The Last Days for the Unbeli..

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com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. Dear brethren, as I said to you, a very important topic. I want to speak to you once again about the last days for the non-Christian and the last days for the Christian.

And every time that we think about the last days, this is very important and fundamental for our faith, brethren. We have behind us 2,000 years of history and at times those 2,000 years that we have witnessed and seen and experienced that the Lord has not come, at times affect our faith to the point that we say with our mouths that the Lord is coming. But really, and in the heart, we don't believe that the Lord is actually coming back. It was a reality for the saints of the first century. It was a reality for Paul, for Peter and for John, that the Lord was coming back.

And so they were so sure about that, that their theology, their pastoral burdens for the church, everything that they taught the Christians was in light, that the Lord who died upon the cross and was mightily resurrected is coming back and He's coming back soon. That was, my dear brother, my dear sister, the heart of the apostles. And we are not too allowed time that has elapsed and years and centuries that have passed from the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to diminish the power of our faith. That is not only to be established and rooted in the things that took and happened in the past. But also, it's supposed to be the substance and the assurance of the things that we hope for.

The things that we have not seen. We cannot have a wholesome faith, as I have said in the past. If we don't have certainty that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back. Let me just admit to you, my dear brother and my dear sister, that if we had, if we had with a conditional, second conditional in the English language, if we had assurance and certainty that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming, we will live very different lives. We don't know when he's coming back, exactly the day, but the scriptures tells us about the timing of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And my dear brother and sister, if for some reason we knew that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming next week or that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming in a month, I will tell you that in that moment, your priorities and your life will be completely shaken and your priorities will change completely. Yet, the saints of the first century lived their life with that certainty and with that assurance and with that expectation. Is today the day in which the Lord Jesus Christ is coming? That that may be the faith, my dear brother and sister, is certainly not the faith that I should have in my heart. This is the faith that we need to have to bear fruits of righteousness in Christ for the glory of the Father.

Hence, I want to speak to you about the last days fearfully for the non-Christian, and the last days joyfully for the Christian. And that from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. But let us read together, my dear brethren, with much reverence and paying attention to each one of the words, chapter 1 and chapter 2 of this second letter. And of course, as we enter in a reading, Chapter 2, I want you to see very carefully how we have 17 verses in chapter 2. Let us do this exercise together, if you help me there, please.

In chapter 2, you see that you have 17 verses. And if you have the ESV, as I do, and I think that all the ESVs will have a title. I have a title in the section that starts in verse 13 with a stent thumb. I don't know if that is the title that you have on your ESV. But here the apostle in chapter 2, my dear brother and sister, is contrasting the last days for the non-Christian from verses 1 through 12.

And then there is a contrast that he starts in verse 13 when he says, But, he says, then referring to the Christians there in chapter 2. Of course, there are many more things that he says in the chapter, but that is going to be the focus of our study this afternoon. So, brethren, where you are with the Bible that you have in your hands, let us read together, please, with much faith, paying attention to each one of the words. following the sound of those words and by faith, trying to understand and not be just a simple hearer of the sounds that are read, but trying with engagement and in your mind to understand the words of the apostles, the apostle in this case, to read these two chapters together as a congregation. This is 2 Thessalonians chapter one.

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore, we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God, for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring." This, this, your endurance in persecution, your endurance in afflictions, this is evidence, verse 5, this is evidence of the righteous judgment of God.

that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which kingdom you are also suffering, since indeed God considers just to repay with affliction those who afflict you." and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Those who do not obey, they will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might, when He comes on that day to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed." To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling, and may fulfill every resolve for good, and every good work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Chapter 2, brethren. Now, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him. We ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed either by spirit or spoken word or a letter seeming to be from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day, the day of the Lord, for that day will not come unless the rebellion or falling away or apostasy comes first.

And the man of lawlessness or sin is revealed. the son of perdition, or the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called God, or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him, the lawless man, and you know what is restraining him now, so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already, now will be, is already at work.

Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity, or by the power, or by the energy of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception." Pay attention now, the one that perished, deception. for those who are perishing, because they, those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

They did not receive the love of the truth and so be saved. Verse 11, Therefore God sends them strong delusion, so that they may believe. I strung, or they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned, who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Just the reading of those words, brethren, is fearful. Let us continue, please.

Verse 13, this is the contrast. Verse 13, for the Christians now, the apostle says, but... But we... Who is that we? Paul, Silvanus and Timothy write in this letter, right?

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you. We're bound to give thanks to you, he says, brethren, beloved brethren by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits or chose you from the beginning, chose you as the firstfruits to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. Brethren, so deep words, but so powerful. Let us read them again, please. Verse 13, "...

but we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, beloved by the Lord. Because God chose you from the beginning, O as the firstfruits, to be saved." He chose you to be saved. How? Through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

To this salvation He called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, the apostles, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Now, the apostolic prayer here, now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts and establish them, your hearts, in every good work and word. Amen. Brethren, powerful, right?

I don't even want to preach what I wanted to preach anymore. I just want to speak about those words in the end. Oh, brethren, this is the word of the Lord. My dear brother, my dear sister, I will attempt to speak to you and preach from this section of the Scriptures about the last days for the non-Christian and the last days for the Christian. And if you know something about the Bible, just that title or just that topic is fearful.

