The Power of the But: 2 Thess Lesson 8

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

“But”

 It is good to be back in the pulpit this morning. Thank you, Matthew, for covering for me last week. We enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with old friends from about 35 years ago.

 Let’s open our Bibles this morning to 2 Thessalonians 2. I don’t know about you but I am glad to have reached the place where we will study today. We will be looking at verses 13 this morning. The tone of this chapter changes dramatically in verse 13. For that I am thankful. In order that we might set the context for our study this morning, let’s stand together and read the chapter. Notice the abrupt change of tone. It is marked by what has become my favorite word in the Bible. Read Chapter 2. 

 At the beginning of our text today stands this word “but.” I told you it had become my favorite word in the Bible so let me show you why. In fact, this passage stands as a beautiful illustration of why this is my favorite word in the Bible. This word is what we would call in English a conjunction. A conjunction is a part of speech that joins words, phrases, clauses, or sentences together. In the Greek this is a particle. Greek particles are words with little meaning on their own, but they express grammatical relationship and serve a purpose that is usually easily determined by the context.

 Here we have an adversative particle. You will recognize the word “adverse” in the description “adversative.” An adversative particle connects thoughts that stand in contrast, or opposite, or which is the adverse of the previous thought. We could translate this particle in other ways, It could say, “on the contrary,” or “on the other hand.” It is translated “but” here. It is three letters in English, but only two letters in the Greek. It is “de” in the Greek. It uses the Greek letters delta and epsilon. It may be small, but it is important. 

 Follow along with me in your Bibles as I show you some of the places where this adversative particle stands between two opposing realities. Look at Romans 2:9-10, 1 Cor. 6:9-11, Eph. 2:1-10, Titus 3:3-7. How can this word be anything other than one of our favorite words in the Bible?

 This little Greek particle serves this same purpose in our text today. It stands between two distinct realities. It points back to the realities Matthew explained last week. It points back to the reality that there are those who will be deceived by the mystery of lawlessness which is already at work. This is in accord with the activity of Satan, who works with all deception of wickedness. This particle points back to those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. This particle points back to those upon whom has been sent a deluding influence, so that they will believe what is false. This particle points back to those who will be judged because they do not believe the truth, but take pleasure in wickedness.

 “But,” this little Greek particle points forward to the beautiful, encouraging, blessed realities of the words ahead. It points to those for whom we give thanks to God, because they are brethren beloved by the Lord. It points to those whom God has chosen from the beginning for salvation. It points to those who are sanctified by the Spirit. It points to those who have faith in the truth. It points to those who have been called through the gospel to gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Could the contrast be any clearer? Could Paul have described two realities that were any further apart, or more distinctively different? How can anyone not see the difference? There is, after all, a tremendous, and glaringly obvious difference. It is as obvious as the difference between life and death, between light and darkness, between good and evil, between heaven and hell. The Bible does a really good job of pointing to diametrically opposed realities. We just read several of the Bible’s descriptions of very different realities. On the pages of Scripture, the difference is so easy to see.

 But please consider this question. This difference is glaringly obvious on paper. But, is that difference so glaringly obvious as to its application to us? Think about it this way. Is it possible that in this place today, there are some who are described in verses 10-12, and at the same time some who are described by verses 13-15? I’m not suggesting that there are some in both places. We are all standing on one side of this little Greek particle or the other. But is the difference in us as obvious as it is in the passage. As obvious as the difference is on paper, why would this difference not be as obvious in the people who are described by these verses?

 Almost 40 years of ministry has taught me a few things. One of the things I have learned through all these years is that the truth on paper is a lot easier to see than the truth about people. Because people are pretty good at disguising the truth about themselves, it is very likely that there gets mixed together, in the same church, people who are described on both sides of the little Greek particle at the beginning of verse 13.

 Don’t fall into the trap of believing that the spirit of antichrist, and the deception of Satan is only at work on those who are out there in the world. The church is not exempt. Satan’s favorite workplace is among those whom he can deceive within the church. He does some of his best work in the so-called church.

