How Do We Know We Are Not in the Day of the Lord?

who have not yet obeyed the Lord's command to be baptized. Please contact us. We'd like to meet with you and talk you about that and you can be a part of this baptismal service. It's time of great rejoicing. When you outwardly and publicly make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, whom you've embraced by faith, and it's a great time to fellowship. So keep that in mind. And the other thing is there's a ministry leadership team meeting on June 1st at 8 a.m. that's on the Saturday morning. So put that in your daytime or whatever it is that you have and make sure you make that meeting if you're part of the group. We'll talk more about it a little later. I'd like to ask you a question this morning and then try to answer from this passage in 2 Thessalonians 2.

What is God's cure for emotional problems? What is God's cure for your emotional problems? When you're being held captive by anxiety or agoraphobia or depression or fear of bullies at school or fear to go over a bridge on the way to work. What is God's remedy for emotional problems? The answer to that question is his solution. Now I must admit the warning on the label is this can be addicting, but his solution is biblical truth. It's exactly what's happening in our text today. Listen to Paul be of God's prescription for being set free from disabling fear and anxiety. Listen to what Paul says to this group of Christians who are gripped by fear and anxiety. Listen to these words. 2 Thessalonians 2, beginning in verse 1.

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, or it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. You remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restraints him now so that in his time he will be revealed.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restraints will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of his coming. That is the one who's coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, so as to be saved. For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe the lie. In order that, they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but to pleasure in wickedness.

There is a biblical principle that you find throughout the Bible and it's something that often we don't think about and it never really gets into our head and therefore it has little effect on our lives. But this biblical principle is this, the genuine deep spiritual experience depends upon genuine deep biblical knowledge. We have to know the revelation that God has given to us if it is going to affect our hearts, our emotions, our feelings, our willing, our doing. Those wonderful subjective experiences of the heart that we love so much, faith and love and peace and joy, those subjective experiences of the heart depend on the mind and our feelings and our feelings and our feelings. Those subjective experiences of the heart depend on the mind's apprehension of God's truth of doctrine.

Doctrine is simply a word that means teaching, the teaching of scripture, what God has unveiled about himself and his plan and his purpose and you and me and Jesus Christ in the word of God. The biblical perspective is this, that studying and thinking and knowing never is an end in itself, it is always to lead to feeling and willing and doing. Every time you come to understand some biblical truth, you can count on it, there is an imperative that comes as a result. When you learn something from the word of God, it implies that there is something you must do about it without exception. The mind is the servant of the heart. You want your heart to change? Your mind has to be changed. That's why Paul writes in Romans 12 verses 1 and 2 that we're not to be pressed into the mold of this world but we're to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

It's the mind that is the instrument that God uses through which the word of God comes and impacts our life in a deep and pervasive way. Now we saw an example of this principle last week in Second Thessalonians. The Thessalonikans were suffering persecution. In order to help the church in their suffering to respond in the most profitable way, the way that brings glory to Jesus Christ, Paul gives them biblical truth. What he tells him is that their suffering is the spine of God's righteous judgment. Think of that. Has anyone told you that? That when you suffer, it is a sign of God's righteous judgment. That's what Paul tells them. He gives them this biblical doctrine of suffering and persecution.

And so Paul unveils to them biblical truth so that they could suffer in a way that would bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, by this suffering, here's the first line of doctrine he gives them by this suffering in verse 5 of chapter 1. By this suffering, they're being made worthy of the Kingdom of God. In other words, God's purpose in allowing you to suffer is not pain but purity. It's in order to transform you. Why are you suffering? Well, I can tell you, it is within the parameters of the will of Almighty God. Don't ever believe anybody who says, God has nothing to do with your suffering. That would be a scary thought. If there was some experience in my life, some suffering I was going through that was completely outside the control of the living God.

Just shoot me. If that's true. And then he goes on to tell them that those who are afflicting you will become afflicted at the second coming of Christ, that they're not always going to prosper. Jesus Christ is coming, and he's going to bring judgment upon this world. And then in 3rd and verse 7, he tells them Christians are being afflicted, these very Christians who are being afflicted are going to be given rest when Jesus comes back. He's coming to give us rest. So faith and endurance are going to be vindicated, and they're going to be rewarded when Christ comes back for his people. Now those are very important messages to people who are suffering. On June 2nd, we're going to have a brother come and preach.

