Falling Away

Today I want to look at 2 Thessolians 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”

What is this falling away? Is it the Church? Is it the false church? Is it the world? I have studied this scripture over the years and I have concluded that there are two possible conclusions. I wish this scriptures would be plainer so we could understand what we read.

I will give you my first interpretation before I give you what I believe Paul by the Holy Spirit was really saying. As I have said before, scripture will interpret scripture if you keep reading what the writer has said.

I can see a great part of the “Organized Church” slowly pulling back from the real gospel. The Christian church of modern man made religion. No help! No power! Nothing like the Church in the book of Acts. The church of today wants to please everyone and offend no one. Both are impossible to do. They have made new translations of the Bible that denies the power, the blood, and make it acceptable to our modern standards. This,in my opinion, is the false church and it has attracted many people who are easily deceived. But I do not think this is what Holy Spirit was talking about.

The world has always looked to the Church for guidance and leadership. But when they look to the church now, they see the same problems they are dealing with themselves. No real help, no real leadership, no real answers. Just some religious fast talk from highly educated people, who have lost sight of the truth. The result has been what we see right now, deception, mistrust, scandals, greed, and so on. They are just pawns of the enemy in this game of life, but this is not what Holy Spirit was trying to reveal to us either.

The organized Church of today thinks this scripture is about the Christians who stop coming to their church pyramid, but it is not these people either. They are just tired of powerless words and empty hands. Staying at home seeking Gods face, adds more to their lives than stale religion.

I have heard this preached from the pulpits that this is the “falling away.” But the reality is by losing people, they are losing money. So they try to slant this verse to scare the “sheep” into staying. These people are not falling away from God, they are in pursuit of Him.

What the Church leaders are seeing is the “Real Church”, looking for the real God of the Bible. The God who said in His Word, I Change not, I am the same yesterday, today and forever (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8). the Church of today has a form of Godliness, but very little power overall. They chase after money and power, more than God. Big buildings, big Ministries, big salaries, more, more, more. The world sees what we do, more than what we say.

Everything we say must line up with His word, as it is the only thing that is true. But, it has to be in context with what Holy Spirit was saying when He had it written. You can not build any sermon or teaching on just a verse out of context.

I believe we are in the end of time as we know it, and Holy Spirit is trying to get His Church back in line with the Book of Acts. Where we are together as one and need each other to survive and thrive. This is what the home Church movement, and people like me, is all about. Getting back to our roots, coming together as one in the Lord. We had this kind of Church in the beginning, and we upset the world (Acts 17:6), then religion took over.

This was the birth of Catholicism and the Pope system of leadership. This was not what Holy Spirit wanted and it took Him about fifteen hundred years to get us back on track. Martin Luther was used by Holy Spirit to try and change Church mindset. but all we ended up with was just another form of religion, and we call it Protestantism. Still no oneness or great power.

There have been many great moves of God throughout Church History. There have been many great men of God also. But this is still not what Holy Spirit wanted. Jesus finished the Old Testament on the cross, and the veil of the temple was split in two, from the top to the bottom. God was now available to anyone who wanted Him.

The Priesthood was now available to everyone who believed on the name of Jesus and became Gods child (Revelation1:6). This is why I believe the Home Church movement is growing and becoming a problem to the Organized Church. God never meant for the Church to become an institution, a building, or a business.. It was to be a living organism, one which is able to light up the path of darkness and allow His creation to find their way home again.

Enough of my ranting about this subject. Let me now explain what I believe scripture is revealing to us in context. If you will read 2 Thessalonians 2:2-7, you will find it is all about the anti-christ, and the rapture of the Church. Read verse six and three together and you will see that we are the ones holding back the anti-christ. We are the ones who have been given dominion over the earth by God (Genesis 1:28). Adam gave it away, and Jesus got it back, then He gave it to us (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 8:17).

Both letters to the Thessalonians are about the rapture and for them to keep their focus on the race, and allow Holy Spirit to keep them safe until the day that this scripture would be fulfilled. Paul is informing us that we are the ones who are keeping the enemy from taking over completely. Read in verse six where Paul says “now you know who it is”. You!

Why has the Church missed this simple message? I am not alone in my beliefs as there are others including the Greek-English Lexicon, by Liddle & Scott who believe that the words falling away can also mean a departure or disappearance as a second meaning in the Greek.

I hope you are intrigued enough to study it for yourself. I could say more about this subject but I will close for now, maybe more later. If you do not get another blog for awhile do not think I have quit. We are moving to our new home in Aberdeen, Ohio, and may not have time or internet access. I love you all, and I will continue to try and help you through your race of life. Always remember, you will make it, just don’t give up.