When Does God Send A Strong Delusion? 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

When Does God Send A Strong Delusion?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The Meaning Of The Term…

“The state of being deluded; a falsebelief, especially when persistent, of

what has no existence in fact.”

A Standard Dictionary of the English Language, American Press Edition

The Meaning of the Term…

DELUSION - paralogizomai

- A Mental Straying, i.e. error, wrong opinionrelative to morals or religion

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

(Ephesians 4:14 )




For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

(1 Thessalonians 2:3)




For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

(2 Peter 2:18)




Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

(2 Peter 3:17)




We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

(1 John 4:6)




Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

(Jude11)



- Error which shows itself in action, a wrong modeof acting – Romans 1:27

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (Romans 1:27)



“The error of one’s way, or the wrong manner ofLife which he follows – James 5:20

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (James 5:20)



“That which leads into error, deceit, fraud – Matthew 27:64

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. (Matthew 27:64)

The English Translations…

“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2Thess. 2:11,12

King James Version


“And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2Thess. 2:11,12

American Standard Version


“Therefore God visits them with an active delusion, till they put faith in a falsehood, so that all may be doomed who refuse faith in the Truth but delight in evil.”

2 Thess.2:11,12

Moffatt Version


“And for this reason God sends them a misleading influence that they may believe a lie; in order that all may come under judgment who have refused to believe the truth and have taken pleasure in unrighteousness.”

2 Thess.2:11,12

The New Testament In Modern Speech


“This is why God sends upon them a misleading influence, to make them believe what is false, so that all who have refused to believe the truth but have preferred disobedience may be condemned.”

2 Thess. 2:11,12

Goodspeed Version


11And for this cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false. 12 So that they all may be judged, who had no faith in what is true, but took pleasure in evil.

2 Thess. 2:11,12

The New Testament in Basic English

Summary

Because some people are not willing to receivethe love of the truth, that they may be saved,

God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in that which is false, so

that, having refused to believe the truth buthaving preferred to disobey that which is set

forth in the word of the Lord, they may becondemned!

The Importance of Truth And God’s Desire Regarding it…

• What Is Truth?– Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the

truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

– Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)

– For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)


• What Is Truth?– Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,

he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13)

– In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)


• The purpose & power of truth– Then said Jesus to those Jews

which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32)


• The purpose & power of truth– But we are bound to give thanks alway

to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)


• The purpose & power of truth– Seeing ye have purified your souls in

obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (1 Peter 1:22)


• God’s desire regarding all men– Then Peter opened his mouth, and

said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. (Acts 10:34-35)


• God’s desire regarding all men– The Lord is not slack concerning his

promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)


• God’s desire regarding all men– For this is good and acceptable in the

sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

Why Does God Send A Strong Delusion?

• This is never done as long as you are willing to hear & obey the Lord– Jno.7:17; Matt.13:12; Jno.18:37b; 12:48

• But when you clearly show you want to believe and do something different, then God will “give them up to the power of deceit so that he may put his faith in that which is false”

Some Concrete Illustrations…

• Lord’s will clearly revealed in our salvation– 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:3– But when people show a disposition to have

their own way, then the process begins to work…

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Romans 1:24


• Lord’s will clearly revealed in our salvation– 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:3– But when people show a disposition to have

their own way, then the process begins to work… For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Romans 1:26


• Lord’s will clearly revealed in our salvation– 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:3– But when people show a disposition to have their

own way, then the process begins to work…

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” Romans 1:28

Robertson’s Word

Pictures

These people had already willfully deserted God who merely left them to their own self-determination and self-destruction, part of the price of man's moral freedom.Three times Paul uses paredooken here (Rom 1:24,26,28), not three stages in the giving over, but a repetition of the same withdrawal. The words sound to us like clods on the coffin as God leaves men to work their own wicked will.

“God Gave Them Up”


• Lord’s will clearly revealed in our salvation– 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:3– But when people show a disposition to have their own

way, then the process begins to work…

– Isaiah 66:3,4 - “… Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

God’s “Permissive Agency”

• The Example Of Pharaoh –

“And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”

Exodus 9:16


• The Example Of Pharaoh

• So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” Romans 9:16-18“to raise from the dead; to arouse, stir up;

to kindle as fire”God’s demands stirred Pharaoh’s

antagonism toward God”Robertson Whiteside Commentary


• The Example Of Pharaoh – Ex. 9:16– Pharaoh’s death not accidental – chance– Demonstration of God’s plan, power &

purpose!– But not until Pharaoh resisted & rejected

every noble & worthy purpose God made available to him…by his own rebellion he made it impossible for God to save him!

– The lesson of the Potter & Clay – Jeremiah 18:1ff


• God’s Purpose For Pharaoh:– Gave him every opportunity to do the right

thing• Gave him a faithful servant to teach him (Moses)• Worked wonders by the hand of Moses • Series of plagues: flies, murrain, boils, hail, locusts,

darkness…always preceded & followed by “Let my people go that they may serve me.”


• God’s Patience With Pharaoh:– Adversity after adversity – God doing His best to

keep Pharaoh out of the Red Sea! – God doing all He could do to turn him away from

committing suicide in body & soul!– Pharaoh (like some of us) greedy for damnation!

Bent on working out his own destruction! Cf. Jude 11

“Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” (Jude 1:11)”


• One Last Effort To Save:– Pharaoh called to kneel by the coffin of first born– Children of Israel hurried out of Egypt– Finally - heart softened– Made to see the grip that sin gets on us…

blinded when we persistently refuse to obey

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13)

God’s Permissive Agency

God Hardened His Heart

Exodus 7:3

“And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and

my wonders in the land of Egypt.”

Pharaoh Hardened His own Heart

Exodus 9:34 “And when Pharaoh

saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.”

How Do We ReconcileThese Two Statements?


“After every one of these miracles, it is stated that Pharaoh’s heart was firm, or dull, i.e. insensible to the voice of God, and unaffected by the miracles performed before his eyes…. Thus Pharaoh would not bend his self-will to the will of God…the hardening was a fruit of sin, a consequence of that self-will, high mindedness, and pride which flow from sin, and a continuous and ever increasing abuse of that freedom of the will which is innate in man, and which involves the possibility of obstinate resistance to the word and chastisement of God even until death

(1981, pp. 454, 455,)

Keil AndDelitzsh

Commentary

God’s “Permissive” Agency

"But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. {unto...: or, to the hardness of their hearts, or, imagination}

Psalms 81:11,12

God’s Permissive Agency

“The Bible in no place teaches that God ever forces a man to sin, then punishes him for the wrong-doing. Neither does He compel man against his will to do right, but has always offered him proper inducements for righteous conduct, then left it to his own responsibility to decide what he will do about it”

(1952, 5:159). E.M. ZerrOr despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4)


• Lord’s will clearly revealed in the matter of…– Balaam (Numbers 22)– Balaam belonged to that class of people

to whom God says He will send a strong delusion!

God will allow the one who does not love the truth to be worked upon by error until he becomes satisfied and his conscience eased until he accepts a lie as the truth, which if not changed will result in his damnation!

Is our disposition such as to make us want to do exactly what has been revealed in

the Book; or do we find ourselves trying to justify

practices for which we have no divine authority?

Remember!

Matthew 7:21-23

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When Does God Send A Strong Delusion? 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12