A friend of mine, I've known for a long time, who is not a preacher by profession. He's a work for a Pacific Bell telephone company, except he's been retired because of health problems, young man. But you went to Uganda to preach the gospel and to teach preachers. He's a man who loves the word and is able to teach the word. He went over there for a month, and he came back with some incredible experiences. And these words that your faith and endurance are going to be rewarded and vindicate you have great significance to the people he was talking to. You know, when you talk to Christians in the Sudan who don't have arms anymore, because of their profession of faith, because of their connection to the body of Christ, and in that culture, imagine what it would be like to be in a culture like that without any arms.

It would be completely dependent on other people who take care of you. And to be able to tell them, based upon the word of God, the Bible says that all those who come to faith in Christ who come into a living relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ who's faith in Him, nothing will separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. So those words have significance to these suffering Christians at Thessalonica. He knew what they needed to hear. They needed to hear biblical truth in regards to their situation. And so he brings this biblical truth to bear upon their lives. You see how Paul deals with the crisis of faith? He does it through biblical truth by teaching, by doctrine.

Their hearts needed more faith. They needed to be strengthened. They needed peace and love. So he teaches them objective biblical truth about God and about what God is up to to help them cope in their hearts and bodies with the miseries of these sufferings. He imparts to their heads the meaning of their suffering. What I'm trying to drive home for your heart is, don't ever disbelieve this truth. The solution to your emotional problems is biblical truth. The same thing is that work here in the text that we're looking at today in 2 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Notice what the problem is in verses 1 and 2. This is the problem that Paul is trying to speak to. He's trying to accomplish something to solve this problem.

Note what his name is in verses 1 and 2. Now we request, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus and our gathering together to him. And now he's written to them about this already in the first book. And he talked to them. He gave them this promise. They're going to be caught up into a meeting in the air with Jesus Christ. And thus they will always be with the Lord. And the day of the Lord is not going to overcome them and overwhelm them and sneak upon them secretly. And he goes on, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. The first thing the way he describes the problem is this.

First of all, he says that you not be shaken from your composure. That expression means to lose your balance. To lose your marvels. To lose your peace. To lose your heads in the midst of a very treacherous situation. To fall apart. To run health or scalper as the Old Testament refers to it. To get into a situation where the pressure is so great you just don't know what to do when you're running in every direction at once. He wants to help them to become and compose and steady and clear thinking in the midst of this upheaval. It's all around them. And the second way he describes it is to be disturbed, to be alarmed, to be filled with fear, stirred up by fear of what's about to happen. In March 13, verse 7, Jesus uses this word in the similar context and he says this to his disciples.

When you hear of words and rumors of wars do not be alarmed. Don't be driven by fear of what's about to happen. This must take place but the end is not yet. He tells them the truth. So they won't be gripped by fear. Now Paul is a very practical goal here. He wants to help these Christians experience peace and calm and stability and clarity of mind in the midst of this suffering that they are experiencing. So he wants them to become Christians that don't get all shook up. They don't get agitated and anxious and fretful and confused and off balance in the midst of trials. That's what God is in us. He wants to produce people who don't fly apart under pressure. And we all have flown apart. We've all come apart of the seams under pressure.

And a part of spiritual growth is that we would come to the place that our heart and our emotions would be affected by the truth that we have come to understand. How is he going to affect their heart and emotions? How is he going to minister to this very practical need? How do you help somebody who's so filled with anxiety about tomorrow that they can't function today? Well, the drug companies are marketing day and night on TV. They have the solution. It's a pill. You take this pill, get rid of your anxieties, get rid of your fear of people, your social problems, your depression. But what is Paul's answer? Well, notice what he says in verse three. He gives the answer in verse three, let no one in any way deceive you.

You see the problem is deception, he says. It's not, in this case, chemical imbalance. It is a failure to no believe and cling to the truth. They're being deceived. There's a clear implication here. Paul knows that deceit is at the root of their mental and emotional disturbances. And if we're shaken from our senses and we lose our balance and we're blown here and there, we feel alarmed and fretful. We begin to act in ways that are unworthy of our calling as those who are called to Christ. It's because deceit has taken root somewhere in our minds. And you can be sure of that. If you have a desire to minister to fellow believers to be a counselor and you sit down with them and they begin to describe you their emotional state of being at this present time and make them completely dysfunctional, be sure that behind that is an area of deceit in their heart.

