May the mumbling commence!
Huey Lewis and the News have a song called, “Bad is Bad.” The chorus goes something like this: “I tell you, ‘Cool is a rule, but sometimes bad is bad…’” It is nice when it is easy to tell the difference between good and bad – when it’s easy to tell what is cool. I tell you, “Sometimes playing cool means playing the fool.” It is the finest in the art of deception. Read from Second Thessalonians chapter two:
Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 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, 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. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (Verses 5-12)
One day the lawless one will be fully revealed. The lawless one will seem good to the unwary – cool even. But the lawless one is nothing but a counterfeit – made to look like the real thing but is not. Such a powerful deception! There will be counterfeit miracles and signs and wonders.
And people will be attracted to these counterfeits. They rejected the truth of God and delighted in wickedness. They will perish. The time is coming.
When will the final time come? That is not for us to know – not even Jesus knew the answer to that question. It is a fruitless question to pursue.
What is holding the lawless one back? The love and forbearance of God is holding the lawless one back. God does not want anyone to perish. God is patient.
Who is holding the lawless one back? The answer to this question is a little more complicated. Jesus holds the lawless one back. The Holy Spirit of God works for Jesus on earth. And the Holy Spirit works through people obedient to God – both in the organized church and outside the organized church.
If you are wondering what Christians should be doing to prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus, this passage gives us some clues. Seek to create outposts of the kingdom of God. This creation helps to hold the lawless one back. It is part of our work of gratitude and praise of the Mighty One who saved us.
Another part is speaking the Word of God to those who do not know him. This passage tells us that by the breath of the mouth of Christ the lawless one will be destroyed in all his counterfeit splendor. As long as we have breath, let us speak of the Good News of Christ Jesus.
Doing these things is worship to God. They bring praise and glory and honor to our great Creator. To bring glory and honor and praise to God is the reason we were created.
Let us help each other in identifying the counterfeits in our lives so that we may learn the truth. Let us invite others into the family of God so that we may discover together the truth which neither one person can see nor a group can possibly know. Let us wait on God in this way.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment