"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. 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. 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, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first-fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." II Thessalonians 2:7-17
Paul's counsel to those who would be facing the perilous days of the end times is worthy of your attention.
There seems to be a growing sense of foreboding that we may be in the end times.
Think about it. Not just Evangelical Christians are sensing the approach of the last days.
Secular progressives who believe and promote the Climate Change doctrine warn that the rise of the oceans will usher in the destruction of civilization as we know it. In addition, the radical Islamic terrorists are motivated by their belief that attacking "Infidels" and destabilizing the world can usher in the return of "The 12th Imam" in their version of end time theology.
As dramatic as those various end time scenarios may be, that is not the focus of this portion of Scripture.
The concern of the Great Apostle was not the chaotic evil of the End Times but rather, how Christians should believe and behave in the midst of those days. I want to focus you on his wise counsel.
1) Be Thankful!
Despite the dark and difficult days, remain thankful to God and for fellow believers.
2) Be Faithful!
Demonstrate a strong and uncompromising belief in God's Word and the certainty of your salvation.
3) Be Hopeful
Depend on your faith and you will not get overwhelmed by the fearfulness that will be rampant in those days! Remember that you walk by faith not by sight.
Meditate on these verses and commit them to memory. You may very well need them and it could be sooner than you think.
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