The Plan of God in the Persecution of His People

Date: March 2, 2025

Title: The Plan of God in the Persecution of His People

Passage: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5

Not too long after Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians, he wrote another letter.

Work our way through this book quicker.

“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. 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.”

INTRODUCTION

Well, just by way of introducing our text this morning, I would have you know that a couple of centuries ago, there was a great pioneer missionary to Burma, whose name was Adoniram Judson. 

This was a man who suffered for his faith. He experienced many hardships for the cause of the gospel, and on one occasion, he said something very important: “If I had not felt certain that every trial was ordered by infinite love and mercy, I could not have survived my accumulated sufferings.” Adoniram Judson well understood that unless God was sovereignly in control over 

every trial and tribulation that comes our way, then surviving through sufferings is going to be very difficult, if not impossible. And this was a man who had first-hand knowledge with this type of thing. 

He was a man who suffered greatly. At the age of 24, he and his wife, Ann, set sail for India, but after spending some time there with William Carey, who is known to be the father of the modern missionary movement, 

Adoniram and his wife then relocated to Burma, even after being warned by William Carey about all the potential threats that country posed.

Burma, which is also known as Myanmar today, was a country that did not welcome missionary activity. In fact, all the previous missionaries that went there either died or left. It was difficult ground to penetrate. War, raids, and rebellion were constantly ongoing realities in that part of the world.

But convinced that this was where God was leading them, the Judson’s made way for Burma and when they were there, they were no strangers to suffering.

Sickness and disease plagued the family. Adoniram was imprisoned and had to endure harsh conditions within that environment. 

Later, when he was finally released from prison, there were still seasons of doubt and depression—moments when he would isolate himself because of despair. 

Being on the frontlines was tough, and it wasn’t until after serving six years on the mission field that he finally saw his first convert.

This is what life in the trenches is like… Now mind you, when the whole course of his ministry is brought under consideration, there really was much fruit that came out of it, but for many of those years when he was actually engaged in the work, it felt like there was a lot of sowing with very little reaping.

But in 1831, nineteen years after their arrival, Adoniram was starting to see a shift in the spirit of the culture. There began to be much more of an interest in the things of God, and Adoniram spoke to this as well. 

Eventually there was an extraordinary movement of God on the rise, but the point I want to underscore here is that this movement was one that was borne out of sacrifice. And that’s so often the case… Gospel proclamation and affliction are two things that go hand in hand.

In fact, that’s why Adoniram famously said, “If you succeed without sacrifice it is because someone has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success it is because someone will succeed after you.”

Well, Adoniram certainly was a man who gave up his life for the cause of Christ; he devoted himself to the work of evangelism in a hostile environment and thankfully, within his own lifetime, he got to see some of the fruit of it. But what’s even more remarkable about this entire story, is that without even knowing it, he was a huge encouragement to the church of Jesus Christ at large, and that was true of the church even all the way across the Atlantic.

All the letters he had sent back home over the years had a massive effect on them so that when he finally returned to America 33 years later, people—literally hundreds of people were lined up to greet him and celebrate his heroic legacy among the Burmese people.

And so without even knowing it, his life—his commitment to preach the gospel all-the-while suffering for it, was lighting a fire in the hearts of so many other Christians.

And you know, the reason why I bring this story up is because, in many ways, the testimony of Mr. Judson reflects the testimony of the Thessalonian church. Just like Adoniram, the Thessalonians were inspiring the faith of so many other believers by being faithful to Christ in the midst of much affliction.

Indeed, as you look at these opening verses, it’s quite astonishing to see how in the beginning of this second letter, Paul encourages the Thessalonians in much the same way he did in the first letter he wrote them.

1 Thess 1 / Thanks God for their faith, hope, and love.

Receiving the Word in much affliction.

Being an example to all the other churches.

And it’s pretty much, basically the same thing here (2 Thess 1).

I mean after Paul wishes them grace and peace in the prologue to this letter, it’s very easy to see how in the following verses Paul is just over the moon! 

He’s happy! He’s excited about all the great things God is doing among the Thessalonians, so much so, that he’s making them the talk of the town! He’s boasting about them. He’s celebrating their heroic labours for Christ. He’s thanking God for their faith, and love, and endurance through suffering.

And to add to the joy, what makes all of this so thrilling isn’t just that the Thessalonians have gone from a state of disobedience to obedience; it’s that they’ve gone from a state of obedience to greater obedience!

