2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 – God Will Help You – Bible study

2Thess 2:11-12 God Will Help You We have a situation brewing. \#11\ "God shall send them a strong delusion." A. At the time this verse was written, it was a prophecy. To this moment, it is a very difficult prophecy to comprehend. B. Why? It is a prophecy of God sending a strong delusion. 1. The word "delusion" means error or deceit. 2. One preacher pointed out that the Greek word used is the same word used for planet. The idea being that God will send an error which will cause some to wonder as man used to think the planets wandered. C. The situation that we have is that I believe the spirit of delusion is already here. Lets consider some thoughts: I. The Source – God A. Typically, God deals in truth not error. God is the God of truth! Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. B. Yet, this verse makes it clear that God will send error. C. How can God do that? 1. It teaches me that if you want to rebel against God, God will help you. 2. When some people see something in the Bible they do not understand, they tend to say the Bible is not true. When I see something in the Bible that I do not understand, I want to learn a new lesson. This verse teaches me a lesson. 3. From another passage a few weeks ago, we learned that if you do not want God, God will not force Himself on you; but this lesson is step beyond. D. In studying the Bible, we need to verify what we think we are learning here with other Bible passages. Romans 9:17 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. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 1. Some read into this verse more than what it says to create a doctrine of divine control which the Bible does not teach. a. Pharaoh was not some tender-hearted man who sought the truth. b. \#Ex 1:8-22\ He was a cruel king who enslaved the Jews, treated them with hatred, and demanded they murder their own children. d. History tells us that the Pharaohs demanded worship as gods, claiming to be the emissaries of gods. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_religion d. This went on for 400 years, generation after generation \#Ge 15:12\. e. God did not have to force this Pharaoh to rebel against Him. He and his family had been doing it for centuries! f. But God did help him. God hardened this mans heart a little more each time he talked to Moses. God did not pick the direction this man went. God aided him in getting to his end destination quicker. g. Hence, our lesson: if you want to rebel against God, God will help you. Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 2. This verse is different in that it is not dealing with an individual but the whole human race. a. Yet, it reveals the same truth. b. If you want to do wickedly, God will "give you up to" even worse behaviors. c. That doesnt mean God forces you to do them, but it does mean that God makes it easier for you to do so. d. How? I think God lets our minds justify our actions. e. I have told you before how our minds are broken. I used to say of teenagers that they had the ability to gather all of the facts and data and then reason their way to a false conclusion. However, all people have that ability. f. It takes an intervention from God to help us see the truth about sin, the Savior, and salvation. g. If you dont want to see that truth, God does not show it to you. h. Hence, our lesson: If you want to rebel against God, God will help you. E. This verse is prophesying a time when God will help the world to believe a strong delusion. Why? Because they want to rebel against God so God will help them. II. Strength A. God is not just going to send a delusion but a strong delusion. 1. The Bible shows that God has helped both individuals and the human race to believe error before. 2. However, never along the scale of what this verse is indicating. B. Strong to me means two things: 1. Most, if not all, will believe the delusion. 2. They will believe a far-fetched delusion. C. Let me point out, I do not believe the delusion God is going to send has been sent yet. 1. What I believe is that the spirit of delusion has been sent; that is, the force or power of delusion is already here. D. For example, lets consider homosexuality. 1. People wonder why Christians still make such a big deal out of this sin. a. First, fewer and fewer are. b. But those who do so do so because it is such an obviously sinful behavior. (1) The Bible teaches it: Lev 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 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. (2) Even as that verse says, nature teaches us that it is wrong. (a) You cannot procreate with two men or two women. (b) At one time, every culture outlawed this behavior. 2. In order to accept homosexuality, one must turn his back on God and the Word, as well as, deceive himself as to what history and nature teaches. a. Homosexuality is a threshold of rebellion against God which is hard to cross in EITHER direction. b. Yet, it is being accepted world-wide. (1) Homosexuality is now legal in 23 countries. (2) Every one of them has legalized homosexuality since 2000! http://www.pewforum.org/2015/06/26/gay-marriage-around-the-world- 2013/ (3) As if September of this year, Norway is the first country where children as young as 6 can change their gender! Anna Thullin, 10, was the first to go from being a male to a female! https://world.wng.org/2016/09/norway_allows_children_to_legally_ change_gender (4) As of May 17, 2016, there were 74 countries where homosexuality is illegal, but that number is decreasing quickly. Most of those countries have some kind of Muslim influence. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/gay-lesbian-bisexual- relationships-illegal-in-74-countries-a7033666.html c. In our state, this past week, Judge Roy Moore was removed from his position as Chief Justice of Alabama for enforcing the 2006 amendment to the State constitution. (1) Amendment #774, called the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment. (2) That amendment, approved at the ballot box, clearly states that marriage is between a man and a woman and that no county in Alabama may issue a marriage license to two people of the same sex. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Amendment_774 (3) In removing Judge Roy Moore, the issue of our constitution was never addressed. There was no hearing on it. It was just ignored; thus making our State constitution of no worth. E. Sin is not the only indication that the spirit of delusion is upon us. 1. Politics – You may feel you have only two choices now; but in the primaries, there were a lot of possibilities for president. That fact that these two were chosen, in large part by those who call themselves Christians, tells me volumes about the spirit of delusion in our country. 2. The riots across our nation, the injustice of our legal system, the popularity of socialismall tell me that our nation and our world is under the influence of delusions. G. WHEN God sends HIS delusion, it will be easy for the world to believe it. 1. God has not sent His delusion yet. 2. But the spirit of delusion is already present and it is STRONG. III. \#12\ Scope – What will be the purpose of design of God in sending this strong delusion? A. It will be to damn those who would not believe but took pleasure in rebelling against God. B. God helps those who want to rebel against Him to damn themselves. 1. If you want to go to hell, not only will God not stop you, He will help you. 2. If you dont want the truth, God will make it easier for you to reject the truth. 3. How? a. God will quit dealing with you about sin. b. God will quit sending people by to warn you about sin. c. God will let your mind justify your sin. d. God will send you friends that will encourage you in your sin. e. God will remove the guilt and shame of your sins. 4. To the end, you will receive the damnation that you want. C. That is not the God I though was in the Bible. 1. Then you had better read the Bible again. 2. I am amazed at how many people have firm opinions about God, sin, and salvation either never having read the Bible or having read it only to suit themselves. IV. Solution A. There is only one. B. You either continue on your way or you repent and turn to God.