2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

 

We often wonder why the wicked seem to prosper while the godly seem to suffer.  There may not be many satisfying answers to that question.  However, we can rest assured that it will not always be this way.  When Christ returns all these things will be made right.  God is at work, and He is faithful to use the trials of this life for His glory in ways we might not understand today but will become clear when He returns.  There are at least three truths about God’s judgment that we can observe in this passage.

 

GOD IS RIGHTEOUS IN JUDGMENT: God is the only completely righteous judge.  He knows everything from our actions to the motives of our hearts perfectly.  The believers in Thessalonica were considered to be worthy of the kingdom of God because of their growing faith and love in the midst of persecution.  Even though these godly believers were being afflicted while those who were afflicting them seemed to be prospering; God is righteous in judgment.  The seeming injustice we observe and even experience in today’s world should not cause us to be confused about the reality of God’s justice.  Those who are afflicting believers today will be afflicted by God in the future.  Those who are being afflicted today will find relief in the future.  God will make all these things right because His is just and will judge rightly.   

 

CHRIST IS REVEALED IN JUSTICE: When Christ returns, there will be a radical change in the way justice is carried out.  Today, the Lord Jesus is hidden from our sight, and He is largely ignored by the world.  This will not always be the case.  A time is coming where Jesus will be revealed from heaven.  He will return to earth, not as a baby or a suffering Savior, but as Ruler and Judge.  He will be accompanied by angels in flaming fire.  This will be a visible and awesome revelation of King Jesus.  Those who have ignored God, lived for themselves, and rejected the Gospel as false or simply unneeded will come face to face with the God they doubted.  Those who have trusted in their own self-righteousness will be rejected and suffer under the wrath of the just Judge, Jesus.  They will face eternal punishment and damnation completely separated from God.   

 

CHRIST IS RECEIVED IN JOY: Those who have trusted Christ will experience the revelation of Jesus in a completely different way.  Believers will glorify and worship the Lord Jesus.  We will rejoice in the glory of His presence and be in awe of His beauty, grace, and holiness.  He will transform us by His coming to dwell in our midst.  We will marvel at His majesty and know that any suffering from the past was completely worth it.  We must understand the Gospel and receive it as the only hope of salvation.  The testimony of the Apostles as recorded in Scripture is true.  We are only required to believe it and trust in Christ alone to set us free from sin.  The joy of receiving His grace is beyond compare.

 

APPLICATION: Do not be discouraged by any suffering we may be facing or observing in the world today. Don’t doubt the justice of God because of the injustice of a fallen world.  Trust God to make all things right upon Christ’s return.  Warn unbelievers of the wrath to come and call them to turn to Christ from their sin and believe that He is their only hope for salvation.  Worship the Lord Jesus, rejoice in the salvation we have in Christ, and stand in awe of His holiness. 

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