In V. 3-4, Paul mentions that their faith is growing abundantly; their love for one another is increasing; and they’re remaining steadfast in the faith despite all the persecutions and afflictions they’re having to bear up with.

So, in spite of the fact that there were still some ongoing issues in the Thessalonian church that mandated a second letter; that aside, Paul was still very pleased with how well the Thessalonians were doing in their walk with the Lord. They were experiencing spiritual growth on an exponential level, and at a very fast paste! You couldn’t slow them down! These people were on fire for God. Within the space of a year or a half a year, depending upon the length of time between the writing of 1-2 Thessalonians—within that brief 

period of time—that little window, the Thessalonians were showing absolutely no signs of letting up.

They were committed to the cause of Christ regardless of the cost. 

They were willing to bear the brunt of the world’s attack. 

There was nothing that was going to stop them from receiving the word, believing the word, and obeying the word, no matter what kinds of trouble it got them in with the world!

That’s how committed to the Christ they were! And brothers, we got to understand that if we follow the true Christ of the Bible, we, too, will suffer for it. You might not die a Marty’s death, but if you truly follow Christ, there is a cross to bear. This is inescapable! Following Christ in this age will involve participating in His sufferings to some degree.

As we saw back in 1 Thess 3, we learned that this is something we’re destined for. Afflictions are sure to come. They’re not something we should be surprised by or moved by, as though something strange were happening to us.

On the contrary, afflictions are actually something we should expect, particularly because the age in which we live is one of tribulation. 

It’s through many tribulations, Paul says, that we will enter the kingdom of God, which means, before we reach the stage of resurrection glory, then, we must first pass through the phase of cross-bearing affliction.

This is something Brian touched on this morning in Romans 8; that’s why Paul said (Rom 8:18), “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

You see, in the conception of the NT, you have these two unique periods of time: (1) There is this present time, which presupposes that there is also (2) a future time. This age and the age to come.

And what’s interesting about this is that with each one of these two ages or times, they both correspond to the two stages of Christ’s mode of existence. 

So, first you have the stage of Christ’s humiliation where He was beaten, bruised, and afflicted, but then, amazingly, out of what seemed to be defeat, actually came resurrection glory where He entered into the stage of His exaltation.

Well, it’s no different for us. If you’re united to Christ, then that’s the same basic pattern we are to expect as well: cross now, crown later; humiliation now, exaltation later. That’s to path to victory… and we shouldn’t expect anything less.

Charles Spurgeon, “Christian, Jesus does not suffer so as to exclude your suffering. He bears a cross, not that you may escape it, but that you may endure it. Christ exempts you from sin, but not from sorrow. Remember that, and expect to suffer.” Now that doesn’t meant we aim to suffer or we’re looking to suffer, but it does mean we understand that suffering to some extent is unavoidable.

But this raises the question as to why that is… Why are trials and tribulations unavoidable for the Christian? Well, if you look at V. 5, I want you to notice how Paul says something very intriguing there that might help out out with this.

2 Thess 1:5, “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.”

Now, when I first read this verse, I thought that the evidence of the righteous judgment of God was referring to the judgment of the wicked itself, which is what Paul goes onto describe in the following verses.

But the more I studied this verse, however, the more I realized how I was failing to read it in context, because in context of this passage, when Paul says, “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God,” the immediate antecedent is not something that pertains to unbelievers but to Christians.

And as we saw in V. 4, the Thessalonian Christians were remaining steadfast in the faith through tribulation. They were persecuted and afflicted, and then Paul says, “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God.” In other words, what the Thessalonians were, themselves, experiencing, was in some way related to the just judgment or righteous verdict of God.

Greg Beale points this out as well: “One might immediately conclude that the righteous judgment is the punishment of the unbeliever, which is partly elaborated on in 1:6–9. While this comes into view in 1:6, it is not hinted at in 1:3–5. Up to this point, it appears that the righteous judgment pertains to Christians, not their persecutors.”

And I agree… but if this is the case, then the obvious follow-up question would be, how exactly do we make sense of this? How does suffering affliction as a Christian relate to God’s judgment?

Well, this is where we need to understand something very important about the judgment of God, and it’s this… when the prophets spoke about the coming judgment of the Messiah, they spoke about this reality, this day, this judgment, in terms of something that would accomplish two things: (1) In one sense, this judgment would cleanse and purify, (2) but in another sense, it would condemn and punish.

