Some of the Thessalonians had succumbed to a teaching that Christ had already come and so the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians refutes this false teaching.

Paul seemed somewhat surprised by the Thessalonians’ lack of discernment over doctrines he had already taught them (vs. 5).

So Paul reiterated that the second coming of Christ (“day of the Lord” – vs. 2) will be preceded by two events: a widespread rebellion, presumably against God by humanity and the appearance of the Antichrist (“the man of lawlessness” – vs. 3), who will personify hostility to God and his revelation.

Unfortunately, the Antichrist will be able to deceive many people because “the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders” (vs. 9) and because people “refused to love the truth and so be saved” (vs. 10).

When people refuse to love truth, then God allows them to become delusional and they believe what is false, what is not reality.

It’s as if they bury their head in the sand to keep from hearing and acknowledging the truth!

Paul says the satanic activity of deception is a mysterious force that is, in fact, already at work in this world but is being restrained until the time when it is fully revealed prior to the second coming of Christ.

So, living in a world where you are constantly exposed to deceptions requires that you continuously expose yourself to God’s truth.

When you expose yourself to God’s truth through Bible study, prayer, meditation, and through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, you develop discernment.

And, you avoid becoming delusional by loving God’s truth and experiencing His salvation!

Related articles

• Love of the Truth (holdingforthhisword.wordpress.com)