The last days for the non-Christian is something to be terrified of. The last days for the one who is not in Christ. Only that statement, my dear brother or sister, is already terrifying. Hence, I want to speak to you about the last days for the non-Christian and the last days for the Christian. And brethren, when I say the last days, you're going to have to bear with me because I'm going to try to explain things to you from the Scriptures.

When I speak about the last days, I will submit to you that the Scriptures uses those terms, last days, to refer to the same thing from different perspectives. And if we are going to understand what the Apostle Paul is trying to say in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, then we need to understand the nuances and what the Bible means by the last days. Keep your attention with me, brethren. Keep your attention with me. Last days from different perspectives and with different nuance.

The Bible speaks, children and brothers and sisters, the Bible speaks when it speaks about the last days as this period of time from the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ until the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This whole period that is between the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, mightily resurrected and seated at the right hand of heaven, from that moment until the day of the coming of the Lord, that is what the Bible considers the last days. However, the Scriptures also make a very important distinction using the same words that is very important for the Christian and for the student of the Bible to comprehend. The Bible also speaks about the last days, about a particular period of time that leads towards the coming of the day of the Lord. In other words, and perhaps just repeating that, The last days are the period of time between the first coming of the Lord and the second coming of the Lord, but also the Scriptures, when you're going to be reading the Scripture, brother or sister, you will find that the last days is also a shorter period of time that leads towards the coming of the day of the Lord.

I'm going to submit to you that Paul, here in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, is speaking about that period of time that is leading to the day of the Lord. But first, I want us to have clarity in our conscience and to understand those categories from the scriptures. So let us come to Hebrews chapter 1. And in Hebrews chapter 1, my dear brother, my dear sister, you will see the passage that always teaches us about the last days as that period of time between the first coming of the Lord and the second coming of the Lord. Hebrews chapter 1.

Hebrews chapter 1. The last days, a time sometimes, the last times, but the last days. Let us just simply read a couple of verses here. We're not explaining the meaning of those verses. We're just simply reading that person that speaks about the last days.

Pay attention to what the author of Hebrews says. Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. The author of Hebrews, brethren, brothers, sisters, my dear friend, speaks of two periods of times. He's speaking about the previous time in which God spoke to the fathers through the prophets.

And then the author says, but in these last days, God has spoken to us through whom? through the Son. The author distinguishes two sections of periods of time, and he calls the last days not as something that is going to happen, but rather he refers to that as the present. It says, verse 2, But in these last days he has spoken to us through the Son. I said to you, the last days, my dear brother and sister, are the time between the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the author of the book of Hebrews considers that he is already in the last days. So are we in the last days, brother? Yes, we are in the last days in the sense of what the author of Hebrews will refer to here, in the last days, the Son of God, the revelation of God. He has come to dwelt among us and He has revealed God Himself. In other times, God spoke to the fathers through the prophets.

But now the prophets are before in the past. And now God speaks to us through the Son of God, who is Himself the Word of God. This is the important first distinction, the last days from the coming of the Lord to the second coming of the Lord. However, as I said, the scripture continues to make important distinctions, distinguishing and differentiating from this big period of time between the first and the second coming to the last days of a particular period of time that leads to the coming of the Lord. Come with me to Acts chapter 2.

And in Acts chapter 2, we can see how Peter, the beloved apostle Peter, beloved by everyone, come to Acts 2, will, in interpreting the Scriptures for us, will give us a very clear insight into the last days, giving us more information about a particular period of time, as he calls it, before the coming of the day of the Lord. Now, you remember Acts 2, right? What happened in Acts 2, brethren? The day of Pentecost, right? So the Spirit of God came mightily upon the saints, upon the church, and now they started to speak in different tongues and they preach and proclaim the glories of God.

And then some people came to mock what they were seeing, saying, these people are drunk. The Spirit of God has come upon them and they are drunk. You remember now that the apostle Peter is going to address that accusation that these people are drunk. And we see something very important because the Apostle Peter is going to respond to that claim by quoting a portion of the Old Testament. Who does he quote in Acts chapter 2?

Joel. He's going to quote Joel to explain what is going on and what is taking place there. So let us read here from verse 14 to verse 16, and then we will make some comments on the prophecy that is fulfilled. Verse 14 of chapter 2. But Peter, now he's going to respond to that claim and accusation.

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give ear to my words, for these people are not drunk. as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel. So the fact that these people were speaking and prophesying in tongues, the apostle says this is what was prophesied by Joel, right? What is happening there.

Now we come to the section in verse 17 to verse 21, in which he's going to quote the prophecy of Joel as it is applied to what is going on there. Now, I'm going to now submit to you, brethren, before we read that, that here the apostle is going to speak of two different events. Two different things. He's going to speak about two different events. One, the one that has just taken place, which is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel.

And the second is that period of time before the coming of the day of the Lord. You will have to pay attention to me, brethren. Otherwise, this is going to be very long. Two important periods of times here in Acts chapter 2. Now, pay attention to these verses in 17 through 21.

