Please turn in your Bibles this evening to II Thessalonians chapter 1 as we continue our study through the Word of God. Paul wrote his second letter to the church in Thessalonica from Corinth probably within a year after he wrote his first letter. If Galatians was Paul’s first letter that he wrote, and I Thessalonians his second, it would make II Thessalonians his third letter, all of them being written in the early 50’s.
Now why did Paul write to them so soon? Paul gives us three main reasons and that will be the basic outline for this letter. First of all in II Thessalonians chapter 1 Paul gives them Encouragement in Suffering. The persecution against these new believers didn’t stop and Paul wanted to encourage them to keep moving forward, to keep growing in spite of all that was coming against them, he didn’t want them to give up!
Then, in II Thessalonians chapter 2 Paul gives them Enlightenment about The Day of The Lord. In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians Paul spoke of the end times and the Rapture of the church. But there was still some confusion, which opened the door for false prophets, false teachers, deceivers to come in telling them that they missed the Rapture and were living in the Day of the Lord. These false teachers even had a forged letter supposedly from Paul to help support their false doctrine. Thus, with the persecution they were facing, many wondered if this was The Day of the Lord and many came to believe it was, that they missed the Rapture. So Paul wants to correct this error and calm their fears that the Day of the Lord had arrived when in fact it hadn’t!
And lastly, in II Thessalonians chapter 3 Paul speaks of the Establishment of Christian Living. In other words, it is a call to walk worthy of the high calling by which they were called. Was this a problem for them? It became a problem for some of them because of the misinformation they had regarding the Day of the Lord and the Rapture of the church. Some felt that the Lord’s return would come at any moment, which it could, but this caused some to stop working, to become lazy, they were loafers and feeding off of others who were working. Some may have thought if this is the Day of the Lord, what is the use, why work? Thus, Paul is going to correct their perspective on this issue and how to walk worthy of the high calling by which we have been called!
Of this letter, William Kelly tells us:
As in the first Epistle, the apostle does not immediately grapple with the error, but prepares the hearts of the saints gradually and on all sides so as to clench the truth and exclude the error once it is exposed. This is the way of divine grace and wisdom; the heart is set right, and not the mere point of error or evil dealt with.
- William Kelly
So this letter is one of encouragement to grow in the faith and correction of the false doctrine that had come into the church. With that said, let’s begin reading in II Thessalonians chapter 1, starting in verse 1 and see what the Lord has for us this evening!
VERSES 1-2
Keep in mind that Thessalonica had a population of over 200,000 people and was a very busy seaport city as well as having the main Roman road, the Egnatian Way passing through this city making it a very busy city with people coming and going, business deals made, products bought and sold! Also, keep in mind that Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia or the northern region of Greece. As Paul wrote this letter from Corinth, he mentions that Silas and Timothy were also involved. Not really in writing this letter, but they were involved in establishing the church in Thessalonica with Paul and thus, Paul includes them for the people would know them very well. One last point before we move on and that is that Paul founded this church in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey, (Acts 17:1-10), and he was only able to minister for three Sabbaths or less than one month before they ran him out of town for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But what Paul left behind was a church, new believers who were strong in the Lord and they were active in the Lord. They lived what they believed and others saw it and were ministered by what they saw!
Again, Paul speaks of the Siamese Twins of the New Testament, Grace and Peace and always in that order. I have said it before but it truly bears repeating. You will never be able to experience the peace of God until you first make peace with God and you cannot make peace with God until you first receive His grace into your life, the grace that is in Jesus Christ that He extends to us, the forgiveness of our sins! Paul put it this way in Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” The Amplified Bible puts these verses like this, “THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.”
VERSES 3-4
What do churches boast of today? Why do people go from church to church, what are they looking for? I think that John MacArthur hits the nail on the head on this one as he tells us:
Churches take pride in many things: their large membership roll or attendance, the size of their campus, the design of their buildings, their wealth, their music, the social status of their members, the prominence of their pastor, their political clout, their influence in the community, or their zeal for a particular theological cause. Others celebrate their creativity and freedom from traditional modes of worship, trading theology for psychology, choirs and organs for rock bands, and replacing sermons with skits, musicals, and other forms of entertainment in an effort to create an inoffensive, nonthreatening atmosphere for the unbelievers and nominal Christians in their congregations. They have become the model churches many seek to emulate.
