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Chosen
to Obtain Glory Lesson 9
Introduction The
first Epistle to the Thessalonians praised the Thessalonian brethren for
their work, faith and love, which stood out among the other Christian
believers. They were famous for their way of life, to which they held
firmly and increased in good works, enduring amidst persecutions. These
were difficult days for the believers in that city, but they still merited
praise from the apostle Paul for their spiritual vitality. It
appears that shortly after the first epistle was written, a troubling
letter purporting to be from the apostle circulated among them, suggesting
that Christ had already returned. Paul had to write a letter to clarify
his teachings on the second advent of Christ and dispel certain other
myths. If one
remembers, the first epistle had also dealt with the topic of the Coming
and kingdom of Christ, and the second letter now sought to elaborate on
those teachings. Some
of the Thessalonian Jews and the pagans living there made life or living
difficult for the church. Though they faced increasing persecution, they
held fast, but nonetheless, they were not perfect. The
need for the second epistle written by Paul, arose as a result of a few
errors in interpretation of the first epistle he had written and another
letter circulating on the topic of the Lord’s coming. The
consensus is that the second epistle was written by Paul from Corinth, and
was written about half a year after the previous letter. There
are a few points of focus in this letter that should be highlighted.
It was sent to support and comfort the Thessalonians under their
present afflictions and persecutions for the sake of the Gospel. It was
intended to rectify or clarify part of the first epistle concerning the
second coming of Christ, to correct the ensuing behaviour regarding the
second coming as it related to worldly business, and to duties of civil
life, which could lead to the enemies of God having an occasion to talk
against the church and God. The
final idea was to exhort the church to take notice of disorderly
individuals who were idle and busy bodies, and to separate themselves from
communion with them. At this
time, according to the letter, some Thessalonians had taken to neglecting
their daily business. They
withdrew themselves from normal work routines and lived on the charity of
others, while they concentrated on waiting for the return of Christ. We
must note that even in this very alive, dynamic, hard-working, active and
faithful church, there were some weaknesses. After all, it is near
impossible to be perfect, especially when one is a new Christian. The
beautiful thing about them however, was that they were always ready to
follow the instructions of the Apostle Paul. This model church is therefore an extremely good example for us today. We must emulate their obedience to the word of God, their working faith, their love for people, their active missionary zeal, and their great interest in the prophetic word.
THE TEXTPaul
and his fellow workers greeted the members of the church with a twice
given reminder, that God was their Father and that Jesus Christ was their
Lord. It was the grace of God and the peace of God that was the source of
their strength, and that would sustain them in their present situation. We too should always remember that whenever we are going through difficult times and struggles, we must remember that we operate under the grace of God and his son Jesus Christ and that we have the peace that they send to their followers. 2 Thessalonians 1:3In
this portion, the epistle writer exhorts the Thessalonians for their
faith, which on a daily basis seemed to be increasing.
To that end, as persecution came their way, the Bible states that
they were able to deal with the situation, and in so doing had become
stronger for it. Note
the very interesting words that Paul used, for he states that he was bound
to thank God always for them, his brethren. We
must realize that when the law of God is written on our hearts by the Holy
Spirit, we’ll have learned
that it is right to praise God. The
heart directed by God realizes that the cords of his love bind them, and
therefore it is a pleasure, not just a duty, to praise God continually. Since Paul had worked hard with these souls that had been
given to him by God, he regarded himself as a spiritual father to them. He
did not want anything to mislead them. He
recognized that new believers would grow in their ability to lay hold on
Christ and to always lean on him, learning to trust in his promises, and
strengthening in their ability to resist the temptations brought by Satan,
to go back into the world. This
is what Paul has prayed for, and he loved to see them growth in faith, the
abounding of their love, and their patience under affliction. This
demanded that he and his fellow workers give thanks to God.
They simply had no choice. It was not only their duty, but it gave
them great pleasure to thank God, for the virtuous character now being
displayed. Note that we should behave in exactly the same way when we see other brethren follow the word of God and live in the way that the Scriptures have said that believers should live. We should do everything that we can to encourage, motivate, and insist that believers follow the way of true life, so that they would be pleasing to God. 2 Thessalonians 1:4In
this verse the church was the immediate object of praise, but the praise
was not mainly directed to the church or focused on the people, but really
and truly was directed towards God. To
get to the point, Paul was glorying in the grace of God. Paul
however focused on the church at Thessalonica for a good reason. God was
holding them out for us to look at.
