We continue our study in Second Thessalonians chapter two, relative to the clear evidence that the saints of the church will not experience that great and terrible day of the Lord. The Holy Spirit has given to us three specific reasons in verses one through five, and there is another reason, the fourth and the last proof. which is found in verses six and seven of this second chapter in second Thessalonians here are the words recorded saying and ye know what withholdeth or restraineth that he might be revealed in his time for the mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now restrains will until he be taken out of the way. If the believers in the Church of Thessalonica had listened more carefully to Paul's preaching, they would have rejected the false teaching of those who said that the day of the Lord was present, as verse six indicates, they had been properly informed regarding it. The beloved apostle declares that the mystery of iniquity or lawlessness was already at work. This does not merely mean the working of sin in general, for that has been going on through human history. What does this expression reveal about this particular fact, as we consider the context, that the energy of Satan was already seeking to bring in erroneous teaching in the days of Paul, and mix it with God's truth in the name of Christ. Paul had won the Ephesian elders concerning this, as you may read in Acts chapter twenty and verse twenty-nine, and also verse thirty. He foretold them that such false teachers would arise in their very midst, corrupting the truth. While such men who teach error, despise God's truth, they are but preparing themselves in due time to worship the man of sin who will assume to be God when he comes in his manifestation. The seventh verse of our chapter reveals there is a restrainer who is hindering the public manifestation of this man of sin. There have been a number of suggestions regarding this fact, but there is only one sensible and conclusive interpretation which can properly satisfy. It is the solemn fact of the Spirit of God's presence upon the earth, and his present relationship within the Church that prevents the manifestation of the man of sin. We minimize too greatly and ignore too much the great doctrine of our present age, and that is, the presence of the Holy Spirit of God upon the earth who is the chief agent of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is co-equal as well as co-eternal in his blessed person with the other great persons of the Godhead, the Father and the Son. Tis true that he, without doubt, regardless of any other interpretations, must be the great restrainer. and we may raise the question how then does he restrain the Holy Spirit himself in the present age is gathering out of this world God's believing children making them members of the body of Christ as he souls the gospel of Christ from one end of the earth to the other that we know to be his word from John sixteen verses eight through eleven. But someday the last believer will be added to that body, which is the church, the body of Christ, and when it is completed, there can be no doubt that the Lord in heaven will come for his completed bride. Until that moment, The man of sin who is the leader of the world's lawlessness during the great day of the Lord, he cannot be revealed. The Spirit of God in his present relationship must be removed, and this will be done when the saints of this age meet the Lord in the air at that blessed event of the rapture. But it is now after giving this proof The beloved apostle continues in verse eight to say, And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. It is at this point of our study, I believe that we should conclude that the apostle has given to us Four specific proofs that the day of the Lord, or the Great Tribulation, if you wish to call it, being the same period, will not come until first the saints of the church are gathered together to meet the Lord in the air. Second, that the apostasy must come, that general abandonment of God's truth in all the earth, and a revolt against his divine claims. Third, that the man of sin must be revealed before and when the great day of the Lord shall come. Fourth, that the great restrainer of the present age, restraining the revelation of such a wicked one, is the Holy Spirit of God. in his present relationship to the church. That relationship, his present relationship to the church, must also be removed. But make not the mistake that the Holy Spirit will not be working in days that follow, for he will. But his present relationship to the church upon the earth will be removed. Then note with me the power of that man of sin, the wicked Antichrist, for he is now described in the verses that follow, beginning with verse nine, of whom the apostle says, even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders. We should first of all understand the origin of the great power of this man of sin, for he is the great deceiver of the human race at the end of this age. His power is supernatural, tis not human in origin, but with satanic power he will possess ability to deceive the world. the mighty celestial diabolical energy of Satan himself will energize and control this human person, this godless Antichrist. This corresponds with the thirteen chapter in the book of the Revelation, where we also find the two great leading characters or actors of the closing days are revealed. And in that thirteenth of Revelation, they both received their power from the dragon himself, the very devil. There is another fact to carefully, note concerning the man of sin, and it is the manner in which he will exercise his satanic power and deceive mankind. The ninth verse declares that it is done with all power, and signs, meaning miracles, and lying wonders. Again we would refer to the thirteen chapter of Revelation, which also confirms this very truth, and we would quote from that chapter in Revelation thirteen, two particular verses, thirteen and fourteen. For it is written of him that he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do. We cannot discount the supernatural power of Satan and his ability to deceive the human race through his co-partners in that day. And we should recognize that all the miraculous signs that are done and that are described by the Spirit of God, both in Second Thessalonians two and even in the book of the Revelation, are but lying wonders. which indicate they are actually