They are being deceived. If a person on this earth, and there is no one like this, but if a believer on this earth understood and believed all of gospel truth, he would never have a day of anxiety. But of course, that's not possible. Even Jesus said in his humanity when he was here. He didn't know what the future held in certain areas. He didn't know when the second coming was. And so it's an impossible thing. I'm not saying that if you're really spiritual, you never have emotional problems. I'm saying that the solution to our emotional problems is to know the truth. So what does Paul do here? What Paul does is in order to get this root of deceit that is in their heart dealt with. He teaches them truth that is tailor-made to their struggle.

And that's the key in discipling and the key in counseling is to find the biblical answer to the deceit that has gripped the heart of a person. We live out in the country and one of the biggest enemies of our lives has been starthistle. You know what starthistle is? Well, starthistle is a treacherous, powerful, overwhelming weed that invades your property. What happens is that the ground gets drier and drier and we go into the summer months and the water level goes down, down, down, and then all the grass dies off. Then these starthistle, which have roots that go down for China. It shoots up and it flowers. It's a beautiful flower. In fact, when you first see it, it's this tender plant. It looks so pretty.

But it is evil, just like deceit. It is an evil that will invade your life. And I'm telling you to control your life. I spend hour upon hour pulling starthistle out of the ground. And I've discovered that the roots go so deep that you really have to know what you're doing. And I've gone and said in meetings to listen to the truth about starthistle. I need to know the gospel, the doctrine about starthistle. And they discovered all kinds of things about it. They actually make a chemical that is made just to kill starthistle and nothing else. It's so wretched. Well, that's the way to see this in our hearts. In order to discover what the tool is that will eradicate this deceit, we have to study the kind of deceit that is taking root in their minds or our minds.

And then we have to loosen the soil around those roots and dig it up. And you know what the spade is that digs down its biblical truth. It's the truth of the word of God. If you ever done this, have you ever consciously tended the garden of your emotions with the tools of biblical truth? Have you ever done that? Have you ever been dominated by emotions that just sweep you here and there every day for weeks or months or years? And have you ever said, God, if I believe your word, if it's really true, and you said you've given us everything for life and God in us through your promises? If biblical truth really is the answer, then I'm going to dig in. I'm going to bear down. I'm going to spend a night and day until I discover what truth it is that I am failing to grasp and hang on to.

The word of God is that powerful. The word of God is not just some preacher's opinion. I've got a lot of opinions and you hear them and they're worth about a hill of beans. But biblical truth is powerful. The writer Hebrew says the word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. Piercing to the dividing of soul and spirit, bone and marrow, it's able to lay us bare before him to whom we must give an account. This word of God will penetrate down to the heart of your being and reveal the truth about the deception that is gripping you. Emotions are a red flag for us. When I am dominated by emotions that sway me here and there, it is a red flag to me that I am in the grips of deceit.

And the answer is the word of God. One of the biggest problems we have is we don't have confidence in the word of God to speak to the issues of our life. Hayden Robinson was in Australia sometime back a few years ago teaching preachers. And his final message, he was preaching on the fact that the word of God must dominate our corporate meetings. We must preach the word. He was preaching on the sufficiency of Scripture and how we must preach this word is the word of Christ. Powerful message and at the end of the message he gave this illustration. He said, suppose that Jesus came back, Jesus Christ came back for a visit to the churches in Australia. And when everybody heard that Jesus was going to be the keynote speaker at this giant rally, all the Christians in Australia came to hear Jesus Christ speak.

And they had this great time of worship, this massive choir and they worship the living God and anticipation that Jesus Christ, the head of the church, was going to stand up and preach a sermon to the church. What would he preach? What would he preach? What would his subject be? Hayden Robinson said, when he was introduced and he stepped into the pulpit, he held up a Bible. And he said, everything that I want to say to you is in this book. Read it and do it. Let us pray. That was his message. That's a stunning truth. Jesus Christ, the Bible says of itself, Jesus Christ said himself, this book contains everything that you need to know in order to experience life and Godliness. It will speak to the real issues of your life.

John Piper has paraphrased Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12 about the word of God being alive and penetrating. He puts it this way, piercing to the division of root and rock and dislodging even the deepest unconscious deceit of our minds that yield the alien fruit of fear and desire. The outward manifestation in our lives of deceit, sometimes we don't make the connection. Why am I dominated by these emotional responses and emotional state? We never even put together two and two. It's because I'm being deceived about the truth and the word of God will bring me the truth. Notice in our text, Paul says, let no one deceive you in any way. And then he gives 10 verses in which he teaches a specific teaching designed to root out the deceit from their minds that they were believing and to restore stability and faith and joy and peace of their lives.

