The Holy Spirit restrains evil. For now. But the day will come when those restraints will be loosed. Can you imagine what your city will look like, when evil is unrestrained: your neighborhood, your PTA, your local road driving etiquettes, your state lawmakers, your governor’s oversight, your congressional laws passed, your presidential degrees?
is already at work;
only he who now restrains
will do so
until he is taken out of the way.
pray for us
that the word of the Lord
will spread rapidly
and be glorified,
just as it did also with you;
2 and that we will be rescued
from perverse and evil men;
for not all have faith.
3 But the Lord is faithful,
and He will strengthen
and protect you
from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-3
We are not to fear this day, nor the evils, for
the Lord is faithful,
and He will strengthen and protect you
from the evil one.
We have confidence
in the Lord
concerning you,
that you are doing
and will continue to do
what we command.
May the Lord direct your hearts
into the love of God
and into the steadfastness of Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:3-5
We are needy, and so we ought to pray for one another.
In the end days (perhaps: in the – now?) “a deluding influence” will come upon mankind. “They will believe what is false.” (2:11) This deluding influence will sink into their minds because they rejected Christ:
because they did not
receive
the love of the truth
so as to be saved (2:10)
…did not believe the truth (2:12)
…perverse and
evil men;
for not all have faith (3:2)
It is a scary thing – to NOT believe the truth. The day is coming when that “deluding influence” will afflict all those who are not in Christ, and then, as they say, all hell will break loose.
- People “will believe what is false.” (2:11)
- People will take “pleasure in wickedness.” (2:12)
I have restrained my feet
from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
–Psalm 119:101