Let me give you an example of this.

Last book of the OT — Malachi.

Two passages in this book I want to read side by side. 

Malachi 3:1-5, “Behold, I send my messenger (John the Baptist), and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight (Jesus), behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. (2) But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.”

Malachi 4:1-3, “For behold, the day is coming (same day spoken about in Ch. 3), burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.”

There’s a couple of things going on here. When Malachi speaks about the Day of the LORD in Ch. 3-4, he speaks about it in terms of a fire—blazing fire, but the fire has two different referents. For the people of God, the fire will prove to be a refining fire, but for the enemies of God, the fire will prove to be a destructive fire.

You see, when it comes to the judgment, depending upon which side of the coin you land on, in relation to the Messiah, will determine the nature of the judgmental fire you undergo.

If you’re on the saving side of the coin (accepted the Messiah, believer in Christ), than the judgment you undergo will only prove to be a disciplinary judgment so that you actually come out on the other side as someone whose been made pure.

But if you’re on the non-saving side of that coin (reject Christ, live for yourself), than the judgment you undergo will prove to be a condemnatory judgment through which you burn like a branch burning in an oven. You won’t be purified. You’ll be reduced to stubble for all eternity.

Therefore, it stands to reason, then, that the people of God will indeed be able to endure His glorious coming, particularly because their lives will be purified by the judgment of God’s refining fire, but with the wicked it is not so. They will be like chaff driven away by the wind of God’s final end time, burning judgment.

We’re going to explore that reality a little more next week. 

But you know, this reality of judgment that Malachi prophetically spoke about is not unique to Malachi; the apostle Peter spoke about it as well. In fact, many others spoke about, too, such as John the Baptist, Jesus, and others, but for now I just want to touch on one more passage written by the apostle Peter because what he says is extremely relevant to what Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 1:5.

1 Peter 4.

Writing in the early 60s.

Group of believers who were facing many challenges.

Trials, tribulation, suffering.

Trying to help them understand the meaning and purpose of suffering. 

1 Peter 4:16-17, “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

Do you see what Peter is saying here? ‘If anyone suffers for being a Christian, don’t be ashamed of it, because it is time for judgment to begin with us…’

In effect, he’s basically saying the exact same thing Paul was saying back in 2 Thessalonians 1, which is that the righteous judgment of God is evidenced in the sufferings we endure in this life!

Judgment begins with the household of God; now it doesn’t end there to be sure, but it does begin there. Judgment begins at the household of God and Peter is very explicit about the particular way in which that judgment is experienced by Christians; it’s experienced through suffering!

And that’s not something we need to be ashamed of! When we are mocked and ridiculed for our faith, we have no need to be ashamed because the particular form of judgment that’s being enacted upon us is not punitive or condemnatory, but rather it’s the type of judgment God is using to purify us so that we might become more like the One who bore the ultimate judgment on our behalf! 

Don’t you want to be identified with Him?

Don’t you want to be associated with your Saviour?

Well, you can’t be identified with a cross-bearing Saviour unless you’re willing to bear your own. Now, that doesn’t mean you do the same thing Jesus did! The judgment He bore was unique. The cross He carried was unique. And the sufferings and afflictions He experienced were unique.

Those things can’t be replicated by fallen people like you and me, but, nevertheless, if you are united to Christ by faith, then in some sense it will involve judgment, in some sense it will involve carrying a cross, and in some sense it will involve persevering through suffering.

This is what it means to participate in the sufferings of Christ! It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re literally going to hang on a cross like He did, although it may! But the main idea is that following in His train does involve walking on the path He exemplified for us, which is the path of death!

It’s from grave to glory and not the other way around.

We, like the apostle Paul, are to carry around in our bodies the death of Jesus wherever we go.

We die, and we’re not ashamed of it, because we’re not ashamed of our Saviour!

That’s not defeatist theology! That’s where the true victory lies!

So, to come back to what Peter affirmed in 1 Peter 4:17, clearly we can see that there is a specific kind of judgment we as Christians experience in this age. Persecutions, tribulations, afflictions, and trials, all of these things are all manifestations of the Lord’s refining, fiery, loving, disciplinary judgment that He uses to purify us so that we might reflect His glory.

