The Great Delusion
“You must understand that in the last days, distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding on to the outward form of godliness but denying its power.” 2 Timothy 3: 1–5 NRSV.
From my perspective, the above passage from the New Testament book of 2 Timothy describes not only the conditions of the world but also the Christian church itself. The hint is in the last statement, “holding on to the outward form of godliness but denying its power.” This implies an outward form of true religion and practices without fundamental belief or faith. Devoid of the Spirit is another way to express the condition. There are plenty of warnings in the bible to seek God while he may be found. To hear the Spirit’s call while there is still opportunity.
My thoughts on this are the transition of Spirit-filled Christianity to orthodox rituals and practices of the more current church age. They lack a genuine connection with God, a vacuum filled with legalities and practices. In the Old Testament, Israel and the oral mosaic laws (Mishna) extend beyond the Ten Commandments of the Torah. The outward practices were taken as a sign of holiness. Jesus condemned such practices in his charge against the Pharisees of his day. They, too, practiced outward piety but were anything but pious. Today, church leaders wear unique clothing to signify their office or status as a sign of holiness. However, what’s in the heart or inside that matters to God.
“For a time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate teachers to suit their desires and turn away from the truth and wander away to myths.” -2 Timothy 4:3–4
This is frightening for the believer as it means people will no longer want to hear the scriptures or their teachings. They will seek the latest religious fad or turn toward secular reasoning. We see this quite well in Western culture. There are divisions within the Christian faith stretching back thousands of years. Each division provides a point of view that is more favorable to some than others. Even mentioning the bible is a major turn-off for many these days…
When Jesus commissioned the first Christians to go throughout the known world to teach the Gospel, there was a spirit of desperation to do so quickly. The window of opportunity was closing almost as soon as it opened. This is why they were so willing to face persecution and death in foreign lands, attempting to save as many as possible before the rise of false teachers started diverting believers away from the simplicity of the gospel message. The Spirit was moving them in haste and compelled them to spread out and get the message out while the message would be heard.
In early Christian history, church divisions started near the end of the first century. The apostles were dead, and their followers were battling for dominance in the new faith. New prophets were expounding new theories about Jesus; was he human, God, or a spiritual vision or illusion? Even today, modern Islam does not believe that Jesus was crucified on the cross. The common thought is that Judas Iscariot took Jesus’ place when a mass illusion made the Romans and Jewish leadership of the time see Jesus’ face on Judas. This is because, to their belief, no prophet of God can be killed. After all, God protects them. However, if Jesus never died for sins, there is no hope in the gospel period.
In the second century, Gnostic theories arose, claiming that Jesus wasn’t flesh and blood but spiritual or a being of light. Being flesh is terrible; only spirits are excellent and enlightened. In the early fourth century, Constantine, the first “Christian” Roman Emperor, adopted Christianity as the official religion of Rome. He assembled the Council of Nicene. This was done to settle the argument regarding the correct Christian belief system. However, this decision led to the persecution of those who had opposing views, and they were forced to go underground and continue writing their thoughts for future generations despite the persecution. The Gnostic Nag Hamadi scrolls were discovered in the late 1940s and early 1950s, which are a testament to the persistence of these beliefs. Even today, Ethiopian Coptic Christians maintain gnostic teachings in their version of the scriptures, highlighting the enduring legacy of these underground beliefs.
Many such divisive thoughts and new philosophies about Christianity were created to the point that it was and continues to be challenging to believe. For this reason, secular scholarship on religion and theology takes a neutral stance in its writings, treating Christianity as another of the many great religions that evolved from history. The Christian faith is divided and diminishing in the world, opening room for very dangerous exchanges to occur.
The Spirit of God strongly warned early Christians of the changes that would occur, as we see in 1Timothy 4: 1–5 — “Now the Spirit expressively says that in later times, some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving, for God’s word and prayer sanctify it.”
I have always thought the above passage targeted certain Christian circles that insisted on celibacy for leadership within the church or the observance of eating only certain foods as a sign of holiness. This seems true when you consider genuine faith as taught by the original disciples of Christ versus the later orthodox rituals enforced by organized religion. The New Testament emphasizes conditions of the heart rather than outward signs of obedience from a ritual perspective. It’s what motivates you to act in the right way, not the act itself. Only two scriptural observations beyond prayer are baptism (Mark 16:16) and the Eucharist (Lord’s Supper) Mark 14:22–25. The law of Christ is to love one another, for to do so fulfills all the acts of the Law under Moses — the Ten Commandments or Torah of the Jews.
