JUL 15

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Memorise Romans 1:24-28
“except there come a falling away first”

HOW DANGEROUS IS APOSTASY?

Apostasy begets judgment. God’s wrath will be poured out. And since unbelievers stubbornly and repeatedly choose to reject God’s Truth, God gives them up (1) to uncleanness, (2) to vile affections, and (3) to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:24-28). This is judicial hardening or blinding, a God-sent delusion (v. 11-12). Now understand that it is not God that sends the lie. God is not a liar, and does not deceive. We understand this under the permissive will of God—Since they desire to believe in Satan’s lie, and be deceived, God allows them thus to be. The end result will be condemnation (v 12). There will be a dividing of the sheep and the goats, the wheat and the tares. Those who have not truly believed in the Lord will apostasise and be condemned. True believers will never be lost—God will keep them to the very end.

On the other hand, the passage has a stern warning against those who would turn away from the truth and live in lawlessness. The word “lawless” occurs three times here: in verse 3, we read of the man of sin or lawlessness; in verse 7, the mystery of iniquity or lawlessness; and in verse 8 the Wicked or Lawless one.

First, let us deal with the person of lawlessness. He is called in verse 3 the man of sin, and in verse 8 the Wicked one. In verse 3 he is also called the son of perdition. This same term was used in John 17:12 of Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord. From this we see that the man of sin is an individual or a person, not an institution, a nation, a force or an influence. He is like Judas—someone who professes Christ but in all his deeds he undermines the Lord and works against Him; i.e. he is an Apostate (with a capital A). And in verse 4, he is described as one who “opposeth” Christ. He is the Antichrist (i.e. Counter-Christ): he wants to take the place of Christ, to usurp Him as Lord and King. He possesses the Satanic ambition to be God Himself (cf Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28).

For us, let us check ourselves: Are we truly saved? Have we sincerely and truthfully believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Or are we like the lawless one, and will we be deceived by those who reject the truth?

Thought: Do a spiritual check-up. Am I truly saved?
Prayer: Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief!