2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

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.

A delusion is defined as an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational argument.

There are all kinds of delusions circulating in our world today. How many can you name? Do you know someone who has been deceived? If you answered yes to the question, then you asked this one as well: How is it that someone close us can reject the light of Christ?

When Jesus spoke with Nicodemus he spoke of people who are deceived because of their own choosing saying, “this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

In today’s passage from 2 Thessalonians, Paul writes of people who will perish because of the deception they have chosen because they refuse to “love the truth and so be saved.”

C.S. Lewis said,” There will be two kinds of people in the end: Those that will say to God ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God will say ‘Thy will be done.'”

God is patient with unbelievers, but when they continue to stiff-arm Him they are given over to believing a lie. To quote an old advertising campaign, He allows them to “have it their way.”

Think again of the ones you know choosing to live in darkness and refuse the light. Does this drive you to your knees?