“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11,12).
TEXT — 2 Thessalonians 2:9-17
Message
Someone said that when people believe lies long enough, they soon see them as truth. Today, social media has influenced people so much that the line between truth and lie has become blurred for many people. The good old days of truth-telling now seem unbelievable, and the new normal is to consider the so-called “alternative facts” as truth.
In today’s passage, Paul warns the Thessalonian believers against finding his teachings on the second coming of Christ difficult to believe. He draws their attention to the connection between salvation and righteousness, which should be their primary focus. He encourages them to “stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle.”
Teachings about the second coming of Christ have been ridiculed in some circles. Some use the teachings to take advantage of the simple and young believers. Others use them to abuse their privileged positions of leadership in the church and mislead many followers. We must neither misuse our positions nor mislead others.
God’s desire in this end-time is for the church to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus by watching and praying. The Lord expects us to be busy reaching out to lost souls and living humble and God-dependent lives. We must develop good habits of praying, reading, and meditating on the word of God. As we do this, we will show what we believe by how we live.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
