Strong Delusions

 In Paul's day around 51-52 AD, he wrote about  'the mystery of iniquity' and how it was 'already' working. (2Thess.2:7)  We know for a fact that 1,974-75 years later in the year 2025 that iniquity still abounds.  (Iniquity- wickedness, lawlessness, unrighteousness) No one who lives in this world today can tell me that iniquity doesn't fill our world to overflowing.

Paul the Apostle, spoke of the fact that even in the brand new Church there was wickedness, lawlessness, unrighteousness.  He also went on to say the mystery would remain a mystery- until it can no longer be so and THEN THAT WICKED would be revealed. Basically, Paul was saying there was the a mystery wouldn't be understood until a later time. Eventually that Wicked (that which produced the iniquity) would be revealed. And that revealed Wicked would then one day be consume with the spirit of Christ's mouth, destroyed by the brightness of the Lord's return.

Paul KNEW way back then 1,974-75 years ago, an evil that was started would continue on until the return of Christ, at which time Christ would destroy THAT WICKED. Paul goes on to give us even more insight into THAT WICKED - it will be one whose coming is after the working of SATAN. So, it's not SATAN himself, this is a WICKED that has its beginning in the early church and will continue in the church throughout time until Christ's return.

Think about that for a very long moment. So many people think that the early church was pure, spotless, wonderful, but it wasn't! Right away, only twenty years after Christ's crucifixion, there was INIQUITY, THAT WICKED whose coming was after the working of SATAN, was in the church!  Let that sink in. 

How is that possible you ask?  Because of this…That revealed WICKED one whose coming is after the working of Satan -- comes with ALL power, signs, lying wonders, deceivableness of unrighteousness.. And the worst thing…

Those that PERISH are going to do so because they are the ones caught up in the power, the signs, the lying wonders, and deceivableness of unrighteousness. Why will they perish? Because they are allowing themselves to be caught up in all that wickedness-- and they won't RECEIVE a love of the truth!!!  They won't receive truth that they might be saved! 

And worst still… it's not bad enough that they choose to believe lies rather than truth, they do so in such a way they cut themselves off from ever being able to learn the truth! And because they've cut themselves off from truth, which is GOD, which is JESUS, God is going to send them STRONG DELUSIONS, so those who want to be deceived, will be deceived. God allows them to live in the deceptions they've embraced. 

God sent His declared SON who was uniquely begotten, and all the truth of God was embodied in His SON. Jesus was living TRUTH. And still people are going to be deceived. Don't think for one minute being in a church, or being a follower of Christ will keep you from deception. Those in the first church were not exempt and people haven't been exempt throughout time in the many, many divisions of what was once the early church. The early church became corrupted, as Paul said, a deception would cloud the minds of those who believe they are truly Christ's, but are not. 

Why, because they received NOT the LOVE OF TRUTH that they might be saved! 

TRUTH.  When we know truth, when truth is revealed to us and we discount it as unimportant for any reason, we are accountable for that denial of truth. When we refuse to search for truth claiming Jesus as our Savior while ignoring all the truths He gave to us in His short ministry upon earth and even after, through the Apostles and men of God speaking as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, and… yes, even this… if we ignore the truths in the OLD TESTAMENT- the word Jesus told us explicitly that speak of HIM, that He was even with Moses- 

1Co 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 

1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 

1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 

…then we are ACCOUNTABLE for our choosing to ignore truth that is found throughout God's word! Whose commandments do you think were given on Mount Sinai? Christ was with Moses as they journeyed to that Mount and received those commandments. Christ Jesus during His ministry upon earth, enlightened us to the truth of those commandments, and some were more strict than they allowed for and others less strict than others allowed. He was teaching the true meaning of those TEN ROYAL LAWS. He never did away with a single one of them! He brought them to life. He wanted the TRUTH of keeping them to be revealed!  And yet, so many people ignore these facts, despise the truth and are comfortable with their strong delusions that God will allow. He won't force a single person to believe. We all make our choices, but when we choose Jesus we are choosing TRUTH and all that entails. We will all be accountable for our actions, our beliefs, the truth we follow. If we believe a truth that is filled with deception, if we do not receive a love of the truth, that delusion we are allowed is to let us THINK we are true Christ followers when we are anything but true Christ followers. Satan has the majority of people on the wide path comfortably numb to their deceived state. All those people will be damned who don't believe the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness. They'll enjoy their deluded existence. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 

2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

Righteousness is pure, unadulterated truth, and therefore unrighteousness is a pack of lies.  And even sugar-coated, honey-dipped, lies are worthy of damnation.  No one who is damned will have been forced fed their deceptions, they willingly partake of them. 

God help us ALL to only seek truth and in seeking truth, seek our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ always!