Standing Firm in the End
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (2 Ti 3:16)
Main Idea: We stand firm against the schemes of the evil one by clinging to the grace of the righteous one.
1. Expectations for now and then. (2 Thessalonians 1-12)
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a 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. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)
A. The Rebellion (The Great Revolt, Or Apostia)
B. The Rebel (Man of Lawlessness of Antichrist)
For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and man of lawlessness is revealed, 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. (2 Thes 2:3b-5)
The Antinomian (The man of lawlessness, v.3)
The Doomed (The Son of Destruction, v.3)
The Enemy (The one who will oppose God, v.4)
The Climber (The one who exalts himself claiming to be God, v.4)
Mt 24:12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
Isaiah 14:12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
Ezekiel 28:1-2 “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god—
Daniel 11:31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.
Daniel 11:36-37 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.
Revelation 13:3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.
Revelation 13:12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.
1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
1 John 2:22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist.
Matthew 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
2 Thes 2:6-8 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it 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.
“His anti-social, anti-law, anti-God movement is at present largely underground. We detect its subversive influence around us today—in the atheistic stance of secular humanism, in the totalitarian tendencies of extreme left-wing and right-wing ideologies, in the materialism of the consumer society which puts things in the place of God, in those so-called ‘theologies’ which proclaim the death of God and the end of moral absolutes, and in the social permissiveness which cheapens the sanctity of human life, sex, marriage and family, all of which God created or instituted." ~ John Stott
2 Thes 2:9-12 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.
They delight in sin.
They refuse to believe and love the truth.
Satan deceives them.
God gives them over to the lie they’ve chosen.
They are condemned.
2. Assurance for now and then
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we ought always to give thanks for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Co 10:4–5 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
Eph 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
2 Ti 4:3–5 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (But hear this) 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Ti 4:3–5)
Rev 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Rev 12:11)
And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us. We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.
~ Martin Luther
2 Thes 2:13-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, conform your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
