This week we continue with the fourth oldest book in the New Testament as recorded in its publishing. We began with James on our year-long journey chronological study of the New Testament. Hence the reason we are calling this message series Chronos. It's a word that means “time.” We will be journeying through time back to the start of the early church. For the next month we will continue walking through the second book written to those in Thessalonica.
Today, we open to the first chapter of this amazing letter to the church plant in one of the main travel junctions in all the Roman empire. A city of around 300,000 with some upper class but a great deal more working class people. The city was made up of Romans, Greeks and a powerful group of Greek speaking Jews.
The leadership collective (paul, silas and timothy) were sending this letter to the new church plant in Greece as encouragement and to correct some issues that had arisen. Paul had only spent three to four weeks at this house church and as a result, everything he said and taught could be misconstrued. Let’s be real. I know everyone in this room is having their own experience as I share the weekly message. Sometimes people get distracted or their minds wander and as a result a phrase may or a statement may be misunderstood. The first few sentences of this section of scripture is what Paul is alluding to. Take a listen to 2 Thess 2:1-2
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
The error Paul was trying to correct was that “the day of the Lord has already come.” Paul didn’t want these new followers to think the Lord had already come to judge the living and the dead. This idea is radically different and could harm many. Paul then reminds them of what he did say.
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?
Paul was sharing Five things that are bound to happen before Christ returns.
There will be a rebellion against the church. The word rebellion means: “an act of violent and/or open resistance to an established government or ruler.” The word used in the area of scripture means abandonment (apostasy) so many will leave the Christian mission.
There will be a “man of lawlessness” who is in a position of power. Some will recognize him immediately as the antichrist
The person will be empowered by Satan to perform acts of power and signs of wonder. (2 Thess 2:9; Rev 13:13)
Many will believe this human may be Christ. (1 John 2:18)
Christ will come a short time later to defeat this beast (Rev 13:1) and judgment will begin. 2 Thess 2:8; rev 19:20)
With this information in hand, let’s read the final 7 verses.
6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 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, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
I think we can all agree the power of lawlessness is already at work. We only need to look around at the war in Ukraine and Syria. The insanity of mobs on michigan avenue. The corruption of our government officials. The systemic racism that still exists. The “woke” agenda to silence those living with traditional Christian morals. Lawlessness is increasing.
So who is Paul referring to when he says “the one” holding back the floodgates of evil? Paul never directly states. Many bible students believe this is the Holy Spirit. It makes sense. However, when the end does come the Holy Spirit will not be completely removed. Other scholars believe Paul is referring to the Church “Big C”. Afterall, the Holy Spirit works through the church or body of believers to accomplish His will. If you remove the presence of the body of Christ (the Holy Spirit inspired church) from the world, lawlessness will be unencumbered.
People will believe the greatest lie of the evil one. The lie Satan uttered in the garden, “You shall be God.” (Genesis 2) The lie that man is or can be his own God and therefore, can do what he pleases and better himself by his own efforts. Satan always appeals to our pride and self sufficiency to snare our hearts from the one indisputable truth, There is only one God and we are not it.
So how do we apply this knowledge to our life? How do we keep from falling prey to the greatest lie and assure we are ready for judgment day?
The first is to remain humble. We are so blessed as Christians to have the “example of all examples”: Jesus. And this is meant to guide our lives in this world. If we will take care of humbling ourselves, we can trust God to take care of exalting us.
…Jonathan Edwards said, “We must view humility as one of the most essential things that characterizes true Christianity.” Our perspective on humility can be radically changed if we will ponder and meditate on the greatest example of humility in history: Jesus Christ.
Think about it for a moment
By the very act of leaving heaven, coming to earth, and taking the form of man, Jesus demonstrated an unfathomable humbling of himself. He was God in control of everything we see and know but decided to take on human form. Throughout his life on earth, Jesus demonstrated a spirit of profound humility, saying that he came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). On his last night with the disciples, he took a towel and basin and washed their dirty feet (John 13:1–11), instructing them to follow his example of servanthood with one another (John 13:12–17).
How do we humble ourselves?
In 1882 on the campus of Cambridge University the world was given the phrase: “Remember the morning watch.” It was there dedicated young men devised a plan to overcome their seemingly infinite number of excuse for why not to submit to God - busy schedules, test to be taken, papers to be written, etc. etc. etc..
The morning watch was a very basic way to submit, commit and act in a more Christlike manner. Spend five minutes a day with God, praying and reading the scriptures. The idea caught on and a period of great spiritual blessing happened. Seven prominent students dedicated their lives by going to china to serve as missionaries.
As a result of their dedication, the five minutes grew to seven. One minute for every missionary who gave themselves up for the cause of Christ. The tag line for this discipline became: Are you not willing to seven minutes for Christ?
They even came up with a pattern:
Begin with 30 seconds preparing your heart. Thanking God for your rest and for the opportunities in the day ahead.
Now take four minutes to read the Bible. As you begin, ask the Holy Spirit to connect you to the text and an application for the day ahead. Begin reading. Don’t race. Just enjoy. You may only get 20 versus. Begin with a gospel, Matthew, Mark Luke or John.
For the final two and a half minutes speak to him in prayer - ACTS is a find template or any other one that helps you connect and enhance your relationship. There are no rules to the Seven. Do not make the disciple a ritual for ritual sake. Make it a morning appointment.
When we decide to ponder, understand, and adopt Jesus’ way of thinking; his values and attitudes, His will become ours. His strong emphasis on humility and meekness and his example of it, will take hold of our thinking, our desires and our conduct. As it does, We will admire his humility and want it for ourselves.
For this to happen, we need to earnestly and regularly pray for the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, for it is impossible to do it in our own strength.
Andrew Murray in his book Humility captures it well, “Christ is the humility of God embodied in human nature; the Eternal Love humbling itself, clothing itself in the garb of meekness and gentleness, to win and serve and save us.” https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/pride-and-humility/
We protect ourselves from the great lie and assure our salvation by humbling ourselves as Christ did and living accordingly.
Wiersbe Commentary: p. 195-200; https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/pride-and-humility/