- John MacArthur
That was not the church of Thessalonica. They grew in faith even though persecutions or the hostility from the enemies of the Gospel were coming against them. They grew in the faith even though tribulations or afflictions that may have resulted from the persecution that was coming against them. They did not renounce their faith, cave in, give up but grew in the faith during these times. Paul prayed for them in I Thessalonians 3:12, “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you.” Now we see that come to pass here, they were growing and because of that they were examples to other churches, other Christians.
Back in I Thessalonians 1:2-3 Paul said, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.” Notice; faith, love and hope here in I Thessalonians. But here in II Thessalonians Paul just mentions their faith and love; he left out hope, why? Maybe because of the false doctrine that had come into the church saying that they were living in the Day of the Lord, they missed the Rapture! You see, faith tells us that all our sins are forgiven and because of what God has done for me I live to serve Him. The love of God in my life causes me to reach out and love others with His love, laboring in love for others. And hope produces patience or long-suffering endurance because our hope is in the Lord and He will not only see us through the most difficult of things, but He is coming back for us. They lost that hope which then caused some of them to be lazy, not working, not providing for their family, “What’s the use?” mentality! Thus, Paul is going to clear that kind of thinking in this letter with the desire of restoring that hope in them!
VERSE 5
What seems to pervade or permeate many churches today is a man-centered mentality and thus, Christians are concerned about their happiness, comfort, success, to have a feel-good atmosphere, prosperity and the list can go on, self-centered or man-centered focus. Some say, “I don’t feel the love!” You are self-centered. The issue is, are you giving out love? But the believers in Thessalonica had a God-centered mentality. What is a God-centered mentality? Just what it says, but if you are still unsure, listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” The Amplified Bible puts this verse like this, “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” Does it matter? Of course it does. One of the things for the Thessalonian believers was the persecution they were going through and because they were God-centered they were able to stand strong in the faith. If they had a man-centered relationship, as soon as things heated up, they would be gone because it is all about them and not the Lord and what He desires of them. Let me explain a little more about persecution. Ladies, the ring on your finger that has a stone on it, do you realize that the stone is nothing more than a piece of coal? Now don’t go hitting your husband, because it doesn’t look like coal anymore because it was placed under heat and pressure and over time it was formed into a beautiful diamond! We are like a piece of coal and as God allows pressure and heat to come upon on our lives He is making us into a beautiful diamond! Don’t run from it, but allow God to accomplish in us what He desires as we go through these times!
Now these things that came upon them was not the basis of their salvation but it was the evidence that they were saved, it showed that their faith was real and not empty! You see, God is just and as he chastens us, as He turns up the heat, as the pressure increases upon our lives, it just shows that He loves us so much, He loves us just the way we are but He loves us so much that He won’t leave us the way we are! He is purging the garbage from our lives, molding and shaping us down here to fit in up there! Paul, in Hebrews 12:5-11 tells us this very thing. He says, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.’ If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
As Christians, the Bible tells us that we are to face trials joyfully because God is working; He is equipping us for glory. Regarding this, Leon Morris tells us:
The New Testament does not look on suffering in quite the same way as do most modern people. To us it is in itself an evil, something to be avoided at all costs. Now while the New Testament does not gloss over this aspect of suffering it does not lose sight either of the fact that in the good providence of God suffering is often the means of working out God’s eternal purpose. It develops in the sufferers qualities of character. It teaches valuable lessons. Suffering is not thought of as something which may possibly be avoided by the Christian. For him it is inevitable. He is ordained to it (1 Thess 3:3). He must live out his life and develop his Christian character in a world which is dominated by non-Christian ideas. His faith is not some fragile thing, to be kept in a kind of spiritual cotton wool, insulated from all shocks. It is robust. It is to be manifested in the fires of trouble, and in the furnace of affliction. And not only is it to be manifested there, but in part at any rate, it is to be fashioned in such places. The very troubles and afflictions which the world heaps on the believer become, under God, the means of making him what he ought to be. Suffering, when we have come to regard it in this light, is not to be thought of as evidence that God has forsaken us, but as evidence that God is with us. Paul can rejoice that he fills up “that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (Col 1:24). Such suffering is a vivid token of the presence of God.
