and in all deceit of unrighteousness to them that perish, because they have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved.
Paul has just described the coming of the lawless one in Satan's power. Here he names the people who fall for it, and the reason they fall. Everything turns on one phrase: they refused to love the truth.
The deception mirrors the work of Christ — in reverse, and on people heading the opposite way.
His presence, too, is by the power of Satan. Just as Christ comes in truth of righteousness to those who are to be saved, so the man of sin comes in deceit of unrighteousness to those who are to be lost.
This is not about people who never had a chance to hear.
Who are the ones who perish here? They are all who had the truth presented to them, but did not care about it. The truth of God is found in the Bible, and everyone in the Christian world can reach it. If people neglect to read or search it, or refuse to hear it preached, they are, as Peter says, "willingly ignorant."
Paul does not say they failed to know the truth, or to profess it. Older translations read "they received not the love of the truth."
This is a very striking expression — "they did not receive the love of the truth." It is a word for the heart and conscience. It does not say, "because they did not claim to be Christians," or "because they did not take the sacrament." It does not say, "because they did not know the way of salvation." No, God searches the heart. Whatever knowledge they had, whatever profession they made, they had no love of the truth, that they might be saved… Notice, it is "the truth" — not people's opinions, but God's word… The message of His gospel is the ministry of God's perfect love. And the soul that receives this wonderful love of God in Christ His Son "receives the truth in love."
If love of the truth was what they lacked, it is also what keeps a person safe.
People will be deceived by the signs and lying wonders of that wicked one because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. It is the love of the truth that keeps a person from error — however persuasive it is, however fascinating, however strongly backed by the powerful evidence of "great signs and wonders." It is not cleverness, brain power, mental grasp or wide learning. All of these are powerless before Satan's tricks and schemes. The greatest human mind must fall an easy prey to the tricks of the serpent.
God Himself then sends the delusion. Is that fair?
Those who fall prey to all this deceit of unrighteousness are exactly the people who did not love the truth when they heard it. Not loving the truth, they did not believe it. Instead they took pleasure in unrighteousness. Now the deceit of unrighteousness captures them. They believe the lie, and they all fall under the judgment of God. Once God sent them the truth… Now God sends them a strong delusion… Is God unrighteous in doing this? Far from it. He is acting in righteousness of the strictest and most exact kind.
Can anyone still be saved after the Lord takes His people away? One writer answers straight from this verse.
Where people "have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved", God will send a working of error. People often ask whether anyone "gets a second chance" after the rapture. The answer here is clear. No! Nothing is said here about those who have never heard the truth. But those who have heard it and have not received it get no second chance. God Himself steps in, so that they come to believe what is false.
Paul also gives the reason some are saved. The two reasons are not the same shape.
If you, the reader, perish forever, then remember: it is because you did not receive the love of the truth. Yes, God is love, and you would not believe Him. You may ask: if I am saved, is that reason stated just as plainly? It is: "God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." So all supposed merit is taken away from man.
- Love, first. What decides everything is not knowledge or profession. It is whether a person loves the truth — a word for the heart and conscience.
- Love refused. Those who perish here are not the unreached; they are those who had the truth within reach and cared nothing for it.
- Love replaced. Refuse the truth, and a lie takes its place. God Himself sends the delusion — strict justice, not cruelty.
- Love protects. Cleverness, learning and mental power are no defence against signs and wonders. Only love of the truth keeps a person safe.
- Love now. Those who heard and refused get no later chance. So today, not some future day, is the time to receive the truth.
And for this reason God sends to them a working of error, that they should believe what is false,
This verse says that God Himself sends the delusion. That raises three questions: who does it fall on, why is it just, and what is "the lie" they believe?
Some translations render the phrase as "a working of error." What kind of act is this, and where does it lead?
The apostle then gives the moral reason for so stern a judgment. God's sending a working of error is judicial hardening. Satan follows with his deceptive miracles of power to drag all its followers down to ruin. It is divine retribution. They renounced the truth and salvation with it; they loved the lie. They must perish. Those God chooses in that day escape by His grace alone, as all His chosen do in any day.
The words "for this cause" point back to something that came first — they heard the truth and did not love it.
Notice how just all God's dealings with men are. The people who fall prey to all this deceit of unrighteousness are exactly those who heard the truth and did not love it. Not loving the truth, they did not believe it; instead they had pleasure in unrighteousness. And now the deceit of unrighteousness captures them; they believe the lie, and they all fall under the judgment of God. Once God sent them the truth: men preached the gospel in their hearing "by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven" (1 Peter 1:12). Now God sends them a strong delusion.
Another writer answers anyone who calls this unfair:
At times God gives people what their hearts really want… If people will not have the truth when it is put before them, they will certainly have a lie. If they will not have Christ, they will have Satan; if they will not have heaven, they will have hell. Will the unbelieving mind find fault with this? Before it does, let it prove that everyone dealt with in this way has fully met their responsibilities.
Why is this God's own act, and not just Satan's? One writer answers by setting it beside faith:
As faith in Christ is the free gift of God in grace, so will belief in Antichrist be His work in judgment. Those who resist the one must come under the other. They may resist God now, but they will not be allowed to resist Him then. He has said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever."
What they receive matches what they refused:
God sent His beloved Son, the faithful witness, and men rejected Him. So, in just retribution, they will receive a false witness. They refused the truth, so now they will believe a lie. They saw no beauty in the true Christ, so they will marvel at a false one… The fact is, that God has given His truth not to amuse the intellect, but to win the heart; not to exalt man, but for the glory of Christ. There is reason to fear that many still trifle with God's truth. They talk about it, raise questions about it, but do not receive it in the love of it.
One writer compares this judgment with the blindness that once fell on Israel:
A more fearful delusion followed by a heavier judgment will come on Christendom, and for the same reason, because they will not hear. In the past time God called by judgment and by mercy. Now He calls by mercy alone; the message sent is God's love and free salvation… With Israel the wording is more negative (though just as fatal): their heart is made dull, so they will not turn and be healed. With Christendom it is more positive: not only are they unable to see the truth, they positively accept a lie.
Does anyone get a second chance later? One writer answers straight from the verse:
Where men "refused to love the truth and so be saved", God will send a working of error. Many ask whether people "get a second chance" after the rapture. The clear answer is given here. No! Nothing here is said about those who have never heard the truth. But for anyone who has had it put before them and has not received it, there is no "second chance". God Himself will step in, so that they are conditioned to believe what is false.
That day is still ahead, and the appeal now is different:
Up to now God has sent them His message of strong comfort and richest grace, so that they all might be saved. But then — what a dreadful prospect for everyone who keeps refusing the gospel! … Now God is begging you to be saved. But if you make light of the invitations of His grace, you do not know how soon you may be allowed to fall under "strong delusion," which ends in complete ruin.
- Truth offered. God's first sending was the gospel, preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that men might be saved.
- Love refused. They heard the truth and did not love it. They took pleasure in unrighteousness instead.
- Delusion sent. Then comes judicial hardening. God gives people what their hearts already wanted, so this is retribution, not cruelty.
- Lie believed. They rejected the faithful Witness, so they receive a false one. Faith in Christ is God's gift in grace; belief in Antichrist is His work in judgment.
- Judgment sealed. This falls on those who had the gospel and would not have it. The warning stands while the invitation of grace is still open.