* When GOD turns them over to a strong delusion.




 
Sometimes we meet a church goer who is totally irrational to the truth.  Even when facts from the Bible are presented to him he insists on clinging to that which is taught at his church group. 
 
Why can't he repent?  Why does he continue to hold to a lie? 
 
The answer to this is in II Thessalonians 2. 
 
These people were once enlightened to the truth from God but then "fell away" and chose to go with another doctrine which was opposite to doctrines of Christ in the Bible.
 
In such cases we see the following: 
 
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

When God sends that person "a strong delusion" there is nothing we can do to make that person understand even when we present many godly exhortations, for that person has been deluded by God.

We just have to walk away and leave him alone.

Acts 28

24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.


*****

Even when all of the plagues of the great tribulation come to this earth, none of the wicked will understand but the wise will understand.

Daniel 12

1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.


Revelation 9

20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.



Revelation 16 
 
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 
 
11And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. 
 
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.


John 8    Jesus says:

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.



John 12

37  But though HE had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him:

38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

40 HE (God) hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.


God turns them over to "a reprobate mind" because they refuse to keep the "knowledge of the truth of God" before their minds.

Romans 1

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

***

They would not continue with truth from God, so God gave them over to believe a lie that they could not repent and be saved.

Even when the plagues came, and it was obvious only God could bring those plagues, they blasphemed God instead of falling down before God in repentance.

God had turned them over to "a strong delusion" to believe a lie that they all might be damned who rejected the truth from God and clung to lies.


*****