A Glimpse of the Future Part II - 2 Thes 9-17

A glimpse into the future

Part II

E.  His work
⁹  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,

·       The Lawless One is the Anti-Christ

·       The Coming of the lawless one

o   Same word “Parusea” used for Jesus’ return

o   The Anti-Christ is a poor Satanic substitute for Jesus’ coming

·       In accordance with the Work of Satan

o   Satan will have complete control over the anti-Christ

o   He will be the embodiment of Satan

o   Satan will be energizing him

o   ·       Counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders

o   But while Jesus and his followers did miracles of compassion for the purpose of bringing glory to God, the Antichrist will do miracles characterized by evil and deceit for the purpose of bringing glory to himself.
Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Thessalonians, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "2 THESSALONIANS 2".   

He will deceive millions upon millions of people

F.  The Anti-Christ’s Followers
¹⁰  and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 (NLT) ¹⁰  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.

·       Who are going to be deceived?

o   Those who are perishing

§  Headed in the wrong direction

·       Why are they perishing?

§   Because they refused to love the truth and so be saved

§   Willful choice on their part

§  Behind the great deception there lay the great refusal" (Stott, Gospel and the End, 172).
Mark Howell, Christ-Centered Exposition – Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians, ed. Daniel L Akin, Tony Merida, David Platt, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2015), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 231.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (MSG) ⁹  The Anarchist's coming is all Satan's work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake,
¹⁰  evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them.

¹¹  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie
¹²  and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

·       God is in control even through this

o   He sends a powerful delusion

o   He will give them what they want and have been living for

§  They refuse to love the truth

§  They will be turned over to delusion – lies

·       Bruce says that "a power is set in operation within them which makes them prone to embrace error" (Word Biblical Commentary, 45:174
Thoralf Gilbrant, ed., The Complete Biblical Library – Galatians-Philemon, (Springfield, IL: World Library Press, Inc., 1995), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 357.

o   Not believed the truth and delighted in wickedness

§  Proverbs 5:22-23 (NLT) ²²  An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.
²³  He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

·       Human beings are notoriously reluctant to take responsibility for their own actions. Nearly everyone wants to pass blame on to someone else. Paul's reminder is that all will face the inevitable consequences for their own actions. Those who face judgment and condemnation will have no one to blame but themselves. The downward spiral of deliberate disregard for God is clearly illustrated in this passage: rejecting God's truth; believing what is false; enjoying unrighteousness; facing condemnation.
Mark Howell, Christ-Centered Exposition – Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians, ed. Daniel L Akin, Tony Merida, David Platt, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2015), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 231.

·       How should we pray for “those who are perishing” now?

o   That they would stop believing lies

o   Truth would break through

§  Jesus is the truth

Hallelujah…not all perish although all deserve to perish

G.  The Salvation of God’s Followers
¹³  But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

·       How are we saved?

o   Through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit

§  Process of being made holy through the work of the Holy

§  To be made more like Jesus

o   Through belief in the truth

§  Who is the Truth? 

·       Jesus

¹⁴  He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

·       Called through the Gospel

·       Share in the glory of Jesus Christ

·       There is no need to worry about the future

·       The Trinity is on your side

o   God the Father Calls

o   Jesus dies

o   Holy Spirit sanctifies

·       Salvation was not our plan

·       It was not our doing

·       It is God’s

o   We can stand secure in Him as we love and follow Him

¹⁵  So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 (NLT) ¹⁵  With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

·       Stand firm

o   Do not be shaken off the firm foundation

o   Persevere

§  Grundmann (ibid., 7:637) observes: “In faith man attains to the position which allows him to stand firm. This standing does not result from secular securities such as health, power, property, or connections. It is based on the transcendent God on Whose promise faith is fixed.”

§  Thoralf Gilbrant, ed., “4590. στήκω,” in The Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary – Sigma-Omega, (Springfield, MO: Complete Biblical Library, 1991), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "4590. στήκω".

·       Hold to the teachings

o   Keep a strong grip on the teachings

§  False teachers will come along

§  Ephesians 4:14 (NLT) ¹⁴  Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  

A STRONG GRIP

How do we "stand firm and keep a strong grip"? We should hold on to the truth of Christ's teachings because our lives depend on it.

To believe in Jesus and stand firm will take perseverance because our faith will be challenged and opposed. Severe trials will sift true Christians from fair-weather believers. Enduring to the end does not earn salvation for us but marks us as already saved. The assurance of our salvation will keep us going through times of persecution.

Because Christ lives in us, we can remain courageous and hopeful to the end. Without this enduring faithfulness, we could easily be blown away by the winds of temptation, false teaching, or persecution.

Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Thessalonians, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "2 THESSALONIANS 2".

¹⁶  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
¹⁷  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

·       In the midst of the mess of the world around us

o   BE ENCOURAGED!!

§  God is in control

§  God saved us

§  His Word will stand

Hold on – He will hold on to You!!!!