- Leon Morris, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians,
The New International Commentary on the New Testament, pp. 197-198
VERSES 6-8
Remember in the movie The Terminator, Arnold said, “I’ll be back!” Well folks, the Lord said it long before Arnold did and He is coming back to pour out His wrath on a Christ rejecting world and then He will set-up His Kingdom on this earth where He will rule and reign for 1,000 years! Is that fair, God judging the world, those that have rejected Him? God’s judgment is right and it is fair. You see, people have a choice, to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior and if you do you are cleansed of all your sins. If you reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the free gift of God then you will face His judgment as you stand before God in your own righteousness, which are like filthy rags! You see, all evil will be judged and accounted for, either at the cross or in Hell!
We wonder why God allows His people to face such persecution, even death. We have talked about the persecution and what God is doing but even in death we are with the Lord, death has no more power over us because Jesus conquered death and took away its sting! Thus, we don’t lose anything in death; we gain eternity with the Lord! And remember what the Psalmist said in Psalm 116:5, “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.”
Also, God will deal with those who are willfully ignorant of God. Paul spoke of these people in Romans 1:18-32 as he said, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due . . .
. . . And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
God will also deal with those who do not obey the Gospel of Jesus. It is as Jesus said in John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Now when we think of vengeance from a human perspective, we think of getting even with someone who has done us wrong. That is not what the Greek word for “vengeance” is saying. Heibert tells us, “The term does not contain the idea of human revenge but rather denotes infliction of full justice on a criminal, giving him all, but no more, than his guilt deserves.” You see, in God’s judgment upon the wicked, they will get what they deserve for God’s judgment is fair, it is right!
Now some still wonder how God can be just and still be merciful and forgive sinners. If we are all sinners, then justice must be upon all. In regards to this A. W. Tozer writes:
[The] solution for the problem of how God can be just and still justify the unjust is found in the Christian doctrine of redemption. It is that, through the work of Christ in atonement, justice is not violated but satisfied when God spares a sinner. Redemptive theology teaches that mercy does not become effective toward a man until justice has done its work. The just penalty for sin was exacted when Christ our Substitute died for us on the cross. However unpleasant this may sound to the ear of the natural man, it has ever been sweet to the ear of faith.
- A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, p. 94
Also notice that Paul speaks of our rest when the Lord returns, a rest on this earth when the Millennial Kingdom is established. There is also a final rest in the new heavens and the new earth as Revelation 21:4 tells us, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then what rest do we have now? Do we have to wait until then for rest? The rest that Paul is speaking of here in II Thessalonians is for the future, not now. But there is a rest we can enjoy now, salvation brings us rest from the crushing weight of sin upon our lives. Paul, in Hebrews 4:9-11 tells us, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” Thus, don’t expect peace on this earth until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ returns to set up His kingdom on this earth. It is as Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
VERSES 9-10
We know as Christians we will have everlasting life, eternal life with God, but do you also understand those that reject Jesus Christ will also have eternal life apart from God in the Lake of Fire. “They will pay a penalty” for rejecting Jesus is what Paul is saying and that is the only sin that will keep someone from Heaven and send them to Hell. What about fornication, stealing, murder, lying, cheating, and-so-on? They will not send you to hell. Let me explain. Jesus said in John 16:8-11 in speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
You see, the sin that sends someone to Hell is their rejection of Jesus as their Lord and Savior because the only righteousness that God will accept is the righteousness of Christ. Thus, Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” You see, our righteousness before God is like filthy rags, but by having faith in Jesus, by receiving Him as Lord and Savior the righteousness of Christ is imputed into our lives. If you reject that then God will judge you!