It's the word of God that will do that for you. Some people go on diets to lose weight. I never do that. They go on diets so there's weight and they talk about a lot. We talk about diets all the time and some, you know, the latest chemical that you can take that's going to make you lose weight. It's amazing how we start talking about it before we've even tried it. As though it's already working. And then you ask somebody about three weeks later, how's it going? How's the diet going? Well, I haven't lost any weight yet. Are you keeping the diet? Well, no. I'm not keeping the diet. So he doesn't know whether it works or not. That's what it is with the word of God. You hear all these messages about the word of God.

The word of God is powerful. The word of God is the word of the living God. It is alive. It speaks to our hearts. It has feet. It runs after us. It has hands. It takes hold of us. And yet we go home and put it on the shelf and it gathers dust from Sunday to Sunday. We never get it into our hearts. We never dig. We never try to find truth that affects our lives and what we are going through in life, what we're facing. Paul says to them, let no one deceive you and then he teaches them. He gives them biblical truth that we have here recorded for us. Notice what it is. The deceit is that they're being told that their sufferings are part of the day of the Lord. Now, that filled them with fear because they understood what the day of the Lord was.

What is the day of the Lord? Well, if you read your Bible, you know that about 23 times this expression is used that many other times has taught about. The day of the Lord is the day in which the Lord is coming. And he's going to bring judgment on the earth. And when you look at the text of the Old Testament, for example, look back at Isaiah 13 and lay your eyes on this. Here is a description of the day of the Lord. Isaiah chapter 13 verse 6, listen to these words. Well, for the day of the Lord is near. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore, all hands will fall limp and every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified, pains and anguish will take hold of them. They will arrive like a woman in labor.

They will look at one another in astonishment. Their faces aflame. The whole of the day of the Lord is coming cruel with fury and burning anger to make the land a desolation. And he will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light. The sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light. Thus, I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and a base to haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind and the gold of a fear. Wow. And you know, that's one of the mildest expressions of the day of the Lord in Scripture.

The day of the Lord is the coming of the Lord to bring judgment upon His enemies. And then it happens. It occurs on several occasions throughout biblical history. But they always point to the ultimate day of the Lord. And God personally will come back in the person of his son, the Lord Jesus. And the day of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he comes, he's going to bring judgment. He's going to pour out judgment upon this area. And men are going to say, let the rocks fall on us so that we don't have to face this God. What an awesome day that is. The Thessalonikans knew about this judgment. And now they're being told by someone, either someone who's claiming to prophesy this or whose claim that he's gotten a letter from Paul or who is just teaching this as a teaching of Scripture.

And Paul says you're deceived. The biblical truth is verse three. But no one in any way deceive you that day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed the son of destruction. If they had simply known this truth, embraced this truth, they would not have been shaken internally and emotionally. They could not be in the day of the Lord because these two events have not yet taken place. And then he explains it. Notice he takes verses four through twelve to explain this truth. That first, the revelation of the man of sin and the apostasy have to occur before the day of the Lord begins. And so in verses four through nine, he describes the coming of the man of lawlessness.

He wants them to understand the man of lawlessness has not showed up. And we've had men of lawlessness. We've had antichrists show up. But the man of lawlessness, the antichrist, has not come on the scene. And so we know the day of the Lord has not come. Notice the contrast between Paul's emotional response to the coming of Jesus Christ and the Thessalonikans emotional response. How do you feel when you hear messages about the return of Christ? How do you feel when you sing those songs? Oh, I want to see them look up on his face. How do you feel about that? Is that something that you relish that you anticipate seeing Jesus Christ when he comes back for his own? Well, Paul says it's a blessed hope.

He waited in joyful anticipation of this great gathering to meet the Lord in the air. When Christ is going to come with his mighty angels and flaming fire to establish his kingdom upon the earth and bring his saints with him. Paul rejoiced in that day. He says comfort one another with this. But the Thessalonikans are shaken and they are alarmed because someone is saying the day of the Lord has come and we have not been saved. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10 it says that these believers of Thessalonika turned from their idols to serve the living and true God and to await Jesus from heaven who was going to deliver them from the wrath that is coming upon this earth. And yet people were saying you are in the day of the Lord and you are suffering as a sign of it.

