Strong Delusion
To delude means to fool, as by false promises, wrong notions; mislead, deceive, or trick. Strong Delusion is a matter of being almost under a spell or trance of false thinking. I find it interesting that God Himself can inflict humans with this mental condition.
Possibly the most common reference to S.D. is in the second letter of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians which deals with the second coming of Christ. Strong Delusion is mentioned as a penalty at that future time for following a charismatic world leader called the “Anti-Christ” or “Man of Sin” who claims to be God. Chapter 2:1-11 But in a general sense, does Strong Delusion apply NOW?? The most famous Bible expositor of the last 300 years, Matthew Henry, had this to say: “He (God) will punish men for their unbelief, and for their dislike of the truth . . . He sometimes withdraws His grace from such . . . He gives them up to their own heart’s lusts and leaves them to themselves.” (M. H. – commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2:11) Scripture puts it this way; (and these refs. are 5:1 about the general sense of S.D.)
-- Proverbs 1:24-26 “Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, and you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you,”
-- Isaiah 66:3b-4 “These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; I also will choose affliction for them, and bring their fears upon them; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight.”
-- Romans 1:21-22 “So they are without excuse; for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, “
** 2 Thessalonians 2:11 “Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false,”
-- Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
-- Revelation 22:11a “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy,”
Of course, a lifestyle of sin & avoiding God’s call to salvation can bring Strong Delusion – NOW as well as during the dramatic events of Christ’s second coming. But we also have intellectual denial of His call to salvation today. Many people are trusting in a liberal God, liberal interpretation of scripture, good works/self-righteousness, universal salvation, New Age, personal achievements/status equating salvation, false religions, worship of science, etc. – anything but Jesus. They are offended by the “too narrow” one way Jesus system – so they accumulate ARGUMENTS that support “anything goes” spirituality (even satanism), which all contradict Scripture & incurs STRONG DELUSION.
God has a real part in S.D. according to Scripture. People think God wouldn’t do that . . . well all folks should do a good read of the Book to see what He has already done . . . making assumptions on the Nature of God may be real dangerous. We have Biblical accounts where demons were sent from God to be the agents of Strong Delusion. How about the case of Saul, 1 Samuel 16:23, the lying spirits in king Ahab’s prophets 2 Chronicles 21-22, and Judas Luke 22:3. I have personally experienced demonic activity, & I know they can influence people’s thinking & actions. See link 43 “The Demon”.
Well, to finish I just say Strong Delusion is in the world today. The best defense against it is simply to choose Jesus & His salvation – they are Alive. Then cultivate that Faith. See also link 81 “The Commuter Flight”, which deals with light from above. And that light is exactly the opposite of “Strong Delusion”.
Many other Titles: www.gospelnotes.org * * F. J. Stone * *
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