This is an interesting passage of scripture. It explains a spiritual reality that plays itself out day in and day out. I have thought for a long time that the "strong man," the term descriptive of Satan himself, is the demon of religion. It is the force that causes people to try to please God with their performance. It is the force that causes men and women to falsely believe that they have a certain quality that made God want to redeem and save them. The fact however is quite different. God wants to save humanity because he declared in Genesis 1:31 that they along with all his creation was VERY good. He also wants to save humanity because it was his purpose in creation. This is clearly stated in Ephesians 1:1-14. When it says before the foundation of the world, it means that it is the very first purpose we can understand about the overall purpose and plan of God. Before the foundation of the world is before creation so that passage clearly states that redemption was the purpose of creation, and it was to the praise of God's glorious grace.
This brings us to the above passage from Revelation 12 and the question I asked in the title. This passage in 2 Thessalonians is also directly connected to the above verses. 2Th 2:3-4 "Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. (4) He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God." The apostasy spoken of is departing from the gospel of grace for the leaven of the Pharisees. That happened in the first century just as was prophesied by Paul. He warned: Act 20:28-31 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. (29) I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them. (31) Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears." Jesus similarly warned his followers about the leaven of the Pharisees. He went on in Matthew 16 to say that the leaven of the Pharisees was their doctrine/teaching. From the second century forward, after the destruction of the temple, the leaven of the Pharisees replaced the first century gospel, and became accepted church doctrine which in turn became the foundation for what we call orthodoxy today. Certainly there was a thin thread of truth that remained, but by and large the first century gospel was compromised. It is the thread of truth that allows so many saints to have the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their redemption.
With over 30,000 denominations and all sorts of ministries started by divisions in doctrine it seems rather clear that something is amiss. Especially when these factions doubt the salvation of the others based solely on these differences, it is even more clear that something is wrong. Each one sure beyond doubt that they are right and that the other is wrong. Even further to the point, Paul stated that there was but one body, and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. The fact is that there are multiple examples of each. Not to mention the fact that there are several gospels. For one to believe there is nothing wrong, one has to blind oneself to the obvious.
Yet and still, a salvific thread of the gospel has survived. It is believed individually if not corporately, and has kept the Holy Spirit alive in people all over the globe. It seems obvious to me that the apostasy of 2Thess, and the leaven of the Pharisees of Matt 16, and the ravenous wolves of Acts 20:28-31 have indeed come to pass. Current evangelical doctrine is the strong delusion.
This brings us to the accuser of the brethren; Satan accuses the brethren day and night before God, but wait a minute... isn't that exactly what most evangelical preachers do? Sunday after Sunday they stand accusing. You don't do this right and you don't do that right and you are not pleasing God.... hmnn. The reality is that they have according to Paul the ministry of reconciliation. They should be proclaiming the gospel that humanity has been reconciled to God by Christ. They should be saying therefore, be reconciled to God. Why you ask? Because God was in Christ reconciling the WORLD to Himself that's why.
So again I ask, do you preach good news or do you accuse the brethren?
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