May 21, 2023
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Last week was Mother’s Day and the Lord gave me a word about a mother’s perseverance. We talked about how a mother perseveres through pregnancy, childbearing, and child raising. I also honored my mother’s perseverance through the many difficulties in her life for the sake of our family. She never gave up.
The Bible says that tribulation like my mother faced leads to perseverance, proven character, and hope. We looked at Romans 5:3 which teaches us to therefore exult in our tribulations.
Romans 5:
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
I love verse 5 – hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
We also saw last week in Roman 15:5 that it is God who gives us perseverance and encouragement in our trials to prove our character and build the hope and patience we need to overcome those trials.
Today, the word of the Lord is that a believer must also have perseverance in his or her faith walk, especially in these days. In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul talks about a falling away from the faith due to deceiving spirits.
1st Timothy 4:
1 ¶ But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
Note that Paul is prophesying by the Holy Spirit that there will be a falling away, as believers pay attention to deceiving spirits and the doctrines of demons. Understand that expression “deceiving spirits.” The devil operates in the spirit realm and sends demonic spirits to deceive even the elect. That means even as a believer we are subject to, or at least exposed to, the doctrines of these demons and must be aware that our faith is their target. Latter day rationalization of sin is our evidence of these spirits and doctrines.
This idea of a great falling away from the faith by large numbers of Christians is a coming event known as the apostasy that has been prophesied in the Bible. An apostate is one who formerly claimed to be a believer, and subsequently decides to no longer believe in Jesus as the only way to salvation. When I hear self-proclaimed “Christians” say they believe there are other ways to salvation besides Jesus, I feel the apostasy may be in progress or at least may be imminent. There are statistics that show the apostasy may in fact be underway today.
The Apostle Paul has some important disclosures about what this means for us in 2nd Thessalonians 2, which we will get into today, but first let’s look at what Jesus said about the apostasy and the importance of persevering in our faith and in our love for Him during these challenging days.
In explaining the parable of the Sower and the Seed, Jesus said this:
Luke 8:
11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.
12 “And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved.
The job of the deceiving spirit is to steal the word of God from our hearts, so we may not believe and be saved. Jesus went further in Matthew 24 to describe the apostasy in the times we are living in today.
Matthew 24:
10 “And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another.
11 “And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many.
12 “And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
13 “But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.
If you have ever been subject to lawlessness, you know it can make your love grow cold and even cause you to question how God could allow such a thing to happen. For some of us, it can weaken our faith. But our salvation requires us to persevere in our faith in Jesus and in His love, and not allow increased lawlessness to cause our love to grow cold. Jesus said in verse 13 “But he one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.” Jesus requires us to persevere in His love and, if we humbly ask Him, He will send the Holy Spirit to empower us to do so.
Knowing this prophecy of a falling away, the antichrist spirit is focused on ratcheting up the lawlessness in order to accelerate the coming apostasy. In 2nd Thessalonians 2, Paul addresses the apostasy and connects it to the antichrist and the end times prophecy of the second coming of Jesus.
2nd Thessalonians 2:
1 ¶ Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him,
2 that you may 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.
3 ¶ Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 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.
Paul is exhorting us to not be shaken in our faith or disturbed by an evil spirit. Note in verses 3 and 4, Paul teaches that the second coming of the Lord will not occur until after the apostasy comes and the man of lawlessness (the antichrist) is revealed. Paul goes on to explain that the mystery of lawlessness (antichrist spirit) is already at work but that the Holy Spirit is restraining that work, but only for a limited period of time to be determined by Father God. So, understand that the antichrist spirit exists today and operates, but there is coming a day when that spirit is revealed as a person, a world leader who will exalt himself as above every object of worship, i.e., Jesus. Many believers will go along with mainstream thinking and accept the antichrist and his solutions, and so the apostasy is connected to the revealing of the antichrist person.
But Paul goes on to disclose that God is in control and the Holy Spirit is restraining the antichrist spirit even as lawlessness increases.
2nd Thessalonians 2:
5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains [will do so] until he is taken out of the way.
