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WORTHY OF OUR CALLING. II Thessalonians 1:6-12. 1/9/22.
6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. 11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- The anatomy of the vengeful wrath of God
- Paul spends 4 vs. describing the judgment of God upon his enemies and the enemies of believers
- Six aspect of the judgment of God on the lost:
- RIGHTEOUS — God’s judgment upon unbelievers is a holy act (it is not cruel, un-
- loving, or spiteful; God’s holy character cannot allow sin to go unpunished)
- RECOMPENSE FOR EVIL — since the lost reject Christ’s payment for their sins, they
- must pay eternally for their infinite affront to God (this is proper payment for their crimes and rejection of God’s gift of love)
- TIMELY — at the proper time, God will bring all things to account (not in our time and we are not told when this will occur)
- VENGEFUL — God will take vengeance upon his enemies for rejecting his Son (vengeance belongs to God alone since all sin is against him; but, revenge is a proper act of a holy God against his enemies)
- PERMANENT — the punishment on the lost is eternal and cannot be removed, shortened, or pardoned (doesn’t become less intense)
- SEPARATION FROM GOD — the main part of the punishment of the lost is not the Lake of Fire, but eternal removal from the presence and glory of God (Adam was told that he would die which is separation from God; all that makes life worthwhile is from God)
- This is the most complete description of why the lost must suffer eternal punishment (Revelation 20:1-15)
- The future of the saints
- The future the saints is opposite of that of the lost
- Eternal bliss and glorification
- All past pain and trials will not be remembered
- Paul mentions 3 aspects of the saints’ eternity:
- THAT DAY — the Rapture is the day that all pre-Tribulation believers are glorified (marks the beginning of God pouring out his wrath upon the earth)
- GLORIFICATION — all believers will be changed instantly, receiving their glorified
- eternal bodies
- ADORATION OF GOD — we will spend our eternity admiring and worshiping God
- Paul states that the glorified blissful future ahead of the Thessalonian saints is because they believed the Gospel message that he had given them
- Being counted worthy
- Worthiness means “deserving” or “fitting”
- Comes from a business term meaning that the scales are tipped in your favor
- We are not inherently worthy, but made worthy by Jesus Christ
- 3 aspects of worthiness:
- CALLING — we are called to worthiness in Christ (God destined us to elevation)
- FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S WILL — we are called to fulfill God’s good pleasure through
- faith and his empowerment
- CHRISTLIKENESS — Christ is to glorified in and through us (this is fulfilled worthiness)
- Worthiness means “deserving” or “fitting”
Key verse: Revelation 20
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 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. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.