Truth, Wicked Deception & Delusion
Pastors Leslie & Adeline Chua
“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.”
Our culture is standing at the crossroads of truth, wicked deception, and delusion.
The apostle Paul used these three terms to describe the situation at the time of the Anti-Christ reign. But as he mentioned a few verses before, “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Where we are today, this spirit is working overtime and firing in full throttle.
____________________________________________
Our culture is standing at the crossroads
of truth, wicked deception, and delusion. ____________________________________________
Abortion is legalised in almost all countries. Gender fluidity and same-sex marriage are generally accepted, especially among those in the age range of 35 and under. The latest rage is the woke and cancel cultures with their confusing arrays of intersectionality. If you have no idea concerning the latter, I do not blame you. These terms have become mainstream only lately. The term, woke, was only officially added into the dictionary in 2017.
Originally, to be woke in the African American Vernacular English means to be well-informed, and up to date. Now, it means to be alert to social and racial discrimination and injustice. In recent years, much hoo-ha is made of the discrimination and injustice against women, foreigners, minorities that include the LGBTQs (Lesbians, Gays, Bi-sexual, Trans-sexual, and Queers) and racial minorities. So, you frequently come across words such as sexism, misogyny. xenophobia, homophobia, racism, intersectionality, and equality.
Any form of discrimination and injustice is unacceptable, and if it is systemic in nature, they ought to be addressed. However, in most cases, the so-called systemic social injustice is perceived rather than real. It is a strawman.
____________________________________________
Cultural Marxism is incompatible with Christianity...
In the last decade, the prevailing culture
has an outsized impact on Christian thinking,
especially on the Millennials and Gen Z. ____________________________________________
Worse, many people are unaware that the social activism associated with these issues have their ideological roots in cultural Marxism. Many of these people and groups agitating for changes are self-proclaimed cultural Marxists. They also have no qualms resorting to violence and ‘cancelling’ people who disagree with them to achieve their goals.
You are mistaken if you think that this cultural chaos is only happening in the U.S.A., and Western European nations. It has come to our shores. You only need to look at the social media.
Cultural Marxism is incompatible with Christianity. That is why I am highlighting this matter.
In the last decade, the prevailing culture has an outsized impact on Christian thinking, especially on the Millennials and Gen Z. Biblical literacy has plunged. Even among the young and highly educated Christians, some of whom consider themselves to be serious Christians, they are pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ and they seriously think that to be woke is fashionable.
This is alarming!
____________________________________________
Pastor John MacArthur,
a staunch defender of the gospel,
considered the social gospel,
with its emphasis on social justice,
to be the greatest challenge
facing the church of Jesus Christ in our time. ____________________________________________
The Lord has placed a heavy burden on me concerning these issues. The reason is simple. It is a gospel issue.
Pastor John MacArthur, a staunch defender of the gospel, considered the social gospel, with its emphasis on social justice, to be the greatest challenge facing the church of Jesus Christ in all his years of ministry.
The social gospel has some semblance to the gospel, but it is not the gospel. We must be careful of this subtle deception, which is dressed in the guise of justice and compassion. Perhaps, that is a reason why young people find it so attractive. But do not be deceived.
Wicked Deception
I find the term, wicked deception (2 Thessalonians 2:10), used by the apostle Paul interesting. Some deceptions are just deception. For example, if you profess to be a Christian, but you do not believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, you are deceived. You get it wrong, but it is does not cause harm to the people around you.
____________________________________________
Social justice, woke culture, and the likes
aim at the deconstruction
of culture and biblical truths.
____________________________________________
On the other hand, I would place the cultural chaos that I mentioned earlier as wicked deception because they are evil and devilish, and they have a profoundly adverse impact on society.
Social justice, woke culture, and the likes aim at the deconstruction of culture and biblical truths.
The pro-choice camp might have labelled abortion as a women’s health and rights issue. However, from the biblical standpoint, it is first degree murder, plain and simple. Hundreds of millions of babies have been killed in the last few decades since abortion have been legalised in many countries.