This is, I think, going to be very important for us, so brethren, verses 17 and 18 will speak to a period of time. Verses 19, 20 and 21, 19 and 20, more importantly, will speak to another specific period of time. How do I know that? First of all, because of the grammar construction, which I'm not going to speak about it. But secondly, and more importantly, is because in the way that verse 17 starts and the way the verse 20 concludes.

Just please bear with me. Pay attention to verse 17. It says, But in the last days it shall be. And then he continues with the prophecy. That is what Peter said.

In the last days. This is what you see now is the fulfillment of what Joel said. And in verse 17, we have in the last days and we have that. If you carefully pay attention to verse 20, verse 20 finishes or concludes with the other period of time that the apostle is addressing. It says before the day of the Lord comes the great and magnificent Verses 19 and 20 speak about those things that will happen before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

And verse 17 and 18 speaks of the direct fulfillment of what Joel said in what they were seeing. I hope that you are with me, brethren. Let us now read together this portion of the Scripture from verse 17 through 21. This is the prophecy of Joel. It says, And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.

That is what was taking place there in Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. And your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on My male servants and female servants in those days, I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Now verse 20 is going to speak about those things that will happen before the day of the Lord comes. If you read it, you will see that it makes sense.

It says in verse 19, "...and I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth below, blood and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood." When? before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day, and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Brethren, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, inaugurated, the beginning of the last days, And when the apostles speak about the consummation of all things, they distinguish not only between the whole period of time, which is the last days, but also that which will take place before the day, the magnificent day, the coming of the Lord. Peter also makes that distinction very clearly in 2 Peter 3. Come with me and I hope that that suffices for us to move with good conscience into 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Peter 3, he makes the same distinction. In 2nd Peter chapter 3, when you read carefully in 1st Peter chapter 4, you will see that for the Apostle Peter, he was eminent.

Eminent is a word that is... that is coming, that the day of the Lord is coming. Yet in 2 Peter, he acknowledges and he describes a period of time in which something is going to take place. I said 2 Peter chapter 3, brethren, 2 Peter chapter 3. As you may remember from your readings, and perhaps if you remember that we preached through this book, Brethren, here in chapter 3, the Apostle is speaking about the day of God.

He calls it the day of God, or the day of eternity, or the day of the Lord, the day of the coming of the Lord. He's speaking about the day, the last day, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes for a second time. Here, the Apostle is going to acknowledge that there's going to be a time of deception leading to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is what we're going to read here, chapter 3, verse 1. Pay attention. This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved, in both of them.

I'm stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles. Knowing this, verse 3, knowing this first of all, that scoffers have come, brethren, that scoffers will come in the last days, with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. These type of scoffers here are different to the scoffers of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, but they basically do the same. They say, they, these are the scoffers, verse 4, read in your Bibles, verse 4, they, the scoffers, they will say, Where is the promise of His coming? That is doubting the coming of the Lord, right?

Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. For they deliberately overlooked this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the Word of God. And that by means of this, the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word, that judge the world through water, the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment.

This is the day of the Lord and destruction of the ungodly. Please bear with me and continue in verse 8. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is not as slow to fulfill His promise as some count His loneliness, but is patient towards you or us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach or come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, And then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved in the earth, and the works that are done on it will be burned up or exposed."

Verse 11, "...since all these things are dust to be dissolved, what sort of people are you to be in the light of holiness and godliness?" And it continues, Brethren, verse 3, "...knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days, scoffing, the last days leading to the day of judgment in which fire will prompt the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells. My dear brother, my dear sister, when we speak about the last days, we speak about that particular period of time between the first coming of the Lord and the second coming of the Lord.

But also we speak about that particular period of time that is shorter, of course, than that, that leads to the day of judgment and that leads to the day of the coming of the Lord, that leads to the day of God, that leads to the day of eternity, the last days. Peter, or better Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2, is speaking about that period of time that leads to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. and perhaps I'm not going to be able to say it as I perhaps was thinking of deciding to say it, but brethren, just as there will be wrath on the day of the Lord, on judgment, and I think that brother mentioned it, just as there will be judgment and wrath on the day of the Lord, just when the Lord Jesus Christ comes in the clouds to judge the living and the dead, just as there will be wrath on the day of the Lord, There will be a wrath on the world as it leads to the coming of the day of the Lord. There will be judgment upon the world that leads to the coming and full consummation of the coming of the Lord, the full consummation of all things, the full consummation of the plan of redemption and the establishment of the kingdom of the Lord. Let us return then, please, to 2 Thessalonians 2.

These are the last days that Apostle Paul mentions there in 2 Thessalonians 2. And there's just simple things that I want to mention from here that are visible to the text, not too controversial, but they're very clear then just simply from the text, my dear brother. Okay, pay attention to this. Now, these are the last days that Paul has in mind in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Now, I want you to know just simply three things about those last days that lead to the coming of the day of the Lord.

