Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Truth Matters

 

 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ESV)

 

One thing that is clear is that there is both truth and error. There is both truth and falsehood. Although this is often rebuffed by a society which tells us that truth is relative, there is no denying it.

 

Even those who deny the truth make this clear as they flip reality on its head, painting the truth as falsehood. What God calls good, they call evil. What Scripture calls sinful, they call good. And they condemn those who hold to the truth, given to us by God.

 

They do so, however, to their own harm. As we see in the passage above, truth matters. The love of the truth, Paul says, effects salvation. The love of truth leads to salvation.

 

The rejection of the truth, however, does just the opposite. The refusal of the truth leads to judgment. It leads to condemnation.

 

The refusal of truth leads to our deception. It leads us to believe a lie. And this is the work of the enemy. It’s the work of Satan.

 

The means used by Satan is that of deceit. He is the father of lies, Jesus told the Jews in John chapter 8. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, because he is a liar.

 

Yet, even though this is true, it’s not as though they are duped. It’s not as though they are fooled or conned. We know this because it’s not their deception that leads them to refuse the truth. It’s their refusal of the truth that leads to their deception.

 

Because they refuse the truth, because they refuse to love the truth, God sends to them a strong delusion. And he does so that they might believe what is false. He does so that they might be condemned.

 

Therefore, they cannot blame God for the judgment they receive. Nor can they blame the enemy, and his tactics of delusion. They can blame only themselves.

 

They perish, you see, because of their own guilt. God gives them over to the very evil they have chosen. And they, in turn, receive the penalty they are due.

Monday, December 20, 2021

Overwhelmed by Tradition

 

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.””

(Luke 2:8-11 ESV)

 

The Christmas season is something that we all enjoy. And there are different aspects that appeal to each of us. Many of us, for example, enjoy the music. Many of us enjoy the decorations. Many of us enjoy cooking and baking. Many of us enjoy gathering with family and friends. Many of us enjoy buying and giving gifts to our friends and loved ones. Many of us enjoy watching Christmas movies. And many of us simply enjoy it all.

 

While there are many fun aspects of our holiday celebration, it often becomes overwhelming. All of these traditions, which are supposed to be fun and relaxing, turn into a chore. And this leaves us stressed out and tense.

 

We lose our enjoyment of the season. And, worse yet, we forget what our celebration is all about. It gets moved to the back burner while we focus on all of these peripheral activities.

 

We tend to think that, apart from these traditions, the holiday is ruined. We tend to think that, apart from these traditions, it loses its meaning. We tend to think that, apart from these traditions, Christmas is boring and bland.

 

We fail to recognize that, even if these traditions were completely stripped away, Christmas would remain. We can take away the decorating. We can take away the cooking and baking. We can take away the Christmas parties. We can take away the mandated and forced family time. We can take away the buying and giving of gifts. And, when we do so, the meaning of the day is left unchanged.

 

In fact, we may find it more enjoyable rather than less. We may find that removing the stress brought on by all of these traditions makes the day even more meaningful. We may find that a more relaxed holiday celebration is more pleasant and profound.

 

As we’re reminded in the passage above, Christmas is about Jesus. It’s about his coming into the world. It’s about his birth, and the blessing this is. It’s about the gift of God given to each and every one of us.

 

It was the message of the Savior’s birth that was proclaimed by the angels. It was the announcement of his birth that is good news of great joy. It was the news of his birth that excited the shepherds so that they went in search of him.

 

It’s this, you see, that gives meaning to the day. It’s this that makes the holiday. And it’s this that we celebrate.

 

All of these other things, all of the traditions in which we take part, are meant to point us to Jesus. They are meant to focus our attention on him. They are not meant as a distraction from that which is truly important.

 

As I say this, I’m not encouraging a stripped-down version of Christmas. I’m not encouraging you to leave all of your traditions behind. What I’m saying is that, if the traditions are taking away from our celebration of the holiday, perhaps it’s best that we let them go, at least some of them.  Perhaps we let some of them go for only this year. Perhaps it’s best to let them go and to focus on what the day is truly about.

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Faithful in the Face of Deception

 

“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 ESV)

 

The return of Christ is something to which we all look forward. In fact, this is a part of our celebration of Advent. As the saints of old looked forward to Jesus’ first coming, we look forward to his second.

 

We look forward to it because of the blessing it will be. We look forward to it as it marks the end of this age. And we look forward to it as it means the end of sin and death.

 

We recall, however, that his coming will be unexpected. No one knows the day nor the hour of his return. And, prior to his coming, life will seem quite ordinary. Prior to his coming, life will simply continue on as normal.

 

But one thing we know for certain is that, before he comes, the rebellion will take place. And the word from which this is translated refers to an apostasy. It refers to a departure from God, or a rebellion against God.

 

Before Jesus returns, the man of lawlessness will also be revealed. And this is the man who is referred to, elsewhere in the New Testament, as the antichrist. We’re told that he opposes and exalts himself against every god or object of worship. And we’re told that he will take his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

 

The identity of this man has always been a source of great speculation. Luther believed him to be the pope. And throughout history, there have been many who have committed acts of great evil.

 

There has also been a great deal of speculation regarding how this will all unfold. As he sets himself up in the temple, some think of a rebuilt Jewish temple. And others say that he will set himself up in the Church.

