God loves you. John Chapter Three is God's plan of salvation for your life.

Documentation Published on Sunday, 12 July 2020

2 Thessalonians 2: The coming deception: Decisions you make today have future implications

Throughout the New Testament, John 3:16, as well as the parts that immediately follow it, is a pivotal verse to which many other verses are tied. It clearly states that because of God's love for mankind, He sent His Son so that people can believe in Him and be saved. Of course, we already know that there is the flipside of the coin: What happens to those who decide not to accept the call for salvation? When we read just a little bit further, after John 3:16, we see the following:

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. – John 3:16-19

The big divider in the passage is the word "but", found in verse 18. The word "but" is a conjunction, combining two ideas that are grammatically more or less the same, but are opposite in meaning. In this verse we have two very clear facts:

He that believes in Him is not condemned

but

he that does not believe is condemned already

These two facts are opposites in every way. First, the part before the conjunction:

"He that believes" is a positive active phrase ("he" plays an active role in the first part – he does it himself), followed by a negative passive phrase, "is not condemned" ("he" does not play an active role in the second part – it is done by someone else).

Likewise, after the conjunction "but" the counter phrase is stated, the opposite is stated:

"He that does not believe" is a negative active phrase ("he" plays an active role in the first part – he does it himself), followed by a positive passive phrase, "is condemned" ("he" does not play an active role in the second part – it is done by someone else).

With the grammar out of the way, let us go on with verse 19. The focus shifts away from he ("he" represents all of mankind, male and female) who has believed, and moves to he who did not believe. He is condemned not just because he did not believe but also because of his evil works. He loves his evil works more than to be saved and tries to hide his evil works in the darkness. The light that has come will expose these evil works. The unsaved man has made a choice, to love the darkness rather than to love the light.

What are the future implications?

The two letters the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica were the first letters he wrote to a church in Europe. He founded this church (Acts 17) but was driven away. The church itself continued, and Paul felt it necessary to support the church by sending them two letters. In the first letter he teaches the church a lesson in eschatology by stating that those who were alive then as believers, were not at a disadvantage in terms of what would happen to them at the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ:

¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Paul here writes about believers, those who according to John 3:16-18 have eternal life. So, what about the "but" part – the opposite side of the coin?

He addresses this in the second letter. He writes to the church in Thessalonica again, but this time he focuses on their spiritual growth. He commends them for what they have endured so far. The church has had to endure their fair share of persecution, and Paul supports them by telling them that the persecution they endure at the hands of unbelievers will not go unnoticed and unpunished by God. The problem with this is that the Thessalonians thought that they were already in the period of the Tribulation, which is still to come. God would quickly intervene and sort out the persecutors once and for all, in their own lifetime, with the coming of Jesus. Paul's corrective teaching may have dampened their expectations somewhat when he says that yes, as stated in the first letter, Jesus will come to receive the church and take them to heaven, but before that can happen, two other things must first take place. He explains it this way:

¹Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, ²That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. ³Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; ⁴Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

He clearly shows that before believers will be rid of their persecutors, and the Coming of Jesus takes place, two things must happen first. These are:

the falling away, where people will decide to do everything that is immoral and against the Word of God, and
the revelation of the son of perdition (the Antichrist) who will sit in the Jewish Temple (we know that right now there is no temple, but plans are in progress to rebuild it) and blaspheme by proclaiming himself to be God.

This man will deceive the unbelieving world (those who are part of the falling away) through signs and wonders. Some will think that this is the actual Jesus and will run after this man, as is also stated in John's description in Revelation 13:13-14. What did Jesus teach the disciples in Matthew 24? He was very clear that they be careful that no one deceives them:

³And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ⁴For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. – Matthew 24:3-4

Paul talks about the one who will come and deceive many people. Jesus first told the disciples about it; Paul then told his church in Thessalonica about it; but John saw it happening in the future! We have been warned.

A future without Jesus is incomprehensible. Paul explains to the church in Thessalonica what must still happen. When this man comes on the scene, the Antichrist, he will deceive many people. Who are the "many people"? They are the ones who are not saved, as stated in John 3:16-19. In addition to them having decided not to choose salvation, but rather choose to remain in the darkness, God Himself will allow them to be deceived and deluded, to believe a lie:

¹⁰And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹²That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. – 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

Unbelievers will quickly argue that this is unfair and that they have not had a fair chance. This is indeed the delusion. Jesus Christ, as sent by God to this earth with the express purpose of offering salvation to man, was mocked, persecuted and killed. Of course, in our day, any current unbeliever still has the chance to repent and accept the saving grace of Jesus. If anything, then the current situation with lockdown because of COVID-19 has given man all the time he could possibly need to sit down, take stock and evaluate his life. Instead, many have chosen to continue living in unrighteousness. For this, they will pay the price.

Can you see the connection between John 3:16-19 and 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12? Because people do not want to believe, as per John 3:18, they are condemned. The condemnation is that because they did not believe the truth, they now believe the lie of the Antichrist and are damned.

We learn from the Word that the coming Antichrist will deceive people through signs and wonders. For many years, false prophets have tried to deceive people and even believers (the elect). Jesus warns the disciples here to be on their guard as these things will just become worse.

²⁴For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. – Matthew 24:24

Is God unfair to send a delusion so that certain people will be damned as a result of simply not accepting the gift of eternal life? Of course not. He has given man a choice and with enough time to consider their options. You live or die by the choices you make.

Currently the media is an instrument in the hands of Satan to spread a lie. Do not believe everything you are fed by the media. Satan gradually softens people to accept the ultimate deception that is still to hit an unbelieving mankind. Do not look around you, horizontally, towards what people do. The warning is this:

²⁸When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. – Luke 21:28

Look vertically, look up. That is where your salvation will come from.

In the week to come, take the time to examine your standing in Jesus Christ. Forget about what your church teaches. Forget about what people say. Ignore the media. Focus on the Word of God alone.