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About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman An
Even Bigger Lie Anyone who pays
attention to North American news outlets will have heard of "the big
lie." Whatever side of
the political fence you are on, maybe we can agree, if that's even
possible, that truthfulness is fast becoming a lost cultural character
quality. Pilate's age-old
question, "what is truth" as seen in John 18:38, reverberates to
this very day. Future
historians may debate "the big lie," but history will come to
its end with an even bigger lie, as we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 through
12 in the NIV. "The coming of the
lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He
will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that
serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness 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." Much should be said
about this passage but I'll limit my comments premised on a futuristic
view of Biblical prophecy that makes Paul's prediction a future event.
The NIV states that
people will believe "the lie" which suggests one specific lie.
Other translations state that people will believe "what is
false" that may or may not suggest one specific lie.
This variation is significant since it may influence your
interpretation of the passage.
Paul predicted that the
day will come when the lawless one who serves Satan and his lie will
deceive those who are perishing. Those
who are perishing are easily deceived because they have refused to love
truth. I'm not saying that
Paul's prediction is about our day, but it sure looks similar.
Maybe our day is the prelude to Paul's prediction.
Many people don't care about truth these days.
They speak and believe lies to serve their own self interest,
leaving culture in a confused mess, not knowing what is true and what is a
lie. So what will God do
about this mess? Will He send
a massive revival? No, God
will send a powerful, delusion, or as I say from my reading of the Greek
text, an energizing delusion that pushes the lovers of lies over the
end-time edge where they are eternally condemned.
Allow me to suggest that
revival is not always God's will in every last circumstance.
He might actually remove Himself from certain segments of the
church (Revelation 2:5). He
could vomit those segments of church out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16).
One thing is sure. God
will, at some future point, send an energizing, eternally condemning
delusional spirit that consumes the lovers of lies so that they will
believe the biggest lie ever. Post
Script You can decide for
yourself what "the lie" is.
It might be the anti-Christ's claim to be Jesus returning to earth
to establish His kingdom. I
wonder how many who claim to be Christian will fall for that lie.
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