Who have delighted in wickedness

“and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:12)

 

These days, the whole world is in very chaotic situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All the areas of life, including religions, politics, economy, and culture, became to be under the influences by the unstable situations from the pandemic disease. Christ’s coming again has been a great matter of concern from the past not only for Christians but also for everybody outside Christianity. That is because Christ’s advent is in close contact with rumors about the end of the world. An uneasy situation of the present and rumors regarding the end make confuse people’s minds more. In order not to be seduced by injustice and to keep in faith, we must know rightly the truth of Christ and move forward solidly, discarding the anxiety through power of faith.

 

The apostle Paul pointed out that the view in that time that Christ’s advent imminent was wrong and had lessons them to live a faithful daily life. Almost 2,000 years have passed since then, so present situation we may think to might have changed very much, but the actualities is not almost different to that time. For there cannot be fundamental change in man in the beginning and now. Except the facts that Christ’s advent and the end of the world are much closer, the spiritual state of man is still under the unstable state. Permanent peace and stability cannot be achieved without any fundamental changes. Only faith in Jesus can give man bring things about complete and eternal change.

The faith in Christ fundamentally changes oneself and makes have stabilization of life. That’s like a parable of a house built on the basis of rock. Natural changes occur frequently in the universe, included the changes in the climate of rain and wind and snowstorms. We also can’t predict at all when and where and what matters will occur. So people have to live with uncomfortable mind anytime. We experience here and there many changes and calamities caused by global warming these days. Unlike in the past in these days its intensity is even worse, and in the events of disasters, it has become much more difficult to handle. So heretic sects force that stir up the end of the world life also dance joyfully following suit. But God’s words urge us powerfully, “not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us ~ asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.” Just as a student who has improved knowledge earnestly can encounter boldly the upcoming exams, those who have sincere faith in Jesus can cope with the confusion of the world without fear.

False prophets are those who oppose Christ. Even if seem to speak God and preach Christ, those who try to show oneself high are false prophets. In other words, even if they shout Jesus’ name with using the Bible and show the holy appearance of faith they are not the true shepherds of Christ if they put forward individual experiences and selfish arguments. Even if they haven’t say by one’s mouth that themselves were God, they are the persons who are arrogant as if oneself God.

The activities of illegal people have been until now since ancient times. And the activities will become more and more active hereafter. When looking at the flowing water, we feel as if oneself is being sucked into the water. And looking at the burning flames, we would feel oneself seem to be burning there together. If we keep looking at and listening to the dancing injustice of the world and the activities of the anti-Christ, we may be overwhelmed with worries without one’s knowledge and may be changed not to establish the center of the faith. However, we don’t have to worry about it at all. Because the closer Christ’s advent is, the more injustice prevails, and the phenomenon is natural in the end of the world, and that is not ultimately a problem to be solved just by own self. Only the Lord Jesus will remove all the world injustice with the energy of His mouth.

The reason why people are likely to be misled by injustice is that Satan’s activities are also accompanied by ability, signs, and miracles. Just as Jesus’ disciple Thomas said that even after he had heard the news of Jesus’ resurrection, he would not believe it without confirmation of Jesus’ scar driven by the nail, almost people usually pay attention only to direct phenomenon in front of their eyes.

 

Thomas who had said he could not believe without experiencing it by touching changed into a man of belief after listening to Jesus. There are so many unjust people who do not believe in God’s truth around us. They are those who have not yet experience the inspiration of Jesus’ the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus a man of knowledge also had not known about what the rebirth of spirit is before he had met Jesus. Those who are going to fall into ruin remain in the midst of injustice, but if they believe in Christ and are saved, they will abandon the injustice and be avoidable the judgment forever.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Oct 3rd 2021)