Patience
2 Th 1:2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul greets the Thessalonian church a second time, not long after the first epistle. He opens with his familiar greeting of grace and peace, which come from God the Father and His Son, Jesus. I like this better than our customary greeting of hi, how are you? Do we bless others with our words?
2 Th 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
Paul encourages them with praise for their growing faith in God and the love shown, one for another. Jesus spoke of love as an evidence of our faith in him.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
2 Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
They continued in persecutions, to the glory of God. Do you want patience? Then you will endure trials and tribulations. This is how we acquire patience. We shall be tested, will we have patience and God's peace?
Rom 5:3 ... but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Rom 5:4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
2 Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Faith that can't be tested, can't be trusted. Jesus endured suffering and so shall we, by the presence of God, the Holy Spirit.
2 Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
We wait patiently, enduring tribulations, doing the work of Jesus. When he comes for us we shall receive an eternal reward. But, to those who are not of God, who persecute you, tribulation will come on earth and eternal wrath. We are not of those who fall back, but we continue in the Lord. His wrath shall not touch us, His beloved.
Vengeance
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
2 Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
Rest with us in the peace of Jesus.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Jesus is coming again with his angels to destroy the ungodly and to gather the saints.
Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
2 Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Note the criteria; they know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus. This is by choice for they refused the only way of forgiveness.
2 Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Everlasting punishment, destruction of all hope, being separated from God forever. We are to warn them now, keep this from happening. We should not be too quick to write them off, their blood may be on our hands. We may have been the ones to show them Jesus. If we cannot do this, perhaps there is something we lack?
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
2 Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Will you be glorifying the Lord at his return? Some are mad at God. If this is you, you need to seek his forgiveness and give him glory. Be glad he has forgiven you in Christ Jesus. Fear him, for without him we perish in our sins. Do not be a stumbling block for the lost. We are not to be mad at sinners, they are doing according to what they understand. But be the light to show them Jesus.
Glorify Him
2 Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
Our calling, to admire and glorify him in his coming; may we be worthy to be accepted in Him. The oil of God's spirit must be present in the believer. A church cannot save you, or fellowshipping with others of faith. These things are good, but salvation is a heart change. Ye must be born-again of His Spirit. We must be united with Christ in the Holy Ghost. He must be master of our life
Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
2 Th 1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
You in him and he in you, we bring glory to God now and forever, for we are never without him, we are connected to him by His Spirit.
My heart breaks for those who oppose God's grace. They are deceived through self perceived knowledge. They look for ways to not believe the gospel. They are playing with fire. They need assurance and yet are blinded to God's truth.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
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