Satan

Thought for Today
Jul. 07

THE STRONG DELUSION

Jesus warned his disciples the night of the "last supper" that the time would come when those who loved and obeyed him would be hated by all men, even to the extent that men would kill them. But the most compelling part of this famous warning from Jesus is that he said those who would kill his servants would at the same time believe that they were doing God's work by doing so (Jn. 16:1-3). Jesus was not warning his disciples that the time would come when they would be mugged by hoodlums on the street. He was warning them that there was coming a time when God will turn many worshipers of God over to the delusive power of Satan and that they, still believing that they were serving God acceptably, will put God's true servants to death.

This persecution and execution of upright saints is part of the history of Christianity; it cannot be denied. Over the centuries, there have been many thousands burned alive or otherwise tortured and killed by Christian ministers for refusing to submit to the Christian religion. For all that, however, the Bible indicates that for the upright, the hardest trials still lie ahead. Satan still envies the righteous, but mostly those who know and love the truth of the gospel. Through brutality and duplicity, he has established his little kingdom of Christianity, but the sweet truth of Jesus will tear down his play house. As an increasing number of God's servants realize that Christianity is not of God, and as more of them obey God's call to "come out of her, My people", it is only be a matter of time before Christian brutality against God's saints is renewed. The tragic element in this coming persecution, however, is that many of God's own children, clinging to Christianity instead of to Christ, will be among those who persecute the upright.

Paul prophesied that a large portion of believers will be turned over by God to Satan's delusive power because they do not love the truth of the gospel. He foretold of a "great falling away" from righteousness, adding, "for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2Thess. 2:10-12). Referring to this approaching apostasy and judgment, Jesus said, "many shall be offended (i.e., turn from righteousness), and shall betray one another, and hate one another . . . The love of many shall wax cold" (Mt. 24:10-12).

Neither Jesus nor Paul was speaking of common sinners when they foretold of God's fearful curse of spiritual blindness. They were both describing the spiritual condition of some of God's own children after the Father turns them over to the will of the devil. And most grievous of all to consider is the fact that when those cursed saints betray and put to death their own brothers and sisters, they will be confident that they are pleasing God. They will still pray and sing hymns to the Father of the holy children whom they persecute and kill; they will still gather to worship the God who has cursed them; they will still deliver sermons in honor of the same God who in fiery indignation has given them over to Satan to be used and then destroyed. It is a terrifying scenario.

In his well-known parable of the wheat and the tares (Mt. 13:24-30, 36-43), Jesus tells us plainly that before his return, he will purge the congregation of the saints, and cast out all who continue to sin and who cause others to do so. This purging will be accomplished by God sending a "strong delusion" upon those whose hearts are not perfect with Him. The "strong delusion" that is coming on God's children who refuse His truth will make those who are deluded feel wise, and it will make them exceedingly proud. They will think they have been enlightened by God; they will rejoice in their "deeper understanding" of the Lord; but in reality, they will be cursed "to believe a lie and be damned". They will be cursed to love Christianity, or some other wrong idea about God, instead of loving Christ.

Solomon counseled God's children to guard their hearts "with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." This is true. Do whatever you have to do in order to keep condemnation out of your heart. Condemnation is the path taken by delusions into man's spirit. Where the heart is pure, where there is innocence before the Lord, where there is no condemnation, there is no path by which a lie can enter into the heart.

Peter told the saints, "Judgment begins in the house of God." Jesus and Paul revealed to us just how fearful God's judgment will be against those who refuse the truth of their God. No honest and sincere heart in Christ can be satisfied with any Christian sect, or with any Christian doctrine or tradition, for none of them is of God. They exist only to serve Satan's purpose to divide the saints, and that is why God is calling His children out of them all. He wants His children to be together, and to love and help one another. The Father wants His family to be united, and His truth is the only thing that will unite us.

When we hear that truth, we are being blessed, and we are required to receive and be thankful for that blessing. Otherwise, we may in time find ourselves among those who have not loved the truth and have been delivered into the hand of Satan to be used to persecute those who kept their hearts clean, and who loved the truth when they heard it.