Now what about all those other things like fornication and-so-on, those other sins? They don’t send you to Hell, they only determine the degree of punishment in the Lake of Fire you will have for eternity! In Revelation 20:11-15, at The Great White Throne Judgment where God will judge unbelievers for their punishment, we are told, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” God’s judgment is coming and we await that Day for the evil will be removed and the knowledge of the Lord will fill this land!
VERSES 11-12
Paul’s prayer for these believers is that they would be found “worthy,” what does that mean? Is Paul speaking of working our way into Heaven and if we have done good, if there are enough good works in our lives as opposed to bad, we then will enter into heaven? Not at all, that is not the Gospel message but the message of all other religions who have man work his way up to God while Christianity has God reaching down to sinful man and pulling him out of the mire of sin that he is in! It is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us as white as snow!
Paul tells us in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It was a hopeless condition we were in with no way out on our own, but “ . . . when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6. You see, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. That means, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” You see, it is God who makes us worthy. Paul put it this way in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
But we do play a role in this, not for salvation, but in sanctification. In Ephesians 4:1 Paul said, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” In I Thessalonians 4:7 Paul tells us, “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.” In Colossians 1:10 Paul said, “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” And in I Thessalonians 2:12 Paul tells us, “that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” You see, as we become more and more like Jesus, as His nature flows from our lives, we are walking worthy of the calling that God has placed upon our lives!
Now the ultimate purpose is not that our name should be glorified but that through us the Lord would be glorified – even through our persecutions, our trials, our tribulations, as we walk we will bring glory to God! As we allow God to work in us, He will also work through us so that we can touch others for Jesus!
Prayer is important for our lives, as we know, as the Scriptures teach. Listen to what the godly Puritan John Owen had to say. He tells us: “He who prays as he ought, will endeavor to live as he prays.” How true that is! Many of us have heard of the Pony Express but do you realize the dedication of these men, that should be the dedication of us in our prayers that is then manifested in our lives as we step out in faith, living as we are praying! Listen to what they were all about and then apply that to your life, their dedication, their willingness to lay it all on the line to deliver the mail! We are told:
The Pony Express was a private express company that carried mail by an organized relay of horseback riders. The eastern end was St. Joseph, Missouri, and the western terminal was in Sacramento, California. The cost of sending a letter by Pony Express was $2.50 an ounce. If the weather and horses held out and the Indians held off, that letter would complete the entire two-thousand-mile journey in a speedy ten days, as did the report of Lincoln’s Inaugural Address.
It may surprise you that the Pony Express was only in operation from April 3, 1860, until November 18, 1861 – just seventeen months. When the telegraph line was completed between two cities, the service was no longer needed.
Being a rider for the Pony Express was a tough job. You were expected to ride seventy-five to one hundred miles a day, changing horses every fifteen to twenty-five miles. Other than mail, the only baggage you carried contained a few provisions, including a kit of flour, cornmeal, and bacon. In case of danger, you also had a medical pack of turpentine, borax, and cream of tartar. In order to travel light and to increase speed of mobility during Indian attacks, the men always rode in shirtsleeves, even during the fierce winter weather.
How would you recruit volunteers for this hazardous job? An 1860 San Francisco newspaper printed this ad for the Pony Express: “Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders willing to risk [death] daily. Orphans preferred.”
Those were the honest facts of the service required, but the Pony Express never had a shortage of riders . . .
Like the Pony Express, serving God is not a job for the casually interested. It’s costly service. He asks for your life. He asks for service to Him to become a priority, not a pastime.
- Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, pp. 109-110
As I close this evening may we grow in faith, trusting in God, believing in His promises to us, looking at all He has already done for us and believing that He is not done yet! May we grow in love, receiving His love and giving His love to others. And may we grow in hope of His soon return for us, His bride, the church! You see, service is costly but as you serve, it will bring glory to God and your faith, love and hope will grow!