Do not believe for a second that the LGBTQ activists are merely fighting for the rights of gay people. Their sinister agenda is to push aggressively for homosexuality to become a mainstream lifestyle. They want to indoctrinate the young, and for homosexuality to be taught in schools. They also seek to change the laws to punish those who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle.Christians and the conservatives are frequently the target for harassment and abuse. The biblical injunction against homosexuality would be considered hate speech if these activists get their way.
Already, the pressure on those who do not support such a lifestyle is strong in certain places. A few days ago, a young teenage girl told me that she felt pressurised by her classmates because every one of them supported gays and lesbians. Credit to her, she knew that she could not agree with them or compromise in any way because it was a faith issue. Those who work in big foreign companies constantly feel the pressure to participate in in-house activities designed to support the LGBTQ lifestyle.
These examples are considered wicked deception because they promote sin, wickedness, and corruption in our society. Our future generations will grow up in such a perverse environment. Think about the kind of challenges that they will face.
These wicked deceptions are the ‘activity’ of Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:9). The word, activity, is energeia in Greek, which means power. This is Satan’s power in action through false signs and wonder, and wicked deception.
Love for Truth
Some of these wicked deceptions that I have just mentioned are clearly against biblical teaching. So, why are Christians still deceived?
The reason that is given is “because they refused to love the truth and be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Not because of gullibility or a lack of biblical knowledge, but because these people do not love the truth.
Truth here refers to 3 things. Firstly, Jesus who is the truth. He is the embodiment of truth. He is truth incarnate. Secondly, it refers to gospel truth. This is the gospel of the Kingdom whom our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles preached. This gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1;16). Thirdly, truth here refers to the moral law of God. This is the Word of God comprising of the Ten Commandments and the teachings in the Holy Scripture.
____________________________________________
Many Christians have become allergic to God’s truth.
They get offended when truth is preached.
It is too jarring for their ears.
____________________________________________
If you reject the moral law of God concerning the things that I have said earlier, then you are essentially rejecting the truths of God’s Word. You cannot be embracing sin and lawlessness and say that you are a true believer of God. That is making a mockery of God. It shows that you do not believe, or you do not take God’s Word seriously.
In recent years, I learn that pointing out truths could make you unpopular and earn you unflattering labels. Many Christians have become allergic to God’s truth. They get offended when truth is preached. It is too jarring for their ears.
Please be reminded that nobody has the licence to interpret the Word of God through the filter of the prevailing culture. If you do so, you would end up deceiving yourself. You might feel good about it, but you are still in error.
God Sends Strong Delusions
The consequence for not loving the truth is severe and frightening. “God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false in order that they may be condemned who did not believe in the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11).
Some Christians find it hard to accept that God would do such a thing. But this is exactly what Paul said. God will establish the person, who does not love the truth, in his wrong path. He becomes not only deceived, but delusional, believing evil to be good, and good evil. This is a biblical principle.
The story of Pharaoh is a good example of this principle at work. When God warned Pharaoh through Moses to let the Israelites slaves go free, he refused. He hardened his heart (Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34). When he persisted after repeated warnings, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 10:1, 20. 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8).As a result, Pharaoh became delusional, thinking that he could fight with God, outmuscled Him, and win the battle.
____________________________________________
Therefore, we must be careful to love the truth.
Too many Christians
take the truths of God’s Word too lightly.
It is a matter of our eternal destiny.
Who you believe matters,
and what you believe also matters! ____________________________________________
In Romans chapter one, we read of how God punishes the ungodly who suppress the truth (Romans 1:18). Three times, it is said that “God gave them up.” God gave these people up to an increasing level of deception until finally, they become deluded.
First, “God gave them up” to sexual immorality (Romans 1:24). Then, “God gave them up” to homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27). Finally, “God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done” (Romans 1:28).
________________________________
If you believe in the truth,
you must also obey
and stand up for the truth.
________________________________
Therefore, we must be careful to love the truth. Too many Christians take the truths of God’s Word too lightly. They fail to understand that it is a matter of eternal destiny. Who you believe matters, and what you believe also matters!
If you believe in the truth, you must also obey and stand up for the truth. Shout it from the rooftop. Declare it that the world may know it! Proclaim it as a witness of God’s salvation and moral standards!