Read with Me
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (HCSB)
The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with all kinds of false miracles, signs, and wonders, and with every unrighteous deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth in order to be saved. For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe what is false, so that all will be condemned—those who did not believe the truth but enjoyed unrighteousness.
Listen with Me
Paul has been pointing to the great rebellion and the coming of the lawless one as the sign that the return of Jesus was growing nearer. These hadn’t happened yet, so the Thessalonians did not have to worry about rumors that Jesus had already returned and that they had somehow missed it.
But at the same time, Paul didn’t want those still-new believers to be worried that they themselves would be deceived by this man of lawlessness and lose their access to heaven. Paul admits that this charismatic leader will be motivated by the great deceiver himself. And he admits that the man’s presentation will be impressive, with the ability to do signs and wonders. This is right in line with Jesus’ warning against being deceived by false messiahs in Matthew 24:4-5, 10-13, and Luke 21:8.
But Paul notes that even though the supposed “miracles” this man performs will indeed deceive many people, they will all be a sham, counterfeit miracles, a mere façade of power. And as such, they will deceive only those who are perishing, who are not part of God’s kingdom, and who have no relationship with God through Jesus.
Indeed, their being taken in by this false messiah will actually be a punishment inflicted on them by God Himself. If they reject God and refuse to believe the truth, He will cause them to believe a lie that will cause their downfall, and their ultimate and eternal ruin.
But those who believe in God, who cling to Him during the time of testing, do not need to fear being taken in by the deception, and so shipwrecking their faith. God will fully support all those who live with their faces steadfastly turned toward Him, and He will see them safely through all the way to the end.
Pray with Me
Father, I do know a lot of Christians who live in fear that they will somehow be deluded in the end times, tricked into following beast and taking his mark, and ultimately fall away from You. But the solution you present is very simple. We must simply live each day with our faces turned toward You and refuse to allow our focus to be diverted by the “shiny objects” that the world pushes toward us. Help me to live my life today fully turned toward You, completely oriented toward Your light, so that I can live today right in the center of Your will. Amen.