God will bring justice upon the earth. That's part of the good news.

Normal Christianity in Extreme Times – 2 Thessalonians Series – Part 2

The Righteous Judgment of God

(2 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, January 5, 2013)

[5] This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

Belief and obedience based on the righteous judgment of God is part of normal Christianity. God is just. Wrong will be punished and right will be rewarded. How does the cross make sense then? Jesus had no wrong in Him. How can His death on the cross be just? Only through substitution. God's justice allows for another to take the penalty that we deserved. This makes the cross a supreme display of both God's justice and His mercy to all who would put their trust in Jesus.

The cross is evidence of the righteous judgment of God. The proof of that righteous judgment becomes visible over many centuries in the faithful suffering of the church. We prove the reality of God's work within us by believing the promises of God, especially in times of extreme difficulty. The Thessalonian Christians who held to their new-found faith in 50AD were very different from those who were persecuting them for that faith. God displayed His hidden work in the lives of His children through their steadfast faith and love. Something real had taken place in their lives. Something worthy had come to them as a gift from heaven. Through embracing the power of their Substitute's worthiness, they had been changed, and were showing themselves worthy of the kingdom of God, for which they were suffering.

[6] since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, [7] and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels [8] in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, [10] when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

The inherent worthiness of Jesus was displayed in His own resurrection. The borrowed worthiness of His church will be obvious to all when Jesus returns. The same event—the return of Christ—will be disaster for the persecutors of the church and delight for the faithful. Like the arrival of a strong husband who suddenly comes home to find an enemy attacking his bride, the return of the Lord will be greeted by the bride of Christ with tremendous relief, while her enemies will be horrified by the coming of an overwhelmingly real Adversary.

The righteousness of God is forever—eternal destruction and eternal life. Believe. Don't give up.

Put the Word to Work: Remember that wickedness will not ultimately win. Train your heart to look at today's extreme times through faith in the cross of Christ and the coming justice of God.

Singing Psalm 27:2-3 from Trinity Psalter

When adversaries came / To eat my flesh away, / Those wicked tripped in shame, / And fell to their dismay. / Though hosts surround I will not quail; / And still I trust, though war assail.

The vengeance of the Lord

Will come upon the world,

But He will grant His sons relief

Who have believed His Word—

Who have believed His Word.