He used them as an example of what can be attained by the people of
God, as believers move closer to God’s will. If all
churches could emulate and imitate the work done by the Thessalonians,
then it would greatly move us towards winning the battles that God wants
us to win. This church was such an example of patient enduring through trials and tribulations, that Paul would boast about them and point to them as a perfect example of endurance under trial. Verses 5-10. It is important when we look at this matter of suffering that we realize that First:
God was using their suffering to prepare them for the future glory that
they would have with him. Therefore, when we are bowed through trial and
stand up under pressure, this reveals that we are worthy of the kingdom of
Christ, because of our faith in Christ. Our suffering and endurance
proclaims to the world, that we have been taken out of the darkness of
Satan and placed into the kingdom of light. Second,
the persecution, which made them suffer, revealed that God had condemned
the world. God
was righteous, and his justice required that He repay those who had
afflicted his people. God was giving them the strength to endure with courage and
fortitude under the persecution. The world was showing that they hated
God, and God therefore would quite justly, recompense tribulations to
those that troubled his people. Paul,
counting on the righteousness of God, invited the Thessalonians to remain
in the arms of God and experience the refreshing that he would give them
in this life and in the world to come. There would be a time of judgment for the unbelieving who
would experience the full justice or ‘vengeance’ of God. They
would be put into a place away from the presence of the Lord. Note that
Hell is a place that is completely empty of the presence of God and of
every aspect of his character except for one aspect which one writer calls
his ‘unrelenting holy justice’. Hell
therefore is not simply fire in the material sense, but is something much
more uncomfortable, for nothing of the goodness of God is there. Let us
remember that it is not fire that makes hell hell, for when the three
Hebrew young boys were in the fiery furnace, they were completely
comfortable, since God was with them in the fire. Being
away from the presence of God, and thus exposed to the horrors of gloom,
darkness, loneliness, the complete absence of glory and any kind of
blessing, something which only comes from God, is too distressing to
contemplate. Not even the angels will enjoy that place. Note
that the saints are destined for eternal glory, which will be abundantly,
incomprehensibly, and utterly, amazingly glorious. On the other hand,
rebels will experience ultimate justice, which they fully deserve. These
people have no excuse, for all they had to do was to accept that salvation
came through Jesus Christ and to go to him for mercy. He would never
refuse to grant them mercy, but they have turned their minds away from God
and refused every offer that he has made to them. Now that they preferred to be unregenerate, and loudly declared it, they had no right to grumble that God had given them up to their own lust and vices, and ought to have given them something, namely salvation, which they did not desire. But
such is the wickedness of those who love iniquity. But we
have found that God is going to be glorified in those that believe in him.
We therefore thank the Apostles for their testimony and for their
dedication under severe hardship. Now here are some pointed lessons for us to learn 1) God sees everything, and misses nothing. God will judge everything that happens. Everyone must answer to God for everything that they have done, no matter how small or apparently trivial. 2) It is a righteous thing for God to repay evil. God will judge every little bit of evil. Judgment will either take place at the Cross or in Hell. 3) True believers will always be with the Lord. 4) The destiny of unbelievers is the terror of Hell, which means that they will never be with the Lord, but will always be in a place away from him. This is Exclusion, Banishment, Separation, but certainly not annihilation. ‘Eternal destruction’ means ruin and the loss of everything that is worthwhile. This will not be a party that one enjoys, but will be loneliness and emptiness, where those who are lost will be as Jude states “wandering stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever”. There will never be the bliss of annihilation, only the conscious awareness of emotional anguish, spiritual anguish, and physical anguish, for all those who counted the infinitely precious blood of Jesus Christ as nothing, worst than refuse, something to be mocked at and sneered at, treated as the least of all things.
2 Thessalonians 2:11The
brethren had listened to the testimony of Paul and his fellow workers, and
had proved themselves worthy of their Christian election. He therefore
prayed for them unceasingly, that God would continue to regard them as
worthy. God
had called them and they had continued to do his good work, to do all that
was pleasing to Him, to enjoy His goodness to them, to believe in Him and
to do His work with all the power that He had given to them. They had chosen the good way, believing in the testimony of the apostles. The glory of Jesus was seen in them, and their transformed lives were a marvel. Verse 12. The name of Jesus Christ was being glorified in them, and the apostle prayed that this would continue. Jesus would be in them and they would be in him, because the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ had been bestowed on them. They had been called, redeemed, blessed, justified, pardoned, adopted, sanctified. 2 Thessalonians 2:13As
with any part of the English language, a “but” for the most part sets
up a contrast between two ideas, or states in this case.
The two states that are in contrast with one another is the state
of the lost, those who do not believe in Christ and who actively oppose
him and the state of those who trust and obey Christ such as, For example,
the individuals at the church of Thessalonica. Paul
feels compelled to exhort and encourage the brethren at Thessalonica, as
part of his duty as a child of God, Always reminding them of the joy that
they both shared together, due to the grace that God has bestowed upon
them both. They
both had the love of the Father, and he was encouraged by the show of
blessings imparted to them to continue on the path before them. To
remind them of what God has done for them is not a slight thing, for Paul
makes direct reference to the nature of the elect.
From
the beginning, just as how it was said of Christ that he was slain before
the foundations of the Earth were set, then so too, we were chosen to be
God’s people. That type of
security no one can take away. Further still, it talks about the purification of the spirit,
to ensure that we are acceptable to the Lord. This
is one of the most beautiful verses in Scripture, even though many seem to
be afraid of it. The
Scripture is quite clear that God has from the beginning chosen us, and it
means us, to salvation. This
election is therefore absolute, for he has chosen us from the beginning.
