The danger of deception
We wrap up 2 Thessalonians with a great look into the danger of rejecting God's truth
Verse of the Day: "He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies." - 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11
“He will use every kind of evil deception”.......This verse comes out of Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica. In this passage, Paul is writing about the Lord’s second coming and what events must take place prior to it. ‘He’, in this passage, refers to the man previously mentioned as the ‘man of lawlessness’, who will lead a rebellion against God. I believe the man of lawlessness, which some manuscripts read as the ‘man of sin’ refers to Satan. Satan is the evil deceiver. It’s what he does. Lie, steal, kill and destroy. It’s what the enemy is doing in our world today.
“To fool those on their way to destruction”......Jesus says in order for us to inherit the Kingdom of God, we must be born again. In Matthew 7:13, Jesus says “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.” Many in our world are on the road that leads to destruction. It’s a broad road and many choose it, whether they realize it or not.
“Because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them”.......This verse hits especially hard. We live in a world that is dominated by social media and the thoughts that rule the algorithms. We live in a world where truth is subjective and if you get enough people believing something, even if it’s false, it can somehow become true through these platforms. We live in a world where Satan is deceiving us and tricking us into putting idols before God and creating distance between us and the Father. This distance and these idols have led to those who have been filled by evil deception, to reject the truth of God. God’s truth is the only truth that can save. Jesus is the Lord and Savior for a reason. When we reject God, we reject truth. When we reject God, we reject our own salvation. The domination of these evil platforms in our lives and the approval that many seek to gain from them have led to people being silenced and fearful to love and accept the truth that sets them free. Living in freedom in Christ, especially in an era dominated by evil, is difficult. But as Jesus foretold us, the road that leads to life is narrow, and only a few find it. We need to remember that this life is not the end. Let us be bold in our love for God and let us not be afraid to speak God’s truth.
“So God will cause them to be greatly deceived”......throughout Scripture, you will find examples of God hardening hearts and shutting eyes of those who turn from Him. Romans 11:8 says “As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.” We become deceived when we fall asleep, become apathetic in our faith and close our eyes to God’s truth. Let us not be people who fall away from the faith, but be people who stand firm against the enemy.
“And they will believe these lies”........the enemy is the father of all lies. Jesus says that he cannot tell any truth because there is no truth within him. When we reject God’s truth and instead accept the world’s truth, we accept lies. Paul speaks of this in Romans 1:25 when he says - “They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen” Let us be people who do not trade God’s truth for a lie. Let us be people who are brave to profess our faith in Jesus Christ in a divisive world that hates God. Let us not be afraid to go to war against the enemy and his schemes. Let us remember our identity as children of God. Let us remember that when we believe in Jesus and follow Him, we have access to His eternal victory. Let us cling onto this victory until the very end. Because it is finished, we are free.