 

This, however, is something about which we need not speculate. Knowing the Lord, and trusting the Lord, this man of lawlessness will be recognizable. His identity will be plain as he sets himself up against, or even alongside, the Lord.

 

The key for us as we await the return of Christ, the key for us as we anticipate the return of Christ, is to remain faithful. We must keep our eyes fixed upon him and him alone. We must trust in the One revealed to us in the Word. And, in this way, we will not be deceived.

 

But we must be prepared. We must know that, as the end approaches, this is going to happen. We can, therefore, expect it. We can watch for it. And we can do so with hope. We can do so knowing that, as this takes place, the Lord’s return is drawing near.

Thursday, December 09, 2021

Responding to False Predictions

 

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 ESV)

 

As believers, we know the promise of Christ, that he will return. And this is something that we anticipate. It’s something to which we look forward.

 

The reason for this is clear. We all look forward to the day when we will live in the presence of Christ. And we look forward to spending eternity with him in a place that is free from sin and its consequences.

 

Although I am considered old by the standards set by my children, most do not yet consider me advanced in age. However, over the course of my life, I can’t count the number of times that a prediction of the end has been made. And I’m sure there are countless others of which I am unaware.

 

There are those who’ve tried to pinpoint the time of Jesus’ return. There are those who’ve said that he’s already returned, implying that we missed it. And there are those who create excitement, not by pointing to a certain timeframe, but to certain events that are happening in the world around us.

 

Every time this happens, Christians get jumpy. As they hear these predictions, they get worked up. They get scared and excited, believing the claims that are made.

 

This is so normal that I’ve been questioned by other believers because I’m not jumpy. I’ve been criticized because I’m not worked up. And I’ve been doubted because I’m not scared or excited in the face of these claims.

 

This, however, is how we’re called to respond to such predictions. We’re called to be calm. And we’re called to be steady.

 

As we look at the above passage, Paul warned the believers at Thessalonica that these types of things would happen. He referred to a spirit, a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from him and his companions, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. And the implication is that these statements are untrue.

 

It’s suggested that they result from false prophecy. They result from deceiving spirits. Or they result from a misunderstanding of prophecy.

 

Not only did he warn them that this would happen. He also instructed them about how they’re to respond. And he told them that they’re not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed when they heard these reports.

 

It’s clear that, as we continue to await the return of Jesus, these predictions will continue to be made. They will not cease. And, for this reason, we must respond to them according to Paul’s instruction.

 

Instead of getting jumpy, we must not be quickly shaken in mind. Instead of getting worked up, we must remain calm. And instead of getting scared or excited, we must not be alarmed.

 

Although we know he will return, we do not fear that we’ll somehow miss out. Although we look forward to his coming, we do not believe every prediction or “prophecy” that tries to pinpoint this event. And we do not mistakenly believe that our failure to jump on the bandwagon indicates a lack of faithfulness on our part.

Wednesday, December 01, 2021

Deemed Worthy

 

“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

(2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 ESV)

 

Our tendency is to think that we must become worthy of salvation. Our tendency is to think that we must become worthy of God’s calling. And, in our mind, our effort is the means by which this happens.

 

We believe that we become worthy by trying harder. And we do so by trying to be more faithful when it comes to worship. We do so by trying to read our Bible on a regular basis. We do so by trying to improve our prayer life. We do so by trying to be more diligent with serving in the church and helping others.

 

We also tend to count ourselves worthy. We deem ourselves worthy. We judge ourselves worthy. And, again, we do so based on these efforts.

 

This is true not only of non-believers. It’s true also of those who have heard the gospel many times over. It’s true even of those who confess faith in the message of the gospel.

 

Our sinful nature wants us to believe that we earn it for ourselves. It drives us to depend upon ourselves. It leads us to trust in ourselves rather than Christ. And it leads us to become the judge of that worthiness.

 

However, as we look at the words of Paul, in the above passage, we see that it’s not we who make ourselves worthy. We see that it’s not we who determine ourselves worthy. In fact, we see that it has nothing to do with us at all. We see, rather, that we are made worthy. We see that we are counted worthy.

 

This was Paul’s prayer for the people of the church at Thessalonica. He prayed that God would make them worthy of his calling. He prayed that God would deem them worthy. He prayed that God would fulfill in them every resolve for good. And he prayed that God would fulfill every work of faith by his power.

 

We see in this that Paul counted on God to do it all. He counted on God to make them worthy. He counted on God to judge them worthy. And he counted on God to work both in their will and deed. There was no role in this for them to play.

 

Paul also stated that, as God worked in them and through them, Jesus would be glorified. He would be glorified in them. And he would be glorified in them through the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In other words, Jesus would be glorified as God worked in their life. He would be glorified as God himself made them worthy. And he would be glorified as God worked both in them and through them.

 

This, of course, does not mean that we are robots. It doesn’t mean that we’re unable to oppose him and his work. Even though all of this is the work of God, we must not refuse it. We must not resist the Lord as he seeks to work in us.

 

But the credit belongs not to us. It belongs to him alone. It belongs to him alone because, apart from him, we are helpless. Apart from him, we are powerless. And apart from him, we stand condemned.

 

As Paul points out in verse 10, this blessing comes to us as we believe. It comes to us as we look to him in faith. It comes to us not as our work, but as that of God.