Three things that are important for Christians, that is the heart of the Apostle, that they will be equipped and prepared. But just three little things that I want you to see very clearly from the text that will be characteristic of Christians. And as we move in those last days to the day of Apostle says, now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, introducing that day of the Lord, and are you being gathered together with Him? We ask you, and He is going to give us some important exhortations, starting from verse 2. Three things that I want you to know in your mind, in your heart, and by faith apprehend those and meditate upon those, so that we will be strengthened in our faith for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My dear brother, my dear sister, the first one is that just the topic of the last days and the coming of the Lord is a matter that can produce or could produce deceitfulness, terrible English to explain that, but I hope that you understand. Deceitfulness in the church, the potential of deception, the potential of deceitfulness when it comes to the day of the Lord and those last days leading towards that day. deceitfulness that there can be. Second, in these last days, my dear brethren, there is going to be a great falling away. a great apostasy, or what it says, a great rebellion.

And these last days, there will be a man of sin, or men of destruction. I don't know what you're thinking. This is the first time that I mentioned something so eschatological, so I hope, brethren, that we can see this from the text with faith. and just simply the things that are in the Scriptures. My dear brother, my dear sister, the first thing, just simply from the text, I want you to see that when it comes to the day of the Lord, there is this potential for deceitfulness of the Christian.

It says in verse 2, "...not to be quickly..." This is the exhortation right of the Apostle to the church concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, we ask you, not to be quickly shaken..." Brethren, please, with me and by faith, read carefully each one of those words because they are very powerful. "...

not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed." Okay, how can we be shaken in mind or alarmed? Then he's going to list three things. He says, "...either by a spirit, or a spoken word, or a letter.

Spirit, spoken word, or a letter. Now, when the apostle speaks of a spoken word or a letter, he refers to the apostolic preaching and the word of God. You can confirm that very clearly in verse 15. You see, when he says, verse 15 says, So then brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us. And then he says, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

So when the apostle is listing those things that can shake our minds or alarm to you, which he means deceive, if you pay attention to verse 3, it says, let no one deceive you in any way. What are those ways? The ways that he has just mentioned, a spirit, a spoken word or a letter. When the apostles, my dear brother and sister, speaks of the spoken word, that is the oral tradition of the apostles, and the letter, the epistle, that is the word of God. And we know that His coffers will come in the last day, will change the words of the Lord, that will change the words of the prophets, and they will change the words of the apostles.

But the apostle also says that we are to be careful, Because our minds can be shaken, or our minds can be alarmed. The mind of the Christian brethren can be shaken or deceived by a spirit. that a spirit can shake the mind of the Christian when it comes to these last days. My dear brother, we acknowledge with absolute certainty that scoffers will come in the last days and that they will change the Word of God and that people will accumulate them to themselves. Preachers that will preach according to their itching ears and that will speak the things that they want.

That is the tragedy of the church. The people in their flesh and their carnality accumulate unto themselves just preachers and teachers that will do whatever they want to hear. And that's the way that they do religion. And in those false teachings and in all of those doctrines that preach from the flesh and in the spirit of Satan, there's going to be deception, not only for the false Christian, but as Peter says in 2 Peter chapter 2, Many genuine believers will follow the destruction and the carnality of these false teachers. But at the same time, brethren, it's not only that there will be people that are shaking, better changing and modifying the word of the Lord that has been spoken and is also written, but also that there is a spiritual warfare.

that there are spirits that can shake the mind of the believer, that can shake the heart of the believer when it comes to these matters of the coming of the Lord. Brethren, remember, our faith is the certainty, the assurance of things that we hope for. And just as it is important for us to know with certainty the things that took place, it is also important for us to be sure and to be certain about the things that are going to take place. And that is the coming of the Lord. In 2nd Peter chapter 3, the false teachers were saying, the Lord Jesus is not coming.

You've seen the creation of the world, everything continues the same. The false teachers here of 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 were saying, the Lord Jesus has already come, trying to deceive and to shake the mind of the believers. Because when it comes to this topic, my dear brethren, Satan wants to alarm, wants to shake the mind of the Christian. That's the first thing. But second and very important, brothers and sisters, I want you to see in verse 3, that is that, "...

in these last days there will be a great falling away. Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come." That day will not come unless the rebellion or the falling away comes first. unless the apostasy comes first. The Lord Jesus will not come unless it is a necessity, it is a requirement, it is a sign of the coming of the Lord.

That there will be a rebellion, that there will be apostasy, that there will be a great falling away, my dear brother and sister. And that, I don't know if for you, but at least for me, it is fearful. Because those who are in that which is visibly the church of Christ and the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, many will fall away. Brethren, come with me, please, to Matthew chapter 24. And independently of the timing in your mind of Matthew 24, we can certainly get a principle there of the things that the Lord Jesus Christ says about the last times, even if they are just simply a type or indeed speaking directly to the last times.

But there is something certainly important that we can get from there. In Matthew 24, verse 9, it says, speaking to Christians, you remember this, the signs, it says in verse 9, then speaking to the Christian, they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death. And you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away. and betray one another, and hate one another.

And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. I don't know if you paid attention in a reading in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, but it says there that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work and that there's going to be a men of sin and lawlessness that will be revealed. And it says here that many will fall away. Many will be led astray.

Brethren, it says verse 13, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. But more importantly, brethren, pay attention to verse 12. And because lawlessness will be increased, The love of many will grow cold." The more that time elapses, the more that time passes between the first and the second coming of the Lord, the more that this world becomes what it really is, a fallen world. The unrighteousness, the thickness of the blackness of the unrighteousness of the world will increase and increase and increase, my brethren.

