SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2024.
WE’RE THE RESTRAINING FORCE – Pastor Chris
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 (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
In 2 Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul issued a solemn warning against deception, emphasising the necessity for discernment. He asserted that before the Day of the Lord, there’d first be a falling away and the revelation of the man of sin, the son of perdition—a reference to the Antichrist.
This Antichrist is described as one who opposes and exalts himself above all that is worshipped, even declaring himself to be God. Paul reminded the Thessalonians of his previous teachings on this matter, urging them to recall what was holding back the revelation of the Antichrist until the proper time.
This withholding serves a purpose—to ensure that the Antichrist is revealed only at the proper time as predetermined by God. Who or what is restraining the Antichrist from full manifestation? It’s the Church! The Bible says, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).
Our presence on earth serves as a barrier against the full unleashing of Satan’s malevolent intentions. Through our collective resistance and spiritual authority as Christians, we exert a preserving influence on the world, thwarting Satan’s schemes and safeguarding humanity from utter chaos and devastation.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Church to understand what our crucial role is in this divine timeline. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we hold back the forces of darkness until the appointed time decreed by God. Also, we use the mighty Name of Jesus Christ, for all of God’s authority is vested in His Name, and that Name has been given to us to live by.
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PRAYERDear father, thank you for your grace at work in me to fulfil my role in your divine plan to restrain the power of evil until the appointed time. By the power of the Holy Spirit and in the Name of Jesus, I dispel the works of darkness and thwart the plans of the enemy, for the preservation of lives and for many to be transformed by the Gospel, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 NIV
And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 NIV
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-Year Bible Reading Plan: Romans 3:1-31 & Psalms 42-44
2-Year Bible Reading Plan: Ephesians 4:1-10 & Isaiah 48