 There is a biblical explanation for this. Jesus gave us the perfect explanation. It is found in Matthew 13. Let’s go there and read this parable and its explanation. Read Matthew 13:24-30, and 36-43. The tares are those who are stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness. Obviously, the tares can be difficult to identify because they grow up among the wheat. Judas was a tare among the wheat. When Jesus told the group of apostles that one would betray Him, they had no idea who He was talking about. Judas was a child of Satan but he was nearly indistinguishable among the true apostles of Jesus Christ. Obviously, the difference is easier to distinguish on paper than it is among people.

 The true identity of the individual is not so easy to determine because Satan is so effective in deceiving people. Verse 10 tells us that Satan is employing “all the deception of wickedness.” He has a lot of deceptive tools in his arsenal. The Apostle Paul warned in 2 Cor. 11:13 about men who are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. He goes on to say in verse 14, “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” The prince of darkness can disguise himself as an angel of light. That is some very deceptive stuff.

 This does not mean we are without the capacity to discern. While the difference may not be as obvious in people as it is on paper, we are not left without the ability to distinguish. By standing on the Greek particle at the beginning of our verse today, and looking back to what was before, and forward to what is ahead, we can identify some traits. We can see some undeniable evidences. At the risk of overlapping some of what Matthew shared last week, I am going to start with three evidences from verses 10-12, and contrast those with the evidences described in verse 13.

 The verses prior to our little Greek particle describe the activity of Satan, who utilizes signs and false wonders and “all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” The first thing to see is that there is, for those who are perishing, deception in regards to the truth. Jesus said that God’s word is truth and that the truth will set you free. If you are not free, and described by the realities of verse 13, then you are one who has been deceived. You did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

 Did you know that there are experiences we can have with the truth that fall short of a true love of the truth. You can read the Bible every day and not really love the truth. You can memorize whole chapters of the Bible and not really love the truth. When Jesus was on this earth and preaching truth, He proclaimed the truth like it had never been heard before. He was followed by tens of thousands of people who enjoyed hearing the truth. Along with the truth were many miracles and signs and wonders, all of which were designed to verify that this was God’s truth. What the miracles verified was that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the only way to God. John 2:23-25 records these chilling words, “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

 There were multitudes who heard the truth, and seemingly believed in the Righteous One, the miracle worker, who proclaimed that truth, but they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. You might be one who comes to church because you like the teaching of the truth, and still not be one who loves the truth so as to be saved. The same thing happened to the rich young ruler in Luke 18. He knew the truth. He knew the commandments and believed he had actually kept them. Jesus offered him the chance to prove his love for the truth and he refused. In the next chapter there is one who had the opposite response. Zaccheus received the love of the truth so as to be saved. His actions revealed the life transforming reality of the work of salvation.

 The one who receives the love of the truth so as to be saved becomes one who does not just enjoy hearing the truth, but one who delights to become a doer of the truth. James describes this one as the one who looks intently into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer, but an effectual doer. (James 1:25) To receive the love of the truth so as to be saved is to receive the seed of God’s word into the soil of the heart, a soil that is clean, fertile, moist, warm, and receptive. Nothing prevents the truth of God’s word from taking root, springing up, and bearing much fruit. Nothing is there that chokes out the word and makes it unfruitful.

 To be one who receives the love of the truth so as to be saved is to become one whose transformation is the result of the renewing of the mind, so that the will of God is proven as that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) The one who receives the love of the truth so as to be saved is the one whose life gives evidence of having been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. The one who receives the love of the truth will, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (1 Peter 1:23-2:3)

 The first evidence that one may be on the wrong side of our little Greek particle is that we have not received the love of the truth so as to be saved. The second evidence is that we easily believe what is false. Because we do not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved, God will send a deluding influence that leads us to believe what is false. Those who are on the wrong side of our little Greek particle are those who easily believe what is false. This is what we see in verse 11.