absolutely deceptive. The man of sin will be the complete personification of wickedness and falsehood. One can recognize how distinctly opposite he will be to the character of Christ, the Son of God, who came to the earth, and came to the earth and lived upon the earth full of grace and truth. As the tenth verse of second Thessalonians two declares, the deception of the human race is performed by this man of sin. Note the words stating, it is with all deceivableness of unrighteousness and particularly deceiving them that perish. the deceivable of unrighteousness. How terrible that unrighteousness in character and practice will be the instrument that he will use to deceive the perishing souls of men, who will love his leadership in their lawlessness and in their sinning. now this can only reveal what follows God's judicial and governmental retribution which will come into operation and even permit such things to take place and that to justify his punishment upon the unrighteous character that will prevail upon the earth in those days may we say briefly but completely with emphasis. Lawlessness will be rampant in that day. Sinning will be a common way of life, flooding the earth with human wickedness. But it will not be without divine intervention and divine judgment upon the wicked. The basic reason for God's judicial conduct in those circumstances is given to us in the words that follow and the closing words in verse ten telling us the reason for God's permission of such a condition prevailing because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved may I read the words again because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved there are many that would question is God justified with such a judicial action we can but answer absolutely true he is let me suggest there came to the earth his only begotten son who himself declared when upon the earth I am the way, the truth, and the life, in John fourteen in verse six. Since his manifestation is such, may we raise the question, what have men, what have the nations of men done with him? Who is the embodiment of all divine truth, and the revelation of divine truth? Then may we also point out, following his death, burial and resurrection, and his return to heaven, another divine person of the God that came to the earth, the Holy Spirit. He is called the Spirit of Truth in the Word of God. And furthermore, may we also be reminded, we have not only the personification of truth coming in the bodily person of the Son of God in his humanity, not only the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God Himself, being upon the earth even now. But furthermore, we have a complete Bible, which is the Word of Truth, the whole body of divine inspiration from Genesis, all the way through the book of the Revelation. We can properly call it the Word of Truth. We have the very person who is the Truth. We have the Spirit of God who is called the Spirit of Truth. We have the divine Bible, the Word of God, which is called the Word of Truth. And then with Christ the Son of God, the living embodiment of God's truth, the Holy Spirit, the divine teacher and interpreter of God's truth, the Word of God, the complete written revelation of God's truth, let us ask the question. Does man have any excuse for not receiving the truth of God after all these centuries? He is weighed in the balances and he is found wanting. There is absolutely no excuse, none whatsoever. Therefore, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, for that was the purpose of God's sending Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the message of the Word of God, that they might be saved. But we note that in connection with the man of sin and God's permissive will to use him as an instrument of divine judgment, the solemn words of declaration following verses eleven and twelve that indicate God's justifiable reason in allowing this diabolical character to manifest its satanic power. Listen to the words that God says, and 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. From these words the following facts should be carefully discerned. First, the cause of God's judicial intervention, for there is a justifiable reason, for his action of divine retribution the cause was referred to in the preceding verse as we have noted in verse ten because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved now may we point out there are two special things said first not that they merely rejected the truth which they did but they refused to show any desire or any affection for the truth. Furthermore, the message of God's truth was this, a declaration of his love for the world. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. That is the substance, that is the very heart of the great gospel that he has given. And the rejection of this message is but to spurn and to despise His great love for their souls. For He gave His great gift of His Son to die for all mankind on the tree of Calvary. And thus they spurned the love that God showed to them. But second, it is not only spurning His love, but at the very same time it is also rejecting, refusing His great salvation. The proclamation of his gospel of love to the world is also a message of power to save. A message of salvation for God is not willing. That any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, according to Second Peter three and verse nine. Yet it is all rejected by the many. And in ultimate righteous, inevitable judgment, a God-rejecting, Christ-rejecting world must pay the terrible consequences. But note the second fact that the Apostle reveals concerning the delusion that is to come upon the human race through the instrumentality of the Antichrist, that man of sin. He will send them a strong delusion. Please emphasize the word strong. Literally, the meaning of this word is a working of error. And in the Greek text, the word strong is the word for energy. And in its use, it has reference to the working of a superhuman power, either by God or by Satan, according to the context, as we have found it in research in Thayer's Greek lexicon. In our scripture it is plainly evident the superhuman power that will deceive the world will be synonymous. God permitting the God-hating, rejecting mass of humanity to be deluded by the lie of the Antichrist. that they should believe a lie. Tis a terrible condemnation. When the morality of the earth, the world at large, comes to such a place where a lie is preferred to