And it says that because of the increasing of this unrighteousness, the love of many, in this case, Christians, those followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, will grow cold, that many will be led astray, that many will fall from their professing faith, my dear brother and sister. And this is not to produce in us just simply something like one saved, always saved. Once I prayed, I prayed, and by praying, I prayed, I'm going to make it until the end. That was never the intention of the Scriptures, but rather, to genuinely communicate to the Christian the urgency to indeed endure until the end because there's going to be a time in which the unrighteousness that we see around us is so much that the mind of the Christian can be easily shaken or taken by the spirit of this world and being removed from the place of certainty and assurance and faith and being taken by the things that are passing away and the love of the Christian will grow cold. Taken by the things of the world, the ideas of the world, the riches of the world, the power of the world, the system of the world, taking the mind of the person so absorbed that now that which was a deposit of love in his or her heart starts to grow cold.

What an urgent necessity it is, my dear brother and sister, for every single Christian to recognize and genuinely acknowledge, not only with words that are preached, and not only with words that are just simply repeated as a tradition or as a religion of the Gentiles, but rather from the heart, that apart from the power of the Lord Jesus Christ showing us our feebleness and our neediness every day, And as we prayed on Saturday, showing us not only in our minds, but making us experience our neediness and our feebleness and how small we are, we will never truly rest in the Lord and depend upon Him. Because when our neediness and when our feebleness and when we recognize ourselves as sinners only in the head and we don't experience that reality of our neediness, of our feebleness, of how small we are, when we don't experience that, my dear brother and sister, what we experience is that we consider ourselves to be too good and good enough and strong. And even though we say false words of humility, then in the heart, we live our lives in our own wisdom, according to our own ways. And even the thought of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ becomes a dead doctrine that men are willing to disagree upon. And because they're willing to agree to disagree upon, I'm not going to care about it.

And I'm just simply going to live my life as if my generation is not the generation in which the Lord Jesus Christ comes. while the faith of every single Christian in the Scripture, brethren, was always with the genuine reality that the Lord Jesus is coming. And it is that urgency, brethren, the one that transforms our lives. It is that urgency of endurance and remaining, the one that helps us to endure until the end. It is that love for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is that love, that urgency for the appearing of the blessed hope, the one that is part of a genuine faith That makes a Christian endure until the end and not be part of those who fall away. And not to be part of those whose love grow cold because of times of unrighteousness. Not to be those who try to fix things by changing the government and changing the politics and changing the way that the world goes. But rather say, Lord Jesus, come. Lord Jesus, come, Lord Jesus, bring your hand upon this land and give us the faith to endure what comes ahead.

Sustain us and keep us in your ways and perfect ways. Just keep us and sustain us as you fulfill your decree. Because, my dear brethren, when it comes to the last days, times of deceitfulness and also, as I have said there, a great falling away. Let us just return to our passage there to briefly, I hope, because that was not part of the main part of what I wanted to share with you. The third thing, I said to you that in these last days there's times of potential deceitfulness and also that there's going to be a great rebellion or falling away or a great apostasy.

But thirdly, there's going to be also a men of lawlessness. It says a men or sin. Now, I'm not going to speak about it much. Because I really want to go into what I wanted to share with you from the other verses. But brethren, it says in verse 3, let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first.

and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. I just want to also share from that man of lawlessness, that man of lawlessness that is explained and that we see who he is in verse 4, it says who? The man of lawlessness. opposes and exalts himself against God, or every so-called God, or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God? Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things?

And you know what is restraining him, that is something restraining these men of lawlessness now, so that he may be revealed in his time for the..." He says in verse 7, "...for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work." Just a couple of things that I wanted just to simply see from the text that are facts from the text and from the words that are written there. The men of lawlessness, the men of sin, these men of perdition or destruction.

First, very important to note is a man. Right? He's a man. It's not a spiritual power. And it's not Satan.

And the reason why it's not Satan is because we're told in verse nine, it says verse nine, the coming of the lawless one that is the lawless man, the lawless one is by the activity of Satan is through the power of Satan is in the energy of Satan. It is in Satan that he comes but it's not Satan. It is a man very important thing here to do because I think that the Apostle is also trying to show us how the man that comes in the Spirit, the man that comes in God, the genuine man, the main Christ Jesus, is a man who came to the world, who did not oppose God, but rather lived a life pleasing the Father, and who was God himself, and how he comes not for judgment, but he came for salvation, and how he opposes or speaks here of the contrary of it, the lawless man, the man of sin. First thing, my dear brother and sister, this lawless man is a man. The second thing, and very important here, he's a man who is a man of lawlessness, who opposes the righteousness of God.

Everything that is righteous in God is going to be opposed by this man. And the reason why this man is able to oppose that which is of God and even sits in the temple of God as if he was God is because the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. It's because the lawlessness of this world is already operating. The unrighteousness of this world against God is already operating. The darkness of this world is continually increasing.

The system is already there. And there's going to be a time in which the man of lawlessness is going to be revealed in a world that is already his. Why? Because the system is already there. Second thing that I wanted to say to you is that these men of lawlessness opposes God.

