THE SONS OF PERDITION

A PARABLE:  Picture in your mind that you are driving on Interstate 65, and the highway has three North-bound lanes and five South-bound lanes.  You are driving North in the center lane, with one lane on either side of your lane.  Suddenly, you notice that the lanes on both sides of your lane are exit-only lanes; the left exit-only lane has a sign that says "to South-bound Interstate 65," and the right exit-only lane has a sign that says "to South-bound Interstate 65."  At the point where both lanes exit, you look, and you realize that the South-bound side now has only three lanes, and your side is now a single lane road, still labeled "North Interstate 65."  What has happened?

The parable explained:  The North-bound highway represents the visible church, "heading toward Heaven."  The vehicles in the center lane are born again believers (Wheat - Mt. 13:24-30).  The vehicles on either side of your lane are those professing to be Christians, but they are not saved (Tares - Mt. 13:24-30).  When they find a convenient exit, they turn back, and join the rest of the traffic headed South toward Hell (1 Jn. 2:19).  You will remember that before their exit, your side of the highway was three lanes, and the South-bound side had three lanes.  The South-bound lane needed to be widened because of the added vehicles "the tares abandoning ship!"       

What causes members to suddenly depart from a local church?  There are all sorts of reasons; but most are really just excuses.  Some are legitimate, that is, God is leading them to serve Him elsewhere.  However, with those who are Christians in name only, something usually causes them to "show their true colors."  While there are far too many to detail here, I do want to suggest to you that a few of the "turncoats" leave for very sinister purposes:  they become "sons of perdition!"

There are only two specific examples of this "transformation" in the Scriptures, but I suspect there are hundreds which are not explained as such (1 Jn. 2:18).  A "son of perdition" is a human being who becomes possessed by Satan.  In John 13:27, we are told that Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, and he then went and betrayed Jesus. 

The other individual is the Antichrist.  2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 says:  "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; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."  We know the "the son of perdition" mentioned here, is the Beast of Revelation 13, by the timing of his appearance, and by his actions.  Notice that after the head of the Beast receives a mortal wound, Satan not only re-animates him, he becomes his inner power to carry out the "abomination of desolation," even declaring himself to be god (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mt. 24:15; Rev. 13:3-8)!

Many will go to Hell; few will go to heaven;
fortunately, fewer still will become "sons of perdition!"