A Falling Away

1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin 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, shewing himself that he is God.  2 Thess 2:1-4 (KJV)

     Here we see the Apostle Paul addressing the church concerning their questions about end times. First of all he encourages them not to be shaken from their faith and the doctrines they know to be true. They were experiencing persecution and were wondering what was going on. They were wondering if they had missed the Lord's return, and Paul was explaining that they had not missed it. He goes on to explain that there would have to be two things to happen before the "End" would come to happen.

     1) The first event that would need to happen would be what Paul calls "a falling away". Th ePreachers Sermon Notebook states the following: The Greek is forceful: "falling away" means apostasy, revolt, rebellion. The picture is that of multitudes—millions from all over the world—rebelling and revolting against God. "Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary" There will be a time of great rebellion against God and it will take many forms. These forms will take shape in Churches that teach and accept doctrines that once were held as wrong. These same church will downplay the Word of God. We will see mankind in other ways just reject God and live for themselves.

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron" (1 Tim. 4:1-2)

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Tim. 4:3-4)

     2) The second event will be the revelation of that man of sin, that is, the antichrist himself. With him being revealed in that day shows that he will be alive before this happens and ready to be put into place, once God is ready for the end to come.

     Do we see either one of these 2 signs happening? The answer is clearly yes. The first event I do believe we are seeing happen. Will it get worse, yes. Do we as Christians need to worry? No.  Look at the first part of our passage: 

     We do not have to be shaken based on the assurance that Jesus is coming back for us. No matter how bad things will get before we meet with Christ we have His promise that He will not put more on us than we can handle.

     I leave you with the following verses:

²¹And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Romans 4.21

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8.37-39

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. I Cor. 10.13