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Man of Sin |
Dear Brethren,
We are being warned of a most severe trial and
temptation that will come soon upon God’s Church. Indeed, all the world will
gleefully yield to the promises and enticement of the greatest and most charismatic leader
the world has ever witnessed. The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians about this
man, but it is the brethren of the Church of God who must be wise to the duplicitous
nature of this soon to come world leader. "Who is this man of lawlessness?"
Immediately after Jesus Christ was
baptized, and before He began His public ministry, He had to face Satan and overcome him. It was a titanic battle – and Jesus could have
lost had He not been spiritually strong. “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days
and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said,
If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”
(Matthew 4:1-3)
As this age closes, more and more,
we are living in a spiritual wilderness. Do we realize that the brethren of God’s
Church are to face the same tremendous temptations in the wilderness that Jesus faced?
In the same way, and for the same reasons, God’s people will be tested before they
are able to enter the Kingdom. Just before Jesus returns to the earth to establish
His Father’s Kingdom there will be a similar battle – this time, between Satan and all the
earth’s inhabitants.
At this present time the world is
`Satan’s kingdom. Satan, on his throne, is the ruling god of this world
(2 Corinthians 4:4). He has the capability to give it to whomsoever he will.
“And the devil, taking Him [Jesus] up into a high mountain, showed unto Him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto Him, All this
power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to
whomsoever I will I give it.” (Luke 4:5-6) The temptation was this:
If Jesus would yield to Satan then and there; He would receive all the kingdoms of the
world right away. He would not have to suffer and die – He could have it all the
easy way.
We know that Jesus did not yield to
Satan – He overcame Satan there in the wilderness, and He conquered him the cross, and He
is set down with His Father in His throne in Heaven (Revelation 3:21). Jesus
qualified to receive power and authority – not only over the earth – but over all things
in the universe. After being raised from the dead, Jesus told His disciples,
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
(Matthew 28:18)
Satan lost his authority to rule the
world, but God did not remove Satan from the earth’s throne just yet. Why?
The answer is because the saints of God are also qualifying to reign and rule with Jesus
Christ, and as such, they, too, must overcome Satan as Jesus Christ has done. Jesus
said, “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I
also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
(Revelation 3:21)
Jesus says that there are three
things the saints must accomplish in order to qualify to rule with Him and to overcome
Satan. “They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11)
“He that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give
power over the nations.” (Revelation 2:26)
Satan is still the god of this world,
because he is still ruling on this earth and God has not removed him. Satan is about
to deceive the whole world in a great way because the return of Christ is imminent.
The end-time deception and temptation to yield to Satan’s way will be terrific.
“There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
(Matthew 24:24) “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
From the Old Testament Scriptures,
and direct inspiration of God, Paul understood about this end-time confrontation with
Satan’s representative, the man of sin. Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, among
others were inspired through God’s Holy Spirit to write about this man of sin. Paul
instructed the Thessalonians:
“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. 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; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or
that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he
is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4)
Brethren, God is going to find out
who worships Him with all their heart, mind and being. If we can be bought – we will
be bought. God will know who we are going to worship, Him or Satan?
***
Sermon:
“Man of Sin”
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