God’s Justice for the Persecuted Church

God’s providence is never wasted. He is at work in all situations good and evil for the sake of His glory. Today, we focus on Jesus in light of the evil of this week, this month and the history of this world. We come to gather to find hope in the midst of sadness, anger, confusion, fear. Our comfort does not come from earthly justice. That is fleeting and it oftens falls flat. Earthly justice is not dependable because judges can be corrupted, laws can be manipulated, and criminals are set free.

God’s justice never fails us. Our judge is one who is always ruling with power and strength.

Psalm 119:137–138 “137 Righteous are You, O Lord, And upright are Your judgments. 138 You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness And exceeding faithfulness.”

I. The Goal of the Persecuted Church (vs. 3-5)

2 Thessalonians 1:3–5 “3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; 4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.”

While Paul prioritizes the encouragement and boasting in the Lord of the church at Thessalonica, the major emphasis is on why Paul was boasting in the Lord regarding them. They were enduring the persecutions from the evil one. They were outlasting. They were showing the glorious justice of God

A. God’s Glorious Justice is on Display

When we think of justice, we come to a legal idea of perpetrators or criminals that disobey or violate the law getting the fair consequences for their actions. When we drive in our cars over the speed limit even 1 MPH over, it is justice for us to get penalized with a speeding ticket. NOW- I know what you are thinking” What ?! 1 MPH over is no big deal. At least that is what we would think and even say to a police officer. We would complain to our friends, can you believe I got a ticket for 1 MPH over the limit.

Let this be a lesson to us that our human opinion of justice is tainted with sin. Our complaint about speeding is only expounded by the hardened criminal who complains about only doing a little meth, or the murder who only committed one offense. This week has shown us that even with one offense against the law, law-breakers need and deserve swift justice.

Thank God that the He is a good and just judge. Paul is actually praising the Lord in v 5 because He sees the endurance of the church in Thessalonica and in it, he sees Jesus. Jesus came into the world and lived as the sinless God man. He deserved no retibution for his sin because he comitted none.

1 John 3:5 “5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.”

But the redeemptive plan was for God to save His people from their sins and as a just judge, he had an ocean of sin debt that had to face consequential wrath from God. Someone had to pay for the sins throughout history of God’s elect.

The sinless God man, Jesus, stepped in our place and suffered on behalf of sinners. God provided the necessary lamb offered up to atone for sin. When wrath was poured out on Jesus, God’s justice was glorified. He took the wrath of God upon himself, died as a sinner, and then was raised from death to life. He first had to suffer under God’s justice and then he was also glorified under God’s justice. When a sin debt is paid, God is glorified for His justice. The resurrection and glorification of Jesus is part of God’s justice because death’s sting was not heavy enough to keep Jesus in the grave. The resurrection is the celebration of God’s justice being fulfilled. The payment was received and it was successful.

Suffering and glory becomes the standard that started with Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus prove God is a just judge over all the earth.

Psalm 7:8–11 “8 The Lord judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me. 9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds. 10 My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.”

B. Endurance is the sign of God’s Grace

As Paul stands to highlight God’s good justice, he brings to light the encouragement for the persecuted church. Look at the beginning of v 5 “this is the proof (evidence) of God’s righteous judgment.” What is Paul referencing here?

Back in v 4 the evidence lies in the persevering faith of the believers in Thessalonica that serves as the evidence that they “are considered worthy of the Kingdom of God.” Paul is heralding the church that with their perseverance in their persecutions as God’s people, they are showcasing the evidence that they are truly saved. The elect of God will persevere until the end, even through the roughtest of trials and persecutions because of God’s sustaining grace for his elect. Just as he chose you in Jesus, he will abide with you through the valley of the shadow of darkness. He will not leave you and therefore his chosen people will endure.

Paul states “counted worthy of the kindom” not in such a way that they earned their salvation by their enduriung trials. Instead, the endurance is evidence of God’s salvific work in them and one that is connected to His righteous justice. If He chose them for salvation, then they are forgiven, they will suffer for Christ and they will be glorified in the end.

John 14:2–3 “2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Now as God’s people, if you survive persecutions or you succumb to the end of your life faithfully proclaiming Christ, Jesus has reserved a place for you in heaven. By what measure could he tell his disciples he will hold their place in heaven? It is by the electing grace that confirmed they would not turn away from Him but instead endure until the end.

We have hope then friends, when Christ saves us knowing that our suffering for Christ as the persecuted church is PROOF that our reward is already in heaven. If we fall away in persecution, realizing that the Jesus is not worth the pain and suffering, this also only proves that we truly never belonged to Jesus. The fire of persecution is a purifying fire that removes the impurities in us but also exposes where we are truly gold or just pyrite (fools gold)!