be believed to be believed rather than the truth of God. Then we should ask the question, what is the lie that men will believe in that day? The specific reference to the lie, I believe, is to be found in verse four of our chapter, where we noted that the proclamation of the man of sin is virtually that man is his own God. For it will be a man who will be seated in the temple of God upon the earth, in that day proclaiming he is God. This was the very lie that the serpent deceived Eve with in Genesis chapter three and verse five, when he said to her ye shall be as gods. This is the very lie that is recorded in Romans one and verse twenty five, regarding the early men of the human race, that men change the truth of God into a lie and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. It was the Lord Jesus in John eight and verse point forty-four who said of the devil, He is a liar and the father of it, and such will be the worldwide delusion, a denial of God, but the deification of man in that terrible day. What a strong delusion that will be when man believes he is his own God. And what a powerful working of falsehood. but it will be the culmination of Satan's lie which began even in the Garden of Eden, when the serpent spoke, saying, Ye shall be as gods. Oh, beloved, men without Christ can only be bent towards such a terrible end as this. But then also, note the divine purpose for the strong delusions. God's inflexible sentence of eternal damnation, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth. There is absolutely no hope for the truth rejecters, for the inevitably alternative is complete damnation of such. The expression believe not the truth does not merely state the fact that they did not believe it, But more solemnly serious, the condemnation indicates their refusal to believe it. Not that they could not believe it, they refused to believe it. Did not the Lord Jesus say to the Pharisees when upon the earth, Ye will not come unto me that ye might of life. They could have come to him, but they would not. And beloved, It's not merely the refusal to believe the truth, but, oh, to realize solemnly, they completely refuse to accept it. In other words, as we found in second Thessalonians one and verse eight, they obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, it's a joy to be saved, but it's a terrible thing to be unsaved, and come under the wrath of God by refusing to believe the gospel. of his love and grace. Then there follows the indication that the refusal to believe the truth is a free and a deliberate choice, which is implied in the closing words of verse twelve. They have pleasure in unrighteousness. They deliberately are willing to cast God's truth aside in order that they can enjoy their sinful living. And thus the outstanding sin that involves mankind in this coming catastrophe is not intellectual unwillingness to exercise their powers of reason. But may we say it earnestly, sadly, their passionate love for evil. Sin will be paramount in mind and heart and life amongst the wicked of those closing days. all let us realize as we come to the closing of this doctrinal part of the second book of Thessalonians the great truth that this chapter has revealed to us and I'm sure that this outstanding thing can be recognized all through human history two great spiritual forces have been at work in this world from the beginning and there is to appear without question to doubt very soon a coming final conflict between the great Triune Godhead and the Satanic Trinity of coming evil. Oh, how we can recognize the final conflict will soon appear when thus the man of sin shall be manifested upon the earth. What a great contrast we can realize this counterfeit Messiah will be. in comparison to the Christ, the one who humbled himself, but the Antichrist will exalt himself. Christ came to serve and to do the Father's will, and he came to save. The Antichrist only comes to dictate and to destroy. The Antichrist will only come to do his own will. Yes, the true Christ of God performed miracles, but by the power of the Spirit of God. The Antichrist will also work miracles, but by the power of Satan. The Christ of God, praise his name, is to be God's chosen king over the earth in righteousness. The Antichrist will be a king, but an evil one, ruling in selfishness and greed. Christ is the holy and the righteous one, but the Antichrist is the man of sin, the lawless one. Oh, how we can recognize that even in the book of the Revelation, the contrast between Christ and the Antichrist is so great. Through the book of the Revelation, that blessed Lamb of God is the title that predominates for the blessed Savior. And in the diminutive, in the Greek text, he's spoken of approximately twenty-eight times as the little Lamb. The Antichrist is likened to a beast. Oh, my beloved, the world can have a lamb, and it was a lamb that was slain on Calvary to save us. But unfortunately, at the end of the age, the world will choose a beast. My beloved friend, may I ask the question, is Christ the Lamb of God your Saviour? For the final results of this conflict of the ages, will be that the Lord shall consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy him that lawless one by the brightness of his coming as we read in second Thessalonians chapter two in verse eight and that presumptuous arrogant man of sin will be completely paralyzed and eternally judged and destroyed by our Lord at his coming and what a deserving judgment that will be but how many souls will he be taken to hell with him Beloved, let us rejoice, we that are saved, we shall not be on the earth during that awful day of the Lord, the great tribulation. But let us lift our hearts in earnest prayer, and live our lives in holy obedience, that we may rescue some perishing sinners from that coming day of judgment. Father, we bow our hearts in thy presence to thank thee for the revelation of thy truth, but may the solemnity of it have its effectiveness in the power of the Holy Spirit upon our hearts and in our lives and consciences for thy glory. Save anyone that hears these words, who may not be saved, bring them to Christ before it's too late, and keep us thy people walking in thy path, in a path of obedience for thy glory, until our Savior comes, and we thank thee that he is coming. May his coming be soon. to gather us together and meet him in the air. For we ask it in his precious, adorable name, giving thanks for thy holy word. Amen.