Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, bothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed… II Thessalonians 2:1,2
It is difficult for us Christians to keep our balance in religion. Some people emphasize man’s responsibility, and others emphasize predestination. Some stress the importance of doing good works to the neglect of salvation by grace, and others do just the opposite.
It is because of this tendency to swing from one extreme to the other that Paul had to write a second letter to the church in Thessalonika. When Paul assured them in his first Epistle that Christ will come back suddenly and unexpectedly some day, immediately the Thessalonians became excited and wanted to drop everything and stand waiting for the second coming. when Paul heard of this reaction he immediately sat down and wrote them another letter, reminding them that certain important things have to take place before Jesus’ return, and that therefore they should keep right on working faithfully at their customary employment. If we remember these simple facts, it will be easy to recollect what the first and second Epistles to the Thessalonians are about, and to remember at the same time how the two are different.
A number of important events must take place before Jesus’ return, but the one that Paul mentions in II Thessalonians is the appearance of “the man of sin,” whom we ordinarily call the Anti-christ, a terrible opponent of Christianity in a very religious form, “sitting in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.” We have signs of his appearance today in unbelieving preachers, in the popularity of false religion in America, the spread of sects, and the counterfeit Christianity that is preached and professed by millions. It is the work of Satan. Examine your heart, whether you have true faith.
know who you are 