The difficulty of changing from ritual orthodoxy and living in the Spirit of Christ is illustrated in the book of Acts in the New Testament. In Acts 10: 10–16, the Apostle Peter is in prayer. He receives a vision of animals considered unclean by Jews on a sheet presented before him. The Spirit tells Peter to slay and eat from the animals. Peter refuses and claims he has never eaten anything considered unclean under Jewish law. He, however, sees the same vision three times.
This is the same Peter who denied Jesus three times before Jesus’ crucifixion. The resurrected Jesus reconfirmed Peter three times (John 21: 15–17). This became an evidential pattern established by the Holy Spirit with stubborn Peter. The third time showing the unclean animals greatly troubled Peter, for he no doubt remembered the pattern.
Finally convinced, the reluctant Peter knows that God decides what is clean or unclean, not the laws or men; the point is made. This also confirms that the Holy Spirit taught, corrected, and led the decisions of the first Christians, not by theology or past knowledge, only by the Spirit itself. That is part of my thesis in this writing. We have the scriptures, but only the Spirit turns them into living words. The day-by-day guidance by the Spirit is still essential. However, the voice of the Spirit is growing weaker in this age. My old church taught that the scriptures replaced the gifts of the Spirit. This is a dangerous teaching; without the infilling of the Holy Spirit in believers, there is no salvation or power to resist sin.
Jesus taught his disciples about the perilous times coming and how difficult it would be to discern proper religion from false religion. Mark 13: 19–23 describes a future where suffering will be greater than any age in the past. If God did not shorten those days, no one would be saved. How can this be so?
In those days, false Messiahs (Christ-like figures) would arise, including false prophets. These false leaders would perform signs, omens, and miracles to lead many astray from the truth. These false leaders would become so convincing that even saved Christians would follow their teachings — if possible. God protects his true believers and keeps them from deception. However, many will be deluded and fall away from the faith. This points to the condition in our hearts — are we sincere in our faith? Are we only outwardly pretending to look acceptable to a particular group of people?
Now, this deserves some further discussion. How will the saved or the elect escape the influential false teachers of the last age? It will not be by just knowing the scriptures by memory. It will be through the Holy Spirit’s guidance that allows discernment of false teachings. In those times, religious scholarship, bible secularization, and confusion will become so thick that nearly no one will welcome the simple gospel message. Preaching and teaching itself will become hazardous.
Spirit of Delusion
Not only will some called Christians fall away — they will have help![1] I do not see this as an act of God directly — but a worsening of spiritual blindness due to the works of Satan and his minions. This will appear as strange thinking within churches and outside churches that, from an objective observer’s view — seem illogical and make bad judgments — calling a Chicken a Horse type of thinking and not making any sense. Better yet, calling an adulterated, unclean, foul-mouth, self-seeking rich person a chosen one sent by God to liberate the faith.[2]
Jesus warned his disciples in Mark 13: 12–13 that in the future, brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you (disciples) will be hated all because of my name. But the one who endures these times to the end will be saved. Mark’s gospel in chapter 13 has descriptions of the coming times. Wars and rumors of wars, the rising of nations against nations, earthquakes, and famine are just the beginning of the end times.
A prophecy from the Book of Isaiah paints a grim picture, ‘The earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly despoiled: for the Lord has spoken. The earth dries up and withers; the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish together with the earth. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws, violated statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant.[3] Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore, the inhabitants of the earth dwindled, and few people are left.’ — Isaiah 24:4–6
These words of prophecy are not mere ancient texts but a stark reflection of our current reality. Pollution is rapidly altering our environment, and while some sound the alarm about the catastrophic consequences, the relentless pursuit of greed, money, and power by those who pollute our land, sea, and air persists. Just as Isaiah foresaw, these changes are not temporary. The environment will continue to deteriorate, and many will suffer and be lost. Is this not a chilling echo of the Seven Scrolls of Revelation 6:1–16? Worse, many churches will support or ignore the world’s desolation and defilement in the name of gain, fortune, and comfort.
[1] 2 Thessalonians 2: 11–12 — God will send a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false…
[2] I can’t help but to point to the current Christian Nationalism and its hope in their “new messiah” in Donald Trump. A man so unapologetically transparently far from the example set by Christ, yet still totally believed to be the chosen one.
[3] For those who think God’s people should not have any concerns for the environment or how we treat the earth — wrong!