 I am going to tell you what this looks like and why it happens. What does this look like? There are many things that are false that are believed by people who would claim to be standing on the correct side of our little Greek particle. The examples are legion. The false doctrine of the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel is one good example. The whole theological construct flips biblical theology upside down. It makes God the servant of man and man the one who dictates to God what He must do. You can’t get more false that that, but there are about 500 million who have believed what is false.

 There are some people who are really good at claiming to speak for God who speak what is false and many believe what is false. There was a South African pastor who gained worldwide attention because he claimed to have seen a vision of Jesus Christ and Jesus told him He was going to rapture the church on September 23 or 24. This man believed what is false. Jesus did not rapture the church 11 or 12 days ago. Why do I bring him up? Because the internet and social media and the world wide web is full of stuff that is false and there are too many people who claim to be Christians who believe a lot of stuff that turns out to be completely false. I hear from some who tell about all kinds of conspiracy theories and speculative machinations that have no basis in reality. I don’t know how to explain one’s willingness to believe some of the stupid stuff except that they have sent a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.

 That is what it looks like, now how does it happen? If you will turn back to Matthew 6 I will give you our Lord’s explanation of how this happens. In verse 22 He says, “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” If you have eyes to see the truth of God’s word, and have been received the love of the truth so as to be saved, your eye will be clear, and your whole body will be full of light. You won’t be susceptible to believe what is false because your eye is clear. A clear eye enables us to see the truth and how it applies to our whole being.

 Jesus goes on to say in verse 23, “But (there is that word again, an adversative particle that draws a drastic distinction) if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” Those who believe what is false, believe what is false because their eye is bad. They can’t see the difference between what is true and what is false. Therefore, the whole body is full of darkness, and the darkness is great, because the eye is bad. They have no discernment. They have not received the love of the truth so as to be saved. They are easily deceived. They believe things that are false because they are full of darkness.

 The third evidence is that those on the wrong side of our little Greek particle do not believe the truth, but take pleasure in wickedness. They don’t receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. They have been sent a deluding influence so as to believe what is false. They do not believe the truth, but take pleasure in wickedness. Claims to believe the truth, and the consistency of a life according to the truth, these are two different things. I have dealt with many people over the last 40 years who say they believe the truth, but their lives tell a completely different story.

I have said this for years. What I believe is what I practice in my daily life. Everything else is just religious talk. And listen to me. What I believe is what I practice, not while I am at church, but when I am at home in the confines of my house. What happens in the confines of my house is a more real portrayal of what I believe. It is more reliable than what I portray at church. At church I know how to act. At home I act according to who I truly am. I think we need to take that one step further. The very best indicator of what I truly believe is what I do when I am alone and it is just me and my computer screen, or my smart phone.

 This is when I may be tempted to believe what is false. If I have not received the love of the truth so as to be saved, or if I do not love the truth, but am one who takes pleasure in wickedness, I will be among those who believe what is false. Nothing on those demonic porn sights is true. It is all false. If you believe that there is no danger in going there, you have believed what is false. If you go there and indulge and think it hurts no one, you have believed what is false. If this is what you do, you are taking pleasure in wickedness. You have not believed the truth. If you are taking pleasure in wickedness, you do not believe the truth. You are standing on the wrong side of our little Greek particle.

 We needed that look back for the purpose of contrast, and confrontation. We must be honest about which side of this little Greek particle we stand. Brothers and sisters am I glad for this little Greek adversative particle. I am ready for the breath of fresh air introduced by the word “but.” “But,” Paul writes in verse 13, “we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord…” Paul was thankful that among those in this good church there were many in whom the evidence was abundant. The reality of the work of God in salvation was clearly seen. He knew them to be brethren because both he and they had been called out of darkness into the glorious light and had received the love of the truth so as to be saved. They loved the truth, believed the truth, and walked away from wickedness.

