Today’s message is meant to open the eyes of those who instead of following the true word of God, decide to follow those that promise them success, deliverance, breakthroughs, health, promotions, marriage, etc. God never promised all of these things but, rather He promised salvation and suffering. If you are currently a member of a church whose pastor is promising all these things, you might be following and supporting a false preacher and that is a sign of your own pending destruction in hell. This message is for you and it will show you what I am talking about. Our message starts at 2 Thes 2:9-12 but, just as a way of introduction. Paul was addressing a heresy that was being taught to the church at Thessalonica that Jesus had already come and from verse 1-8, Paul told them that the end will come once the rebellion has taken place, the man of lawlessness has been fully revealed who will oppose God and Jesus and declare Himslef god, and the restrainer who now restrains him is removed. Then Jesus will come and kill him with a breath of His mouth. Paul calls this man of lawlessness a son of destruction. In other words, a person destined to be destroyed. In 1 John 4:3, John confirms that these anitchrists have come already and are already at work amongst us and in 1 John 2:22, John calls any who denies God and Jesus, an anitchrists. So this man of lawlessness is the anitchrist. Paul says the same thing to the Thessalonians that this man of lawlessness is already at work but currently is restrained. It is not clear who the restrainer is. By being restrained it means that he is not yet allowed to put his plans fully in motion until at the time set by God.
Now that we know who the man of lawlessness is and who the anitchrists are, let’s look at what are their duties. What are they currently doing to people.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (ESV Strong’s Bible)
” 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Paul spares no punches here and tells us exactly how the man of lawlessness is brought about. Paul says this man will come by the activity or operations or by the power of the devil. It is the devil who will bring about this antichrist. This anitchrist will have the power of the devil in him, to enable him to display false signs and miracles and unrighteous deception. In other words, he will use all unrighteousness to fool people with false signs and miracles. He might indeed be able able to give you success, deliverance, breakthroughs, health, promotions, marriage, etc, so that he can keep you away from the truth. There is no question on whether he will be able to do these things. He will be able to them otherwise how will he decieve people. So, this anitchrist will be able to do false signs and miracles. False in the sense that they only lead to destruction.
But, that is not all. Who are these people who wil be decieved by this anitchrist? Paul says, and this is very important, Paul says that the antichrist will decieve those who are already perishing. What does Paul mean, Paul means these are the people who have refused to love the truth and be saved and therefore are on their way to destruction. These people made a choice not to listen and obey the truth but, instead followed and supported false preaching that promises them success, deliverance, breakthroughs, health, promotions, marriage, etc. these are the only people that the antichirst will decieve. This is very good news to those that have chosen to follow and support the truth and obey God’s word because we are assured by Paul, that we will not be decieved by this anitchrist.
But, why does God allow this? God allows this so that those who have rejected the truth can be decieved and beleive what is false. Paul says God send them this anitchrist as a strong delusion, a false appearance so that they can be decieved and beleive what is false and be condemned. What is Paul saying, Paul is saying this anitchrist is a judgment of God against those that have rejected the truth and now God gives them what they wanted so that they may be condemned. Who will be condemned? Only those that rejected the truth and had pleasure in short lived unrighteousness.
What does this mean? As John said, these anitchrist have already began their work amongst us. Jude describes them as:
Jude 1:4 (ESV Strong’s Bible)
” 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Jude 1:12-13 (ESV Strong’s Bible)
” 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.”
Jude 1:16 (ESV Strong’s Bible)
” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.”
Therefore all this means, if you find yourself sitting in a church, following and supporting a church whose pastors promises you success, deliverance, breakthroughs, health, promotions, marriage, winning court cases, etc, and it is these very promises that attracted you to this church or this pastor, then this might be the sign to you that you are on your way to destruction in hell fire as that pastor you are following, might be a strong delusion sent by God so that you may beleive what is false and be condemned because, you have rejected the true word of God and ran after short loved earthly pleasures. You are reading this message because God is giving you one more chance to repent and put your trust only in Jesus. So, REPENT NOW!
Psalms 118:8 – [It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Why i say that is because people put to much faith in the preacher and to little faith in the Word of God. They believe everything the preacher says and in turn get led astray as they have a lack of knowledge of the Bible.
That is very true