And so they were fearful. You see what they thought was going to happen is they were going to experience what many of our soldiers in our wars have suffered. They become casualties of friendly fire. They are going to be in the midst of this crossfire because Christ hasn't taken them out. You know that 49% of the casualties suffered in the Persian Gulf War were from friendly fire. 39% of the casualties in the Vietnam War were from friendly fire. Isn't that amazing? We had a situation like this just a few weeks ago in Afghanistan. Our young man was killed and when the whole account was given it was probably from our own men. And so they are thinking here we are the Lord Jesus is coming back for wrath upon this earth and we are in it.

And so they are fearful so Paul gives them biblical doctrine to calm their hearts and restore their peace. And so in verses 4 through 9 look at the text verses 4 through 9 he lays out for them a description of the man of lawlessness. He evidently believed that they should be able to recognize him when he appears and he reveals six things about him. Notice what they are you might jot these down the first thing about him is his character is lawless. He is the lawless one he is a man who embodies the spirit of rebellion against God's law. The lawless one he stands openly and brazenly against God and his law publicly leading trying to lead the entire world into rebellion against God and his law. Who says we have to obey the law of God men today are telling us who says that there are absolutes moral absolutes.

Who has the authority to tell you how to live? Each man has his own truth, has his own standard. That is the spirit of lawlessness. If it work your kids are hearing it every day in school. Second thing about this man is he is destined for destruction. See that expression at the end of verse 3 son of destruction? That is a Hebrew way of saying the destiny of this man is destruction. He is going to be destroyed personally at the hand of Jesus Christ. Destruction cleansed him. He is very nature. This is an unusual destruction because it is going to be a personal confrontation. What a strong warning this is to us that rebellion against God's law brings leads to destruction. In fact we find that principle even at work in our lives.

When we oppose God's clear commands to us how it is so corrupting in our lives, even as believers. The third thing he says about him is he is going to market himself as God. We are a world of marketing, aren't we? They can market anything. Today if you have ever watched on PBS some of the exposés of marketing in America you market a look. You market a snarl. You market fuzzy heads. You market any kind of thing. You market a look. A messed up hair look. Make millions of dollars. Selling a look. Isn't that amazing? Anything can be marketed in our culture. This man is going to market himself as God. He is going to market himself as God. He puts himself forward as God. Notice in verse four. Who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God or object of worship.

The world is full of objects of worship and yet he is going to lift himself up above them all so that he takes his seat in the temple of God displaying himself as being God. An amazing thing. You think of the audacity. No one is going to fall for that. Have you ever heard of Jim Jones? On Saturday mornings, whenever that was, probably 25 years ago, Jim Jones was on the radio on Saturday mornings and I had a commute on Saturday morning, I listened to him every Saturday morning. And I thought this is a man of lawlessness. This is an antichrist. This man would get on the TV and he had a whole host of followers and he would claim to be God in his prophecies. People followed him to where? Where did he go?

Guyana. And they committed math suicide. They bowed to his will. Self-destruction. He was a man of lawlessness. He was like this man who is going to set himself up as God. The only difference is the entire world. Except those who are God who love the truth are going to be fooled and duped by him. He puts himself forward as God by taking the seat in the temple of God. What in the world does that mean? Well, it's hard to tell. And there's disagreement about this, where this temple of God is. I know you're sure of where it is, many of you. But it's a difficult decision because the word temple of God used to describe at least four things. It's used once. It's used as a title of God's dwelling in heaven and the third heaven.

We're sure it's not there. It is used of the temple in Jerusalem, which was in existence when Paul wrote this letter but is not in existence today. It is used of the church of Jesus Christ. It's used of the temple of God and it's used of the body of Christ. Destroy this temple in three days. That will raise it up again. I think we can eliminate the first. It's not the one in it's not God's realm in heaven and it's not the body of Jesus Christ. So it's either the church or it's the temple in Jerusalem or it's something else that we don't yet recognize. But when he does it, we will all know it. At least those of us who are still here. And all the pre-tribulations are right and we won't be here anyway.

