Love of Truth and Partisanship

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." II Thessalonians 2:7-12


“Love of the Truth” requires we accept that “Truth” exists as objective reality. For us, by His Own Self-definition in John 14:6, that Reality is the Person of Jesus Christ. As objective reality, Truth is sovereign and impartial, the same for all, against Whom all alike are measured. It's one regard in which I understand Jesus to be effectually "Lord of all."

Brother Tim, in one of his "Onesimus Files" blog-posts, speaks of cessationists' “goalpost-moving” in their use of historical evidence which doesn't fit their theory. It's a common evasive tactic of controversialists when one of their untruths is shown to be incongruent with reality/truth.

But if Truth is objective, impartial and (ESPECIALLY) sovereign, it is IMmovable. When regarded as anything less than that, "truth" is whatever we may individually deem it to be, and can be manipulated to OUR purposes. Every man can then do what is right/truth in his own eyes (Deuteronomy 12:8; Judges 17:6 and 21:25). The problem is that God characterizes that as the way of fools (Proverbs 12:15 and 21:2).

It’s also what we'd call “relativism:” which Christians have rightly been taught to reject as part of the false "spirit of the world." And so it is: even when used by Christians. The formula I've heard from fellow "Christians" (discussing scripture !!) is the evasive “Well, you have your truth, and I have mine."

It’s one reason, I think, that “factions” (Greek “heresia”) is listed in Galatians 5:20 as a “work of the flesh.” A faction is by definition a group gathered around it’s OWN proprietary “truth:" the assertion and defense of which gives rise to the “…enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions” also listed in that verse as works of the flesh.

It seems a good description of politics in present-day America (and other nations as well, I’m sure). Through politics, factional partisanship has become a notable mindset of Christians who’ve chosen to deeply involved themselves in the world’s kingdom and its thoughts-contrary-to-God’s. Through politics, Christians' minds have been turned from "love of the truth:" at least as He truly IS, objective, impartial, and sovereign: Jesus.

Scripture's promise is that people in such a mind...even those who call themselves "Christians"...will not be saved. Nor is that the end of it. We have the further promise that "...God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false..." (my emphasis). God Himself will act to ensure they believe falsehood !

These are the scariest words in the Bible. If GOD sets Himself to make a person believe lies, that person WILL believe lies.

I pray fiercely that God set His intent on me for "love of Truth" !!