WORKING OF SATAN

Sunday Morning:  October 1, 2000

Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:7-14

DECEIT

2 Thessalonians 2:10-14 "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

THE LIE

11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

SURE JUDGMENT

12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

NOT FOR THE ELECT

13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

OBTAIN THE GLORY

14. Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4  "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that [the] man of sin [lawlessness] be revealed, the son of perdition;

4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

LAWLESS ONE

2 Thessalonians 2:8  "And then shall that [the] Wicked [lawless one] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:"

DECEIVABLENESS

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10  "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness . . ."

ALREADY WORKING

2 Thessalonians 2:7  "For the mystery of [the] iniquity [lawlessness] doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way."

 

AMONG THE CALLED

2 Thessalonians 2:10  "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

THE ELECT

2 Thessalonians 2:13  "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:"

SALVATION IN CHRIST

2 Timothy 2:10-12  "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12. If we suffer [endure], we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:"

SATAN

2 Thessalonians 2:9  "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,"

THE ANTICHRIST

1 John 2:18  "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that [the] antichrist (the lawless one) shall come, even now are there many antichrists (teachers of lawlessness); whereby we know that it is the last time."

DENIETH CHRIST

1 John 2:22  "Who is a [the] liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ (the anointed Son of God)? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."

FATHER OF THE LIE

John 8:44  ". . . the devil, . . . He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a [the] lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a [the] liar, and the father of it."

ANTICHRIST IS A DECEIVER

2 John 1:7  "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ (the anointed Son of God) is come in the flesh. This is a [the] deceiver and an [the] antichrist."

THEM THAT PERISH

2 Thessalonians 2:10-11  "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

 

PRESENT DELUSION

11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a [the] lie:"

THEY CHANGED THE TRUTH

Romans 1:25  "Who changed the truth of God into a [the] lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

THESE KNEW GOD

Romans 1:21  "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW

John 17:3  "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

REPROBATE MIND

Romans 1:28  "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge [epignwsiv, deeper knowledge], God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"

PAUL’S GOSPEL

2 Thessalonians 2:14  "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

PAUL’S GOSPEL THE TRUTH

2 Corinthians 4:2-4  "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

NO LOVE OF THE TRUTH

3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost [present middle, perishing]:

THE PERISHING

2 Thessalonians 2:10  ". . . in them that perish [present middle]; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

SATAN BLINDED THEM

4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light [gospel comes here] of the glorious (glory) gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

 

 

THOSE THAT PERISH

Jude 1:11  "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core."

THE WAY OF CAIN

1 John 3:12  "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew (persecuted) his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous."

1 John 3:15 "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him."

ERROR OF BALAAM

2 Peter 2:15  "Which have forsaken the right way (lawlessness), and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;"

LAWLESSNESS

Numbers 25:1-3  "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel."

GAINSAYING OF CORE

Numbers 16:3  "And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?"

VESSELS OF HONOR

2 Timothy 2:20-21  "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

THE JUDGMENT SEAT

2 Corinthians 5:9-10  "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."