GRACE GAZETTE
Volume XXIssue44
/Published occasionally for mourners in Zion/
/Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble
knees;And make straight pathsfor your feet, lest that which is lame
be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.Hebrews 12::12-13/
STRONG DELUSION//
/And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they/
/should believe a lie.II Thessalonians 2:11/
When Adam entertained the temptation presented to him by Eve, he
embraced a very strong delusion. No one forced him to disobey the
commandment of GOD, but he quite willingly partook of that which was
forbidden by the LORD for him to eat thereof.Ever since that fateful
day the sons of men have followed that same course, having inherited
his corruptible (and now corrupted) nature as well as his guilt.Yet
his actions were in no way contrary to the purpose for which the
LORD created him. /“And God saw every thing that he had made, and,
behold, it was very good.” (Gen 1:31) /Before Adam, ever had his
first thought of such rebellion, the LORD had already told him
exactly what he would do and what the consequences of that action
would be.“/But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou
shalt not eat of it: for _in the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die_.” (Gen 2:17/)
Part of man’s rebellion against the GOD who rules in the Heavens and
the Earth, is that he despises the absolute rule of GOD over all
things.Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful king the world had ever
seen up until that time if not even to the present day.The lives of
his subjects were in his hand to do with them as he saw fit.His
wealth was staggering, having taken the untold riches amassed by
King Solomon into his own coffers, as he sacked Jerusalem.He even
commanded that men worship an image made in his likeness.One can
surely understand the sense of invincibility that he must have felt
as he ruled without rival and had whatever he wanted at his
fingertips.As men might judge he was rightfully proud of that which
he had accomplished and possessed.
He even appears to have been a religious man as he extolled the GOD
of Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego, forbidding any to speak against
HIM. (see Dan.3:29-30) Yet we do not find that at that point he was
personally desirous of falling upon his own face before HIM; having
embraced the strong delusion that HE was merely great among a
panoply of gods and that he (Nebuchadnezzar), was in control of his
life and destiny. For in the dream that Daniel was able to interpret
for him, the LORD told him, exactly what was about to occur, even
giving him space to repent of his wickedness, which according to the
delusion which he embraced prevented such action.The LORD sent this
delusion and the LORD remedied it, though not in the manner which
was pleasant to Nebuchadnezzar.
It appears that Nebuchadnezzar was an object of GOD’s mercy and
grace as the LORD caused his delusion to disappear in a field where
he was eating grass like an ox.With bits of grass still upon his
lips and dew upon his head, he was awakened from the darkness of
that strong delusion and made this confession. /“And at the end of
the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine
understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I
praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an
everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to
generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven,
and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand,
or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason
returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and
brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought
unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty
was added unto me. _Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour
the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways
judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase._” (Dan
4:34-37/) Oh that the politicians of our day were brought to this
same enlightenment!
Paul speaks of a “/_strong delusion_/” sent by the LORD.He defines
both the reason for HIS sending it and the result of abiding in that
delusion.He says, “/_for this cause_/.”“/because they received not
the _love of the truth_, that they might be saved.” (2Thess 2:10/)
Those who are outside of the mercy and grace of GOD have no love for
the TRUTH, nor shall they be delivered from their sins.Such a
message as this is roundly hated by those who believe strongly in
the “free will” of men, and their ability and “right” to choose the
way of GOD.They are not opposed to talking about GOD and mentioning
HIS love and mercy to men.In fact, many are very zealous to do
so.Yet they reject HIS TRUTH and substitute one of their own
making.To love the TRUTH is to embrace it regardless of how
contradictory it may be to man’s natural understanding.
The LORD JESUS declared that “/I-- AM the TRUTH/”.The TRUTH which
the elect of GOD are caused to embrace, is that spoken by HIM,
demonstrated by HIM, and wholly dependent upon HIM.By the grace of
GOD they are caused (like Nebuchadnezzar) to bow at HIS footstool as
they are given, not simply a knowledge of the TRUTH but, a love of
it.A love of the TRUTH causes them to delight in HIS glory and not
their own.A love of the TRUTH acknowledges that HE is the SAVIOR of
sinners, who does so without any regard to their free will, ability,
or desire.HE brings them from death unto LIFE without their aid or
cooperation.HE purchased their redemption by HIS own blood before
they knew HIS NAME or called upon HIM. /“No man can come to me,
except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him
up at the last day.” (John 6:44) “All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out.” (John 6:37/)
The _result_ of abiding in this “/_strong delusion_/” is “/That they
all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.” (2Thes 2:12/) These are extremely sobering words,
which strike fear in the hearts of those who have been given a
“/love of the TRUTH” but/are ignored by those who embrace this
“/strong delusion/”.Those who have been given a “/love of the
TRUTH”/plainly confess that they are worthy of this “damnation”
which is spoken of here and find themselves sadly drawn towards the
pleasures of unrighteousness. Yet they are delivered from this
“/strong delusion”/by HIS grace alone, and confess that JESUS CHRIST
is their RIGHTEOUSNESS, to which they cannot add one iota. “/For who
maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou
didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou
glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1Cor 4:7/) A man who is
under “/strong delusion/” cannot deliver himself from it.
Men are born under this “strong delusion”, which Paul describes to
the Ephesians, as he reminds them of the only solution to this
problem.Left to themselves they would surely have perished in this
natural darkness.“/_And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins;_//Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh
and of the mind; and _were by nature the children of wrath_, even as
others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us, Even _when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
together with Christ_, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches
of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: _it is
the gift of God_: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph
2:1-10/)Just as surely as those shall be damned who “/have pleasure
in unrighteousness/”, so too shall those who are the /“workmanship/”
of CHRIST walk in that way which HE has ordained for their good and
HIS glory.CHRIST alone, is their DELIVERER from the darkness of
“/_strong delusion_/”./“For we ourselves also were sometimes
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures,
living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But
after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man
appeared, _Not by works of righteousness which we have done_, _but
according to his mercy he saved us_, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace,
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal
life.”(Titus 3:3-7/) mam