But think about it… if that’s the nature of the judgment we undergo, then what will become of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

You see what Peter is doing there? He’s working from the lesser to the greater. He’s saying, ‘If our judgment as Christians is painful enough, then surely the outcome for those who do not know God will be much worse!’

And surely it will be because the judgment to be poured out on that day will be nothing less than the pouring out of the wrath of God itself.

That’s not something we as Christians experience because Christ Jesus already suffered and satisfied the wrath of God for us through His sacrifice on the cross. But for those who are outside of Christ; for those who have not received the benefits of His saving work, well then that same judgmental wrath that fell upon the Christ will be left for them to bear.

Hopefully you can see that the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian isn’t so much the difference between someone who won’t be judged and someone who will be judged. The real difference, rather, centres around which kind of judgment one will have to endure.

And let me just say… far better to be the object of temporary afflictions now than to become the object of unending afflictions in the future. Far better to share in the sufferings of Christ now than to suffer for all eternity later. Far better to undergo the fire of God’s purifying judgment now than to undergo the fire of God’s condemnatory judgment at the end of all things.

These are difficult truths to swallow… They can weigh heavy on our hearts… But Peter tells us how to respond to them appropriately, he says, (V. 19) “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

Brothers, that’s how we respond. We are to entrust our souls to our faithful Creator while doing good. In other words, keep going… keep trucking… keep persevering. 

Yes, it’s tough… but we were never promised that things would be easy, so just keep going… keep doing the work of the Lord… keep on being like Adoniram Judson, who, trial after trial after trial, just kept on persevering in faith.

Aim to do likewise! Keep on entrusting your soul to your faithful Creator because in the end, it will lead to everlasting glory.

And if you can recall, this is actually one of the points Paul highlighted in 2 Thessalonians 1. To come full circle now, to 2 Thessalonians 1:5, don’t forget what Paul said… After encouraging the Thessalonians for their faithful steadfast resilience amid all the storms they were going through, he then says that, “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.”

Which is to say, suffering is token of God’s purifying judgment, which is designed to have the intended result of making us worthy of the kingdom of God.

Now that doesn’t mean we merit the kingdom of God or that we earned it, but it is to say that trials of various kinds do have the effect of testing the genuineness of our faith so that at the revelation of Jesus Christ, we will have been made ready to enter into the Kingdom of glory, just like Jesus entered into glory after He suffered!

Do you see the parallel?

That’s why suffering is inevitable. That’s why trials and tribulations are unavoidable. It’s because if there is no suffering, no persecution, no pushback, no cross-bearing, no walking through the purifying flames as it were, than it indicates that you don’t belong to Christ.

But on the flip side, if difficulties and troubles are coming your way because of your faith in Christ, than rejoice and be glad because that’s very likely a good sign that this world is not your home and that you are united to Christ.

CONCLUSION

And such was the case for the Thessalonians. Their faith was growing. Their love for one another was increasing. Their stance was unwavering. And all of this was true of them even in the midst of much affliction, which no doubt was clear evidence of the righteous judgment of God being at work in their lives, so as to make them worthy of His glorious kingdom.

No wonder Paul couldn’t stop talking about this church! This was a church worth talking about…!! This was a church inspiring the faith of many. This was a church devoted to Christ, no matter the cost!

(Note) And in this passage, we are reminded there is a cost! Not a cost in the sense of having to pay for our sins, but a cost in the sense of knowing that it will cost us to associate with Christ in this present time.

So look, if you’re someone who only wants enough religion—just enough of Jesus that will still allow you to live a nice cozy, comfortable, worldly, easy, all about me kind of life, then stay away from Jesus.

The real Christ won’t allow for it.

The call of the gospel is basically a call to come and die.

And for all of you whose eyes have been opened to see that true life is found in death, well than to you I say, keep coming to the cross; keep riding on, Christian soldier. Ride on to victory, and as you do so, never forget that true victory is found, located, and rooted in the cross.

Where Christ was slain is where sinners are saved. 

So bear that badge with honour. 

Don’t be ashamed of it. 

Don’t be ashamed to identify with Christ in His sufferings because, while it may at times, seem bleak or maybe even feel unbearable in the moment, the good news is that when God wraps everything up at the end of all things, the outcome of your faith will result in the salvation of your souls. 

You will inherit the kingdom in all of it’s glory. 

That’s a promise you can count on.

Prayer