2 Thessalonians 2:3. “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;”
FALLING AWAY. “Falling away” here is not just a stumbling act Caused by something unexpected. It really means “standing away,” like one standing back – Deliberately, not miscalculated. It is not an accident when truth – that has been revealed – And to a degree, at least, has been understood. Rather, it is a choice that in rebellion has been made – And really means a stand has been taken against God.
Behind this rejection, there is an evil plan That Satan motivates, trying to defeat – Using the son of perdition, a terrible and lawless man; Whose power comes from the depths of the pit. When one turns away, Satan or his demons are there – To bring down what God intends to build up. Chains of deception, darkness, and final despair – Await those who at the devil’s table sup.
The man of sin with evil intent is rightly called the antichrist – For when God desires to bring blessings to men, He is seeking to thwart with all forms of evil devices, That the Lord God will defeat in the end. There remains the concern about what God wants to do Is hindered by these powers of darkness. It is only right for us to warn wherever we go – Of the dangers that fall on those who to him hearken.
“O Righteous God, there have been many men in the past who have been unspeakably evil. How solemn is my concern that there may be those living right here who will think such an evil person is Thy Christ? Have mercy on us, O God. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
It is in his agenda to defy God and claim the place of world authority for himself. He is against anything that is of or for God. He is a usurper and will directly challenge God. He will sit in the place reserved for the Lord when He comes to judge the world in righteousness "by that Man whom He hath ordained." That anti-God and anti-Christ attitude can be seen today in places where there was once law, order, and the fear of God. Even though the Thessalonians seemed to be a model assembly doing what they were called to do in their gathering and in Gospel outreach, they had either forgotten what Paul had taught them or had not understood his teaching. It is possible for us to forget what has been taught us, or not to think it was all that important at the time. Then along comes a speaker, and for one reason or another, we let him and his words influence us more than the word of God. We need to call to remembrance those things we were first taught and those who taught us, lest we be led astray.