 What is Paul’s point in the first part of verse 13? Paul’s point is that there will always be compelling evidence which proves which side of the particle we stand. We can deny the evidence, we can discount the evidence, we can turn a blind eye to the evidence, we can even call the one who points out the evidence harsh and judgmental, but the evidence does not lie.

 Paul had a certain assurance, a strong confidence, a firm conviction that these were true brethren beloved of the Lord because he saw in them a people who received the love of the truth so as to be saved, who were not sent a deluding influence so that they would believe what is false. He saw in them those who believed the truth and did not take pleasure in wickedness and because of this he was sure of their status as brethren beloved by the Lord, and for this he was so very grateful. If Paul had seen the evidence of any of the problems described in the previous verses, we can be sure he would not be giving thanks. He would have been confronting them and calling them to repent.

 Paul knew that God had chosen them from the beginning for salvation. Paul believed in predestination and election. He wrote in Ephesians 1:3-8, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him, In love He predestined us as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”

 Paul knew the “but God” reality he wrote about in Ephesians 2:4 was a reality among these beloved brethren. Even though they had been dead in their transgressions, they had been made alive together with Christ and raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:4-6)

 Paul describes what he had seen that gave him this great confidence. He saw the indisputable evidence of their sanctification through the Spirit and their faith in the truth. We have encountered the word “sanctification” more than once already in our study through First and Second Thessalonians. It is one of the important doctrines of salvation. All who have been elected, regenerated, and justified have also been sanctified, and are being sanctified. Every believer is sanctified (set apart) unto God by justification and is declared to be holy and identified as a saint. This sanctification is positional and instantaneous and has to do with a believer’s standing, not his present walk or condition. Paul told the Corinthians, a church with all kinds of issues, that they were sanctified. They were saints by calling because they had been sanctified in Jesus. (1 Cor. 1:2)

 There is also a work of the Holy Spirit of progressive sanctification by which the state of the believer is brought closer to the likeness of Christ through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the point of emphasis of Paul in verse 13. He had great confidence in these brethren beloved of the Lord because he could see the evidence of the transformation produced by the Spirit of God. 

 This work of sanctification is “by the Spirit.” What God the Father ordained in eternity past is brought to bear in our present lives by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is by the Spirit that we have been born again to new life, and the same Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist the temptations of the flesh and to stand against the enemy. There is no doubt that greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

 The second evidence which was the basis for Paul’s great confidence was that these brethren who were beloved by the Lord had “faith in the truth.” The sanctification by the Spirit was producing a transformation of their lives. This transformation was conforming their lives to the truth of God’s word. To have faith in the truth is to be firmly persuaded, to hold a steadfast conviction that God’s word is truth. This firm conviction of faith results in a life that is aimed at the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 I’ve seen a lot of people who claim to believe the truth. A lot of people “believe” in God, they “believe” in the facts of the gospel. Their intellectual acknowledgment is not the same thing as saving faith. Faith in the truth produces a different result from belief about the truth. Faith in the truth produces a transformed individual. Faith in the truth is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

 This faith is God’s gift to the one who will repent, humble himself and cry out to God for mercy.

 We all stand on one side of this small Greek particle or the other. We are either on the side with the deceived, with those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved, on the side with those upon whom God has sent a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. These will be judged because they did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

 Or, we are on the side of this little Greek particle and we are those for whom Paul would give thanks to God, those who are brethren, beloved by the Lord, those whom God has chosen from the beginning for salvation. Those on this side of this little Greek particle give evidence of the sanctification by the Spirit, and faith in the truth.

 Which side of this particle are you on? It isn’t big enough to stand on and point both directions. The difference in the two sides of this particle is as glaringly obvious as night and day, darkness and light, death and life. If you are on the wrong side there will be judgment. But if you are on the wrong side there is still hope. There is time to repent. There is time to cry out to God for mercy. God is in the soul saving business. 

Let’s pray.