But thirdly, and most importantly, my dear brother and sister, is that these men of lawlessness is not so much an instrument of Satan in the working out of this system of unrighteousness, but rather these men of lawlessness is an instrument of judgment in the hands of God. The men of lawlessness, my dear brother and sister, is an instrument of the righteous judgment of God. And these men of lawlessness is under the sovereign power of God and works for the purposes of God. Because we are told, that this man is restrained. Did you pay attention there in verse 5?

Do you not remember when I was still with you that I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him. Something is restraining this man of lawlessness now, so that he may be revealed in his time. Verse 7, for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains him or it, will do so until he's out of the way.

Now, my dear brother and sister, who is the only one able to restrain the unrighteousness and has the power to restrain the unrighteousness of this world and the unrighteousness of these men of lawlessness? I'll submit to you that it's God, that God himself is the one that restrains the appearing. Why? Because there's going to be a point in time in which this man is going to be revealed. And it says in verse 8, And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

This says the purpose of this man of lawlessness, verse 9, Brethren, the coming of the lawless one, He is by the activity of Satan with all power and full signs and wonders and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing. My dear brother and sister, this is fearful at its core. Because the revealing of the men of lawlessness is under the sovereign control of the one who controls all things. And the revealing of that men of sin, or that men of lawlessness, is with the purpose of the manifesting lying wonders and signs that are worked in Satan, and for the deception of those who are perishing. Verse 10, And with all wicked deception for those who are perishing.

Why? Because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. Brethren, rejected by God. rejected by the condescending grace of God and the outcome of it of those who do not believe the truth, those who have not received the love of the truth, because the truth is love. There's love in the truth of the gospel.

Those who have not received it or those who have rejected it, my dear brother and my dear sister, are going to be the objects of the workings of this man of lawlessness who is operating in the power of Satan. For the ones who are perishing, it says, therefore, because of that, in verse 11, God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false. Brethren, Every time that a person enters in tribulation or in difficulty of the flesh, of the mind, of the heart. Every time that a person even is persecuted by someone else. Every time even that 10,000s of people surround us to attack us and to kill us.

Even when there's oppression of Satan or the demons, there's always the hope that that person can say, God, have mercy on me. Because God is the only one who is able to deliver a person for the oppressions of the flesh, the oppressions of the mind, the oppressions of the world, the oppressions of other people, of armies and countries and nations, and even from the oppression of Satan himself. But there is someone who has such a might power, such a powerful hand, that there's absolutely no escape and no hope for the one who falls in the hands of that person. And that is God Himself. When God sends a strong delusion, what is the hope?

When God has decreed and when God has said that a strong delusion will be given to those people who have rejected the gospel, who have rejected the truth, who are the objects of the operations of the men of lawlessness, of the men of sin working in Satan. When these people who have rejected the gospel come in these last days, they are going to receive a great delusion that is not coming from the media, that is not coming from the system of the world, that is not coming from the internet, but brethren, that is coming from God Himself. Therefore, God sends us a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false. And then it says, "...in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Had pleasure in unrighteousness. The qualifier, the emotional qualifier of if we have received the truth or not. Brethren, The emotional qualifier of if we have or not received the truth. It says that these people take pleasure in unrighteousness. that they enjoy unrighteousness, not only visible unrighteousness, but also unrighteousness that takes place in the minds and with the eyes and in the heart, that they enjoy and take pleasure in unrighteousness.

Brethren, this is an emotional qualifier of if a person has indeed or not received the truth that is able to transform a person. Brethren, do we take pleasure in unrighteousness? Do we satisfy ourselves in the secret of our minds, in our eyes, and our hands, and our feet, doing things that are unrighteous? And do they produce pleasure to our souls? We may be okay doing the external things, but what about our eyes?

What about our hands? What about our hearts, brethren? Do we take pleasure in things that are unrighteous? Because if that is the emotional condition of the heart of a person, the one who takes pleasure in unrighteousness, at least according to this passage here, those are the ones who have not received the love of the truth. Those are the ones who have not believed the truth, which is the gospel.

Those are the ones who are working in the flesh, who are led by the flesh, and not working in the spirit. Brethren, Do we take pleasure in things that are unrighteous? Because if that is the case, my dear soul, within the sound of my voice, fearful times come ahead. Because for those who take pleasure in unrighteousness, there will be the objects of the delusion that God will send that they will believe a lie. When the Christian, with the illuminating power of the Word of God and of the Spirit, will see, but that is wrong.

That is contrary to what is true. That is even contrary to nature. The world will say, that is the way. When we will say, this is how God created man and woman. When we will say, this is the way that the society is to operate.

When we say, this is the way that the church is to operate. When we say, these are the things that are according to nature. Then the world will say, No, that is not the way that the things should work. And everyone will be taken by brethren. And do you think that a change of prime minister, you think that a change of politicians, you think that a change of government will change the mind of those who are now perishing and are deluded, if that is the word in English, deluded.

That is the word, right? Deluded with what Satan is doing in them. Brethren, no hope, no hope. No hope when the hand of God comes in vengeance upon those who do not receive the truth, who do not receive the gospel. There's absolutely no hope.

