the case, then it could happen anytime. So we need to be ready now by repenting and believing the Gospel and looking up because our redemption draws near.
Jesus is coming, and so it’s a message of Hope and a message which gives us a reason to believe the Bible, and to believe in Jesus, and to continue in Jesus no matter what happens in the world around us. Because He is the only One who can save us, the only One who can give us eternal life.
Do not panic then, when we see bad things happen happening in the world. They are going to happen. And I pray they’re going to get worse but they’re only going to get worse until a certain time and when Jesus comes. That’s the end for all of Satan’s activity and Jesus is going to reign on the earth and bring peace and Justice to the world for a thousand years in preparation for our time to be with Him forever in glory, in heaven which is the glorious good news and the glorious hope which we have in Jesus Christ.
So, when you see these things beginning to happen (and they are beginning to happen), do not panic but look up lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Jesus is coming, amen. Praise God.
Let’s just have a word of prayer.
Lord, we thank you that we do have this great hope in you. We thank you that there is a reason to believe, and we pray Lord, that you’ll help us as we face so many forces, so many kinds of antichrist forces around us, to guard our hearts against them and to be ready to have a reason for the hope that is in us as we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen. Amen.