But he's going to set himself up as God and everyone's going to recognize that. And notice how easy a cell this is because for this man to set himself up as God is basically saying to all humanity, we are God. There is no God outside of us. We need not go out and need to anyone. We are free. We are economists. You think that's barfetched? That's what Satan said in his own fault. Isaiah 14 is Ezekiel 28. It's what he said in the garden when he tempted Eve to take the fruit that God had prohibited her from eating. It's what he said when he approached Jesus Christ and attempted him to act independently of the Father. And it's what he does to you when he comes against you. To be lifted up on your own eyes that you don't have to submit to the will of God.

You are, you're on God. We're all our own God. And so he comes on the scene and a world bows the knee to him. The fourth thing about him that Paul says is he will be revealed at God's appointed time. In other words, God is in control, not Satan. The man of lawlessness will not take this position until God is ready for it. Who the restrainer is? Probably the Holy Spirit. There are other theories, but it's probably the Holy Spirit. Who else could restrain the work of the lawless one? Who else has this power? Acts chapter 1 verse 7 says God is in control of these things. And God, the Holy Spirit, is no doubt the restrainer. The fifth thing he says about him is he will be slain by the Lord Jesus soon after his coming.

He's going to come on the scene but very quickly Jesus is going to come back. And with one word, one puff of his breath, he's going to destroy the man of lawlessness. His doom is sure. You know why he tells us that so that we can be encouraged. It's not up for grabs. God is going to win. The sixth thing, the last thing he says about him is that his power will, he will come in the power of Satan. Look at verses 9 through 11. He says, that is the one who's coming is in accord with the activity. That is the powerful working of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders. You can put the word false before all three of those. False power, signs and wonders. These are words that are used of the work of Jesus Christ when he was here.

Miracles, signs and wonders. And with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe the lie. What's the lie? According to Romans chapter 1 verse 25, the lie is this that you should worship and serve the creature instead of the creator. That's the lie that he will deceive people into believing and they will gladly embrace it. Now these are false signs and wonders and miracles. Why are they false? Are they fake? Is this a sleight of hand? Is this just some electronic production? No. They are real, but they are false because they point to a lie.

The purpose of miracles and signs and wonders is to point to truth. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, performed miraculous things, fed the multitudes with a few loaves of bread and fishes. Why? To point to the reality of the gospel. To point to the reality of who he was. Satan sends his man with these signs, wonders and miracles, but they are false because they point to the lie. So notice that Paul's tool here is truth. Truth is what we dig into our eyes with to find these roots of deceit that are causing us our emotional disturbances and the control of desires in our life. Where do we find the solution? We find the solution in biblical truth that digs down into our heart and corrects our deceits, sets us free from deceit.

His goal is that they would regain their composure, that they would have peace and joy even in the midst of their suffering. So they would manifest the truth of the gospel, even in their suffering. And people suffer, they become witnesses in a unique and wonderful way. And that's what he wants them to be. Now notice in verses 9 through 12, he talks about the apostasy that also is connected to the revelation of the Man of Lawlessness. And I believe the apostasy is what there are several views about this too. I believe the apostasy is that there are those who claim to believe truth, who will turn from that truth and follow the Man of Lawlessness. Because that's what apostasy means. It means a falling away from truth by those who once held it.

People who proclaim that they believe the truth of the gospel, but they have never truly embraced Christ by faith in their hearts, and they are going to be the ones who are going to be deceived. I know there is this popular belief that people who sit into the gospel all their lives, and then Jesus comes, raptures this people out, and then they will believe the gospel. This passage says that is not true. This passage says that God is going to descend upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe the lie. Why? Why will we do this? Well, notice in the text why he does this. He says, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

For this reason, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe the lie. An amazing thing. They will believe the lie because they did not love the truth. They did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Notice that pattern. Notice that phrase. It isn't merely an issue of knowing or believing merely mental ascent to these facts. It is an issue of loving. I know people who know the truth. I know people who believe, even believe that the gospel is true, but they don't love the truth. They have never embraced Christ by faith. They have never gotten off the throne of God where they have set themselves and bowed to the authority of Jesus Christ.

The one who died for sinners like you and me. So as to be saved. And so when this deluding influence comes, when the man of Wallace comes on the scene, those who sat in churches and listened to the gospel, who are now the leaders of the church, are going to be deceived and deluded. They will believe the lie. Now think about this for a second. So brilliant. When the man of Wallace comes on the scene, his signs and wonders will be used to support the claims of his appeal. You know what his appeal is going to be to your natural fallen desires. It is the natural fallen desire of a fallen man to be independent of God. And this man is going to have the solution. There's a way to be free. And the only defense against the appeal is to have a deeper love for God and truth than your natural desires.

