Payback for Those Who Inflict Suffering - 2 Thessalonians 1

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 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

 Today we move to Paul's second letter to the church at Thessalonica, likely written a few months after his first letter to them.  Like the first letter he is responding to some questions they had.  

 Second Thessalonians distinguishes itself by the detailed teaching it presents on the end times. False teachers had been presenting fake letters as if from Paul and telling the Thessalonian believers that the day of the Lord had already come. This would have been especially troubling to them because Paul had encouraged them in his previous letter that they would be raptured before the day of wrath came upon the earth. (Swindoll)

 In this first chapter Paul wants encourage the believers who are suffering persecution.  Since God is just, those who do evil and don't repent will face His judgment when Jesus returns.  God doesn't just let sin go unpunished.  He provided a solution to our sin problem by sending his Son, but this doesn't mean God is soft on sin.  

 God the Father waits patiently for all to turn from their sin and receive salvation through His Son.  He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, but he is still just. Being just and fair judge is part of his nature which never changes. When Jesus returns there will be judgment of the living and the dead  This is what we confess in our Apostle's Creed.  

Paul says Jesus will come from heaven with his holy angels and with a blazing fire.  Those who have not rejected the gospel will be caught up in Jesus' glory.  It is hard to understand exactly what that will mean, but it will be so amazing that all who believe will marvel at the scene.
For those who have suffered much in this life these words give great hope.  There are many who unjustly suffer in many cruel ways. But the thought that one day those who inflict such suffering will be brought to justice is a comforting thought.  Jesus' return is our great hope.  It doesn't mean we can coast, but we should live each day so we can be ready when he DOES return.  Being ready means doing the things He has called us to do.  Sharing the Good News in what we say and what we do.   



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