Note 22 at 2 Th. 2:11: The Lord would never just give a person a strong delusion that would keep him from receiving salvation. The Lord is "not willing that any perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9). But when people reject the truth He has shown them, in a sense, they are choosing deception by their own free will; He is just enforcing their own decisions. This only happens to men who don't love the truth.

This is all the more reason why we need to seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near (Isa. 55:6). We don't know when the mercies of the Lord will cease and this delusion will come. We must love the truth and never willfully reject it.

Note 23 at 2 Th. 2:11: This helps explain why there will be a great "falling away" before the return of the Lord (see note 6 at v. 3, p. 1252). Those who don't truly love the truth will be given over to this strong delusion which will severe them from all godly influence. The gray area will disappear and people will either be hot or cold but not lukewarm (Rev. 3:16).