May 16, 2013
God's judgment. People may try to live and act as if there is no such thing as God's judgment, but that doesn't change the facts: there is a God; He is just; and there will be a judgment day.
The people of Thessalonica were under attack. They were being treated badly and were suffering many troubles. But while all this was happening, their faith was growing more and more, and their love for each other increased. The way they were being treated and the suffering they endured was "proof that God is right in his judgment." (II Thessalonians 1:5)
Sounds crazy doesn't it? Americanized Christianity implies or teaches us that God just wants to give us our hearts desire (everything we want) and bless our socks off. He does bless! But it is through the trials, troubles, and suffering when we learn it is not about us—it is ALL about Him. It is through HIM we are blessed and found worthy. II Thessalonians 1:5 - "He wants you to be counted worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering." The next sentence says it all. II Thessalonians 1:6a - "God will do what is right."
Vengeance is not ours! Vengeance is God's, and HE will do what is right.
Paul goes on, "He will give trouble to those who trouble you." (II Thessalonians 1:6b) The NIV says he will "pay back trouble" and the KJV says that he will "recompense tribulation." God will decide what is right and He will do what is right. WooHoo!! How freeing is that? It is not up to us! It is up to God, and HE-will-do-what-is-right. There will come a day when judgment happens.
When we say we want my sister and brother-in-law held accountable for their actions against us (and many other people), we are not saying that out of any sort of anger or revenge. It is because we understand there will come a time when eternal judgment happens. And because we understand the seriousness of eternal judgment, we want them to be held accountable now. We want them to have the opportunity to repent and change their hearts and lives now. It is because of our love and concern for them that we pray they will be held accountable for their actions now.
As I was writing today I was thinking about the absurdity of thinking we can do whatever we want because of God's grace and that all He wants to do is bless us. By believing that falsehood, you minimize the awfulness of everything Christ went through so we could be saved by His blood offering for us. How does that compute? Jesus' death would have been totally unnecessary. God most certainly could have come up with a different plan if it didn't matter how we lived our lives and He just wanted to "bless" us and give us "things." Jesus suffered for us. Jesus' death was a drastic defining moment. When we accept the price Jesus paid to redeem our lives there should be a drastic defining change in our lives. To "use" Jesus as an escape from hell method without changing our lives to be like His, is an abuse of the gift He paid for with His life.
He is either Lord of everything or we are trying to use Him by accepting His grace while still remaining lord over our own life. You can't have two lords. He is either LORD and we are obeying His teachings; or we are our own lord and we are attempting to use Him to get what we want. It is one or the other. It cannot be both. And there will come a day when truth will be revealed. "God will do what is right Judgment WILL happen.
It is not a matter of "if." It is a matter of "when." Our prayer is that accountability (for ourselves and all of our loved ones) happens here on earth while there is still time for repentance and change.
Next Entry: II Thessalonians 2:1 – 3:18
God's judgment. People may try to live and act as if there is no such thing as God's judgment, but that doesn't change the facts: there is a God; He is just; and there will be a judgment day.
The people of Thessalonica were under attack. They were being treated badly and were suffering many troubles. But while all this was happening, their faith was growing more and more, and their love for each other increased. The way they were being treated and the suffering they endured was "proof that God is right in his judgment." (II Thessalonians 1:5)
Sounds crazy doesn't it? Americanized Christianity implies or teaches us that God just wants to give us our hearts desire (everything we want) and bless our socks off. He does bless! But it is through the trials, troubles, and suffering when we learn it is not about us—it is ALL about Him. It is through HIM we are blessed and found worthy. II Thessalonians 1:5 - "He wants you to be counted worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering." The next sentence says it all. II Thessalonians 1:6a - "God will do what is right."
Vengeance is not ours! Vengeance is God's, and HE will do what is right.
Paul goes on, "He will give trouble to those who trouble you." (II Thessalonians 1:6b) The NIV says he will "pay back trouble" and the KJV says that he will "recompense tribulation." God will decide what is right and He will do what is right. WooHoo!! How freeing is that? It is not up to us! It is up to God, and HE-will-do-what-is-right. There will come a day when judgment happens.
When we say we want my sister and brother-in-law held accountable for their actions against us (and many other people), we are not saying that out of any sort of anger or revenge. It is because we understand there will come a time when eternal judgment happens. And because we understand the seriousness of eternal judgment, we want them to be held accountable now. We want them to have the opportunity to repent and change their hearts and lives now. It is because of our love and concern for them that we pray they will be held accountable for their actions now.
"God will do what is right. He will give trouble to those who trouble you. And he will give rest to you who are troubled and to us also when the Lord Jesus appears with burning fire from heaven with his powerful angels. Then he will punish those who do not know God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus Christ. Those people will be punished with a destruction that continues forever. They will be kept away from the Lord and from his great power. This will happen on the day when the Lord Jesus comes to receive the glory because of his holy people. And all the people who have believed will be amazed at Jesus. You will be in that group because you believed what we told you." II Thessalonians 1:6–10Do good things and perform the works that come from your faith. Do all these things so that the glory of Christ is in you and you will have glory in Him. Then the things we do will bring honor and glory to Him.
As I was writing today I was thinking about the absurdity of thinking we can do whatever we want because of God's grace and that all He wants to do is bless us. By believing that falsehood, you minimize the awfulness of everything Christ went through so we could be saved by His blood offering for us. How does that compute? Jesus' death would have been totally unnecessary. God most certainly could have come up with a different plan if it didn't matter how we lived our lives and He just wanted to "bless" us and give us "things." Jesus suffered for us. Jesus' death was a drastic defining moment. When we accept the price Jesus paid to redeem our lives there should be a drastic defining change in our lives. To "use" Jesus as an escape from hell method without changing our lives to be like His, is an abuse of the gift He paid for with His life.
He is either Lord of everything or we are trying to use Him by accepting His grace while still remaining lord over our own life. You can't have two lords. He is either LORD and we are obeying His teachings; or we are our own lord and we are attempting to use Him to get what we want. It is one or the other. It cannot be both. And there will come a day when truth will be revealed. "God will do what is right Judgment WILL happen.
It is not a matter of "if." It is a matter of "when." Our prayer is that accountability (for ourselves and all of our loved ones) happens here on earth while there is still time for repentance and change.
Next Entry: II Thessalonians 2:1 – 3:18
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