You are sick, there's hope of healing. And if you die, you're taken to glory if you're in the Lord. You're suffering, there's hope that the suffering will pass or that the Lord will give you the faith that is necessary for you to go through the suffering. you're lacking something, there's always the possibility that the Lord will provide that which you're lacking or what you need and the Lord can give it to you. Or the Lord may give you the faith for you to live without those things that you think that you need.

But when the judgment of the hand of the Lord comes upon a person, brethren, you can fly to China, you can go to the moon, you can go to Mars. There's absolutely no place where you can hide from the decree of the Lord. Hence, if we truly knew that these things are actually going to take place, do you think that we will be okay with our neighbor who is not a Christian or who the person that we talked with yesterday and that we did not share the gospel? Brethren, that is the power of our faith. Not only of the things that took place in the past, but the things that are coming ahead and apart from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A great delusion is coming and this should move us to compassion, not to judgment, but to compassion. Because brethren, apart from the condescending grace of Christ, do you think that we are something different? Do you think that we deserve something different? We deserve the same, my dear brother and my dear sister. Let me just simply finish here because it went too long.

Verse 13, it says, But we are bound always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, beloved by the Lord." Brethren, but I said to you, this is the last days, brother, sister, this is the last days for the non-Christian. How would I just summarize it? With wrath. Wrath, judgment coming from the Lord in that period of time leading to the coming of the Lord.

There is going to be wrath. I don't know if you've seen the bombs and the missiles in Ukraine and all of those noises. The first time that I see such powerful explosions and all of these colors at night, all of these things are going on in Ukraine. When the Lord comes, none of them compare to the fearfulness of the appearing of the Lord. Every eye will see Him.

There will be no mountain in which a man can hide himself. This is the fearful appearing of the Lord on the day of the Lord. And if that wrath is going to be manifested, brethren, what I have said to you from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 is that there is a wrath leading to that day. A wrath that is manifested in the delusion of humanity, the delusion of those who are perishing and taken by the power of Satan. But, we said here in verse 13, for the Christian, by His grace, we are saved from that wrath.

Before we go there, come with me quickly to Romans chapter 5 and just remember this verse. Pedro was studying Romans chapter 5 not long ago. Romans chapter 5. Pay attention to this verse. You remember Romans chapter 5, right?

Speaking about the glories of our salvation. It says, verse 6, for while we were still weak or without strength, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though Perhaps for a good person, one would ever dare to die. But God shows or demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Pay attention to verse 9.

Pay attention to verse 9, because the importance of all of the other verses usually take and remove the importance of verse 9. It says, "...since therefore we have now been justified by His blood..." We are Christians. "...

since therefore we have now been justified by His blood, Much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. We will be saved, brethren, from the eschatological, the end times wrath that is to come. That is that when the Lord Jesus Christ comes and he's going to judge the living and the dead, those who have been justified by his blood, they will escape the wrath that is to come. That means that we are going to escape the wrath of the last days as it leads to the day of the Lord? Well, we're not going to be the objects of God's wrath, but brethren, the Lord is going to use the wrath that He's going to inflict, if that is the word, upon the unrighteous to purify the church.

And many of the sufferings and many of the tribulations of the Christian in those last days are going to be simply the treasuring up of wrath for the one that inflicts wrath upon the Christian and the purification of the church. It's not that the Christian is going to be just simply removed. from the wrath that is to come, but the Christian will go through the last days, last times, enduring by faith, and even the Lord uses those last days and the wrath that He has upon the unrighteous to bring purification to the church. I don't know if you paid attention to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, but that is exactly what the apostle said. Come very quickly, please, to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1.

2 Thessalonians chapter 1. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. Brethren, is that the Christian is not going to suffer the consequences of the wickedness of the world? Of course not. If this world is increasing in unrighteousness, if this world is increasing in blackness, and if this world is increasing in all of these things, do you think that the Christian is just simply going to put in a bubble, just not to go through the whole thing?

The more that this world grows dark, and the more that the Christian is the light, there's going to be a position between those two. And the opposition of those two is going to result in tribulations and in sufferings and in persecution for the Christian. And those tribulations, those persecutions and the suffering of the Christian is God purifying the church and at the same time accumulating wrath for the unrighteous that is oppressing the Christian, so that in the end, God will give comfort to the Christian in bringing them to the rest and will bring judgment upon those who persecuted the Christian. Verse 3 of 2 Thessalonians 1, it says, "...we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as it is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing."

Sometimes we read those words just passing, but pay attention carefully to verse 4. Therefore, we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring." Remember, the apostle was not thinking, oh, 2022, the Lord was not going to come. The apostle is speaking with an assurance and certainty that the coming of the Lord is going to take place. Verse 5, This is evidence, brethren, the endurance of the saints in times of affliction and tribulation."

It says, "...this is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God." His ways, brethren, are not our ways. "...that we may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God through tribulations and trials."

Yes. That is what the Lord says, that we may be worthy of the kingdom of God through trials and tribulations. Take or have your better life now. Know that you will be partakers worthy of the calling of the kingdom of God. Through that, it says, verse five, once again, this is evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are also suffering, since indeed God considered just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted, as well as to us, when?

When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. Are we looking for comfort? Are we looking for the relief of the sufferings of the flesh? It will come, brethren. It will come in the day that we're taken up to glory and it will come in the day that the Lord Jesus Christ comes.

