RECIPE FOR DESTRUCTION
When man makes a mess of his life and looks back to find answers, he might end up looking at the society that shaped him, the circumstances that were thrust upon him or he might actually decide to be honest and find that his life is indeed a sequel of the decisions he took along the way. Paul’s words warning us of the end times when hordes will rush along to embrace destruction is worth looking at-
‘They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness’ (2Thessalonians 2:10-12)
The first ingredient toward destruction is a refusal to love the truth. Man knows what is true. Being fair, respectful, honest, faithful and disciplined in our day-to day lives is not something that is hard to comprehend for someone who starts off. However espousing all of the above needs sacrifice and a willingness to put one’s personal interests away in the interest of truth. And often, truth becomes a casualty when convenience raises its horn. When a parent refuses to make time for his kids, when a spouse does not do enough to keep the marriage happy or when a manager sacrifices the interests of her team to advance her own, these are all examples of truth being sacrificed at the altar of convenience. And time and time again, man takes a decision to not love the truth and he is well on his way to destruction.
As per Paul’s words above, not coming to a point of being saved is an extension of not loving the truth. When a person loves the truth and aligns his life with that of God who is the embodiment of all truth, the gospel becomes meaningful. Jesus and his message of salvation from one’s sins and lostness is not only comprehensible but also the only way out for man who is trapped in a sinful body with no hope and no future.
While being saved does put man on a lifelong journey of discovering the truth in a deeper fashion, not being saved leads him to believe the lies that dominate this world. And mother of all lies is the one that proclaims man as being independent of God and in control of his life and destiny without a need to submit to God. The greatest danger of lies is when lies begin to be accepted as the truth. The parent who disregards his family move on to find nothing wrong in doing so and the manager who abuses her team justifies it with some lame excuses and not only do they continue to persist in doing what is not true, they begin to delight in it (wickedness), in the words of Paul above.
The recipe is complete and it should be no surprise when condemnation and destruction follow.
If destruction appears to be your destiny, you have no one but yourself to blame. But who says destiny cannot be changed? Again that decision is yours!
