ARE WE THERE YET?
Opening Prayer
Lord, we await Your return.
Read 2 THESSALONIANS 2
The Man of Lawlessness
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. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] 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? 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.
Stand Firm
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits[b] to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings[c] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some manuscripts sin
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Or traditions
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
Jesus said: ‘Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.’ (Matt 24:12,13, TNIV)
Think Further
Every parent will know the cry, ‘Are we there yet?’ Young minds may not grasp the full implications of a long journey or interpret the signs correctly. The Thessalonians have the same problem. Some allegedly authoritative source has told them that ‘the Day of the Lord’ has already come (2) and this leads to confusion. Paul reminds them that the day of the Lord cannot have come, because certain events have not yet happened, like the appearance of a malign figure often called the antichrist. Then he outlines for them what is holding back that day (6,7). Third, he describes certain signs and circumstances that they should expect to see as the day draws near (8–12).
It’s important on the journey of faith to keep expectant and alert for the coming of the Lord and not get diverted by dwelling too deeply on the when and how of His arrival. Jesus warned that it is not for us to know the times and dates that are in God’s hands alone (Acts 1:7), and there have been too many embarrassingly futile attempts to predict these.
Many have tried to put names and places to the details of this passage. Who was the ‘man of lawlessness’ (3), and what or who was holding him back (7)? Whatever school of thought informs us, there are a couple of certainties. One is that tough times will precede the return of Christ. Rebellion and apostasy will mark the last days. The other is that all this will be destroyed by the splendor of His coming (8). Paul intends this passage to give encouragement and hope, strengthening us in God’s love to do good and keep going. We may not be there yet, but we are very near!
Apply
How effectively does 2 Timothy 3:1–5 describe current circumstances? Pray that you may be alert and ready to declare the gospel with a new sense of urgency.
Closing prayer
Lord, thank You for sanctifying us by the Spirit and belief of Your truth. Establish us more deeply into each.
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