But even until that point, the sufferings and the persecutions of the saints are the instrument through which God purifies the Christian and also accumulates the judgment that the unrighteous, that is persecuting the Christian, genuinely and righteously deserves. And I don't know about you, but that is amazing for me. the way that He works for the unrighteous, and the way that He works for the righteous, and the way that He relates the unrighteous to the righteous, to bring fulfillment to everything that He has said that He will do. But the words of hope, dear my dear brother and sister, is what is the situation now of the Christian in the last days? Brethren, just simply this, that we have been saved.

And if that does not move you enough, then check your heart. If that does not move you enough, then just check where you are, because you have fallen from first love. You have lost your first love. Remember from where you have fallen. If the fact that you have been saved by His grace does not move you to have certainty of His righteous judgments being just, and the outcome of the things are going to take place as perfect, then brethren, something has taken place in our hearts.

Because the only consolation that the Apostle is going to give to the Christian, and I say only because he's the only one there, because he's majestic and he's glorious, is that we are saved. It says in verse, "...but you, beloved brethren by the Lord..." Beloved by the Lord. "...

because God trusts you." As the first fruits of from the beginning, God chose you from the beginning to be saved. But you, brethren, you have been chosen from the beginning for salvation. How you were chosen? Through sanctification in the Holy Spirit.

For what? For belief in the truth. The unrighteous did not receive the truth, did not believe the truth, they are in a delusion, they are deluded in their unrighteousness. But you, you have been chosen from eternity past, you have been sanctified through the Spirit and now you believe the truth. And it says, verse 14, to this reality you were called through the gospel of the Lord that you may obtain, not glory simply, that you may obtain or for the obtaining better of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And brethren, What money can purchase such glory? What power can compare to such glory? What persecution or difficulty or tribulation of the Christian is enough and compare or can rub off the value of this glory that is found only in the person of Jesus Christ? If when we deserved all of the judgments of God upon us, He has loved us and He has saved us. Now brethren, what other encouragement do we need?

That's why he says one thing, two things that are very important. First one, stand firm, it says in verse 15. So then brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions that you were taught by us either by our spoken word or by our letter. You tell me the interpretation of verse 15. What is he saying when he says stand firm and hold the traditions that you were taught by us either by spoken word or by our letter?

What are we to stand firm on? Brethren, the Word of God. We are to stand firm on the Word of God. Why? Because my mind can be shaken by a spirit or by misinterpretations or bad interpretations of the Scriptures.

Why? Because when it comes to the last day, I can be taken, I can be moved. You think that you are so strong that you will not? Oh, brother and sister, let me tell you, we are to stand firm in the traditions which we have received. Non-Christian is going to stand just because they are married to who and who, or they have parents who and who, or because they belong to a certain church.

Nobody will stand because of their affiliations and the people that they are related to. The only way that the Christian stands firm is by the deposit of the words of Christ in the heart of that person. And each one of your hearts is a vessel, and you know what is the deposit of the words of Christ in yours. You know the size of the vessel that God has given you. And it's not the vessel of your husband, or your wife, or your children, or your pastor, or whoever.

It is your vessel. And you're standing firm until the end. It depends upon the richness of the words of Christ that abide in your heart. This is the only way that a person can stand firm. You see, brethren, our minds are futile, are weak.

Things happen and we get scared, we get afraid by things that we see, by things that we don't see, even things that we imagine that may happen, move our emotions. We are so feeble in that way. The only thing that we can stand firm, my dear brothers and sisters, is by standing firm on the Scriptures. And then the promise that the Apostle gives us in his prayer is glorious in verse 16. It says that the Lord now made our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

and God our Father. This is glorious, brethren. This is just the sound of those words. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, it says, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. That the Lord Jesus Christ with the Father, the one that is in an approachable, I have not seen and I have not touched him.

but that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, that the Father Himself will comfort your hearts. That in the midst of tribulation and difficulties and uncertainties, when there are ten thousands of people that have sent themselves around me to destroy me and to take my head, that in that particular moment in which death is so clear and there's no hope of future, that it is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God the Father that can comfort our hearts and establish them not only with an emotional comfort, but establish them with every good work and every good word. That in the midst of unrighteousness, we will not be taken by unrighteousness. That in the midst of a world that is black and dark, and that so easily takes people in unrighteousness, that the Christian will stand firm, firm in the heart, established in the heart, good word and good work. My brethren, my dear brother, my dear sister, if we had certainty of His coming.

If we had the faith that is necessary just to know that He's indeed coming and that He's going to come to conquer, that He's the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and that nobody will escape the might of His hand. If we knew that when He comes, He's not going to treat us as a king who's coming to judge, but rather He's coming to rescue us as the Savior that He is to our souls. Then, brethren, we will be empowered in our hearts to live lives with minds that are set on things above and not on things on the earth. When things are perishing and passing away, we will have minds that are rooted in the heavenlies, so that our mouths, our words, our hearts will be treasures of righteousness to speak to the lost and say, the only way for salvation is found in that man, that main Christ Jesus, the one who died upon the cross to rescue you from the judgment that you deserve, and you will have eternal life. Amen.