This is through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth. Note
that this election is from God. He
has elected us or chose one personally. We are
told elsewhere in this letter that the Thessalonians heard that word of
truth and they believed it. They
wanted to be holy and regenerate and they wanted to walk away from sin.
This was proof that God had elected them, bringing them to him,
effectually calling them. Anyone
who truthfully wishes to be holy, and asks God for mercy, will be heard.
That person’s desire is proof that God has called them effectually. But
for those who say in their hearts that they do not want to be holy, and
give up their vices and the passions of the flesh, maybe being satisfied
with simply pretending, they cannot complain if God has given them up to
their own desires. In
other words, if you desire the way of God, he has chosen you to it. Our
rejection of his word, our hidden dishonesty, our pretending when we know
that we are not obedient to God and do not really want to be obedient,
makes our rejection by God a matter of Justice. The
election of God does not really depend on who we are, or our pedigree. We
were chosen before the beginning. We were not good then, nor are we good
now, and therefore it cannot be said that we are chosen because God looked
down the years and saw that we would be good. One
important mark of election is belief of the truth, and the person who
believes in the truth, must understand that he or she is elect, elect unto
sanctification and unto faith. Election
therefore makes us really humble, for we realize that we have nothing to
warrant our election, and so we place all our reliance on Jesus Christ. It is
Jesus who called the brethren of Thessalonica and us also by the gospel
that the Apostles preached. When men hear the gospel and turn to God, they
obtain the glory provided by Jesus Christ. The preaching of the gospel is a great work. True spiritual power comes only from God, and those who hear the truth and who belong to God will believe it. Others will believe a lie and God will give them exactly what they want, a lie. Verse
15. Paul gave
thanks that God had done a mighty work in the Thessalonians. He therefore
urged them to stand fast, since God had chosen them to salvation through
sanctification. They should hold fast to what he had taught them. Note
that if anyone would tell you that their teachings have supplanted the
teachings of the Apostles, or that they have some new revelation by the
Holy Spirit, which contradicts the teachings of the apostles, they are
really liars. Many go so far as to say that they are better than the
Apostles, that they have more faith than they, that they are more loved by
God, that God cannot do without them. They teach things that are in direct contradiction to the
word of God. But note that
anyone who follows them is headed for the terrible judgment of God. One
little word of advice. If anyone brings a new doctrine, some new
revelation from the Holy Spirit, which is not in the Word of God, or
previously known, they are not speaking the truth. There have been many
recent ‘new light’ in the last one hundred and fifty years or so
years. None of them can stand the test of inspired Scripture, and should
be summarily rejected, no matter how attractive they may seem to be. The
Word of God is a consistent whole, and the Holy Spirit inspired the
prophets, from Moses all the way down, and then brought Jesus Christ to
show us everything to know about God. The apostles have revealed to us all
the truth we need, for Christ taught them. It is their names that are in
the foundations of the New Jerusalem. Let us
therefore be wary of the traditions of men. There is terrible danger in the traditions of man, but the inspired apostolic traditions referred to by Paul are totally different. The traditions referred to by Paul are what will keep us from present and future danger and bring us to glory. Verses 15-16. Paul reminds us that God has been faithful to all his people. He kept those before the flood that belonged to him, as well as those who lived after the flood. He created Israel and he kept the remnant there safe. He called those in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and in the uttermost part of the earth that belonged to Him. He will keep them safe. Paul therefore asked God, the Father, as well as the Lord Jesus Christ, to 1) comfort the hearts of the Thessalonian brethren, and to 2) establish them in every good work, 3) to give them everlasting consolation and good hope 4) to keep them immovable and steadfast, holding the doctrines that they had been taught without any deviation. Thessalonians 3:1-3Paul
now requested that they pray for him, for he knew that his success
depended on the prayers of the saints. He
wanted the work of God to continue uninterrupted, so that many would be
brought to glory, and that these new transformed men would show the glory
of Christ. He
wanted these saints to pray that his work would continue without
hindrance, and that the wicked and evil men who wanted to stop the spread
of the gospel would be thwarted. Evil men are always seeking to stop the
spread of the word of God. When they cannot stop it they try to corrupt it
and bring in their own traditions. They constantly attract people with
itching ears. But Paul was confident that God would keep him and keep the brethren. God would keep them from evil and establish them. Paul was confident in the Lord. CONCLUSION What
shall we say then? If
God is for us, does it really matter who is against us? The road might
be hard and long. But remember God has called us from the beginning. It is
not us who called him; it is He who called us. He who
began a good work in you will certainly complete it. Of that we can be
sure. Nothing can stay the hand of God. His word will not return to him
void. There
is no power like God. He is not in competition with Satan. Satan is
already defeated. Do not join with a defeated thing. That is most foolish.
Do not let him deceive you. He is beaten. But he
still has a sting in his tail. Do not be deceived. If you
love God, you will want to obey him. If you do not want to obey him, go to
him for mercy and forgiveness, and he will hear and turn to you. Be
confident in God that he has called you. Listen to Him, and ignore all the
voices that do not say exactly what his Scriptures say. Take everything
that Jesus has said literally. He will never lead you astray.
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