If Christ is our treasure, if Christ satisfies our longings, if we love Him and His glory and the glory of His gospel, then the mystery of lawlessness will not overcome us. Because our hearts will be controlled by love of the truth, so as to be saved. Let me just say in conclusion. Let me ask you, what are your emotional problems that dominate your life? Are you controlled by anxiety or fear or depression or powerful impulses and compulsions that dominate your life? Many people in our culture are. Are you? Will you seek to undecide your heart? You ever worked at coming to the scriptures in order that you might undecide your heart? That you realize that you're being dominated by these desires or by these emotional upheaval in your life.

And you know that you need to understand the truth. Have you ever attempted to undecide your heart by coming to his word and digging deep and discovering what it is? What the deception is? The word is the only effective spade to rule out those deceptions that keep you in bondage. It's only the word of God and God's truth. Seek the truth and embrace it. That's what we'll set you free. You know, there may be someone here in this room today that God is giving you a desire to embrace the truth of Christ, the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You've heard it. You've heard that Christ came into the world to die for sinners, to restore mankind back into a right relationship with God, to take rebels who've placed themselves on the seat of God and acted as though they were God and God had no right over their life.

And you've been convicted of that. And you've listened to the gospel and you desire the gospel. The spirit of God's working in your heart will produce a love for the truth. And if he is doing this, then what should you do? You should talk to God. You should talk to God. You should admit before him that you've rebelled against him. That you have placed yourself on the throne that only he should have. That you do deserve the punishment that the Bible speaks about, but you want mercy. You want the mercy that he's promised through Christ. Ask him to empower you to turn the belief of one Christ, to receive deliverance and freedom. In fact, let me give you a sample prayer, and I'll pray this in a minute, and you can pray this in your heart.

And if you pray it in your heart, if this becomes your prayer because it is an expression of your sentiments, this can be a step towards the only one. It can only save you. It can give you peace, stability, and fernness, no matter what life brings to you, even if they cut off your arms. One of these preachers in Uganda asked a group of people in a displacement camp that had been attacked by some Congolese who came down and they just butcher them. And some of them were standing there without any arms, scars all over their face. And he began to preach the gospel to them. And he asked him, he says, what is your hope? This one man spoke up, my only hope is that I will die soon. That's my only hope.

The gospel will bring hope, no matter what your circumstances. Because Jesus is coming back. Not only to judge his enemies, but to deliver his people. You could pray this prayer, listen to these words, dear God, I know that I'm not worthy to be accepted by you. I don't deserve your gift of eternal life. I am guilty of rebellion against you and ignoring you, and I need your forgiveness. Thank you for sending your son to die for me that I may be forgiven. Thank you for that he rose from the dead to give me life. Please forgive me and change me that I may live with Jesus as my ruler. Those are simple words, but if they are the expression of your heart at this moment, pray these words as I pray. Let's bow our heads.

I'll pause between each line so you'd have the time to say these in your own heart to the living God. Dear God, I know that I'm not worthy to be accepted by you. I don't deserve your gift of eternal life. I am guilty of rebellion against you and ignoring you. I need your forgiveness. Thank you for sending your son to die for me that I may be forgiven. Thank you that he rose from the dead to give me life. Please forgive me and change me that I may live with Jesus as my ruler. Amen. We'll just stand with me. Let's close the prayers of congregation. If the Spirit of God is working in your heart and you, he has stirred your heart to come to the living Christ. Please don't leave this place without talking to us.

Nothing is more joyful for the body of Christ for every believer to see people come into eternal life and find forgiveness in Christ Jesus. It would be a joyous occasion for us. Let's pray. Our kind and gracious Heavenly Father, we are overwhelmed at your grace and goodness towards us. We thank you that you sent Christ into the world to redeem us, to rescue us, to restore us, to a right relationship with the living God who created us for His glory. We thank you for the magnificence of your plan and your purpose. There are so many things about the future we don't understand, but we understand this. The Christ is coming to finish this work of salvation to bring us into your presence. We also understand He's coming to judge this world who refuses to love the truth, so as to be saved.

And we pray, oh God, as you pluck people out of this fire of judgment in these days as the gospel is being preached around the world, we pray, oh God, that we would see many come to faith in Jesus Christ and enter into His kingdom. We ask in Christ name. Two things. One, I have an announcement. One is that I forgot to talk about this.