8 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;
9 [that is,] the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
10 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.
Understand what the Apostle Paul is saying here: the antichrist spirit is already at work, but that work is being restrained by the Holy Spirit. However, God will take the Holy Spirit out of the way at some point, and the antichrist person will be revealed during the tribulation (verse 8). We know he is referring to the antichrist because verse 8 says the Lord will slay him with his breath to end the tribulation. But notice verses 9 and 10 say before Jesus slays him, the antichrist will come 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.” Accepting the love of the truth, which is the Gospel truth that Jesus is the only way to salvation, is the only way we avoid this “deception of wickedness.” Verse 10 says the deception of wickedness is for those who perish by not believing.
This “deception of wickedness” is central to today’s word of the Lord because it exists in our world today and it will require a believer’s perseverance to resist. Paul goes on in 2nd Thessalonians 2 to describe how God will send an influence on unbelievers so they will believe the falsehoods the antichrist is selling.
2nd Thessalonians 2:
11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false,
12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
Notice in verse 11 that God will send a “deluding influence” on those who do not receive the love of Christ, so they will believe what is false. This deluding influence will be on anyone who does not accept the exclusivity of the Gospel. The Gospel is inclusive as far as being open to all souls who will believe, but it is exclusive with respect to believing only in the love and grace of Jesus for salvation. I want you to understand that important distinction. We must accept Jesus as the only way to salvation in order to avoid the deception of wickedness that the antichrist is bringing and the deluding influence that God will send upon unbelievers. Those who say they are Christian but believe there are other ways to salvation are subject to this deception of wickedness. Don’t be that person. I know that we want to accept and love others, but we cannot compromise on the exclusivity of Jesus. He is the only way to salvation, and we must confess that with our mouth and believe it in our heart.
This is why the believers’ perseverance is so important today. If we waiver in our faith in the name of peace with other religions, then we become susceptible to the antichrist’s deception of wickedness and the deluding influence God will send upon unbelievers.
And so how do we get the perseverance we need to remain in the faith?
God is the One who gives us perseverance and encouragement to remain in Jesus and to glorify Him with one voice.
Romans 15:
4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 ¶ Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus;
6 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reach out to the Holy Spirit for perseverance, knowing that tribulations lead to perseverance, and perseverance leads to proven character and a hope that does not disappoint.
And receive this encouragement from the Book of Jude, written by Jesus’ half-brother:
Jude 1:
17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.”
19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit;
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, [be] glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (NASB)
There will be mockers in these end days…those who mock our faith in Jesus and call us haters for not accepting sin and another gospel. They will be worldly minded, causing divisions, devoid of the Spirit of God. You see these in your news feed today. Verses 22-23 indicate we will be able to save some, but others may be too polluted by their flesh. But we are to build ourselves up in our faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, and keep ourselves in the love of God. And we are to persevere in His love, while waiting anxiously for the mercy of Jesus unto eternal life. Verse 24 says the Lord is able to keep us from stumbling into unbelief. All glory to Jesus, who keeps us from stumbling and allows us to stand in in His glory, blameless!
In closing, I have been listening to some wonderful worship music, an album titled “Prayers to the King” by Highlands Worship. One song is particularly relevant to today’s word about perseverance in faith. The song is entitled “Even If I tried.” The refrain is:
To You…
I’m so grateful that I’m by Your side.
It’s true…
I couldn’t leave You even if I tried.
So, with the coming apostasy and in the face of the efforts of the antichrist and his mockers, tell Jesus you are grateful to be by His side, and you couldn’t leave Him even if you tried!
Father God, all glory to You who gives perseverance and encouragement in our trials, which lead to proven character and hope. Thank You for the believer’s perseverance to withstand the antichrist and the mocking spirit of the worldly minded and those devoid of the Spirit. Increase our faith and draw us by the Holy Spirit into prayer as we wait anxiously for the mercy of our Lord into salvation. Help us to persevere in the love of Jesus until the end. In His name we pray. Amen.
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