II. The Hope for the Persecuted Church (vs. 6-10)

2 Thessalonians 1:6–10 “6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.”

A. The Temporary Rest and and the Eternal Suffering

Staying in the theme of God’s justice and having identified those who are the suffers in Jesus name, Paul now turns his attention to the hope that believers have in our suffering. It is a promise of God’s justice that we need to consider.

Chiefly, the promise is that the wicked will see an end to their reward. The persecutors are contrasted with the persecuted in these verses. First let’s look at the persecutors and the promise that God has for them.

When we consider those who do evil to the church, we often focus on the fact the wicked seem to prosper. Let me ask you to turn to the Jeremiah 12 and lets read v 1-3

Jeremiah 12:1–3 “1 Righteous are You, O Lord, that I would plead my case with You; Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? 2 You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have even produced fruit. You are near to their lips But far from their mind. 3 But You know me, O Lord; You see me; And You examine my heart’s attitude toward You. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter And set them apart for a day of carnage!”

Now we can all relate to Jeremiah’s prayer. We consider the prosperity of the wicked and we fall into this same curiosity. Why Lord do those who steal your glory and defame your name get to enjoy any blessings in this life? If we are not careful we can fall into a unbelief of God’s soverrignty and his power. But notice God’s answer to Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 12:7–10 “7 “I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies. 8 “My inheritance has become to Me Like a lion in the forest; She has roared against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her. 9 “Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me? Are the birds of prey against her on every side? Go, gather all the beasts of the field, Bring them to devour! 10 “Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard, They have trampled down My field; They have made My pleasant field A desolate wilderness.”

The Lord’s response was the declaration of his sovereign judgment on Israel because of their wickeness and rebellion towards God. In this situation with Israel, its enemies were successful under the soverign hand of God’s judgment. They could not see that at the time nor understand but the Lord was behind the scenes bringing calamity on His people for their contiunual rebellion.

But for the persectued church, it might not be a discipline of the Lord that is at work but instead, just a practical way that God is bringing about his perfect justice.

In other words, the way that Paul gives hope to the church in their persecutions is to remind that the judgment on the wicked is coming. Their prosperity and rest is only temporary before they have the great judgment of God.

“pay back with affliction”

Paul says that the righteous judge is going to “pay back” or pay what is due to those who afflict the church. What is due is the just penalty for their rebellion against God. Their punihsment is laid out very clear for us in these verses.

He uses three general terms to describe that judgment. The first term is THILIPSIS in v 6 translated “affliction.” In its basic verb form, it means to squeeze, press, crush. Thus affliction for the church is the temporary squeezing but for the wicked it is an eternal crushing from the Lord.

The second term is found in v8 EKDESESIS which means that God will brings just vengance upon them. God is not allowing to sin to go unpunished. He is just and sin’s debt must be accounted for in the ledger of God’s justice. He will unleash his wrath against evil doers. But that wrath is also retributive for the sake of His church. The name of the afflicted church is metaphorically etched onto the sword of God’s wrath against evil. He pays back evil against them because he loves His church.

The third term to consider is in v 9, “destruction.” It literally means to destroy or to die but with the modifier eternal, we know that their destruction is not annihilation. The evil will face an eternal death which means a suffering without end. Annihilation or ceaing to exist through death would actually be a mercy if they were to receive it. But God promises much more. He promised an eternal destruction in such a way as to an state of suffering without end.

In the gospels, this eternal desctruction is described as a state of never-ending darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 8:12 “12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.””

It is here that Jesus describes eternal hell with such vivid and clear descriptors.

Matthew Henry writes,

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume Matthew 8:5–13

They shall be cast out from God, and all true comfort, and cast into darkness. In hell there is fire, but no light; it is utter darkness; darkness in extremity; the highest degree of darkness, without any remainder, or mixture, or hope, of light; not the least gleam or glimpse of it; it is darkness that results from their being shut out of heaven, the land of light; they who are without, are in the regions of darkness; yet that is not the worst of it, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 1. In hell there will be great grief, floods of tears shed to no purpose; anguish of spirit preying eternally upon the vitals, in the sense of the wrath of God, is the torment of the damned. 2. Great indignation: damned sinners will gnash their teeth for spite and vexation, full of the fury of the Lord; seeing with envy the happiness of others, and reflecting with horror upon the former possibility of their own being happy, which is now past.

Paul states very similar things as Jesus with special note”

The absence of the presence of God and the light of truth, love and grace

The absence of rest in his presence that the church will receive. Without rest, suffering on the eternal body never sleeps, never relaxes, suffering continually.

Suffering of mind, soul and body. Yes, the resurrection of the dead and the living implies that both will receie bodies fit for eternity. The wicked will be in bodily form when they suffer the coninual wrath from the Lord. Their gnashing will not be in pain as much as it will be a constant angst against the Lord and his people. Their hatred towards God and his people will be NEVER satisfied and only increased with every moment of the eternal clock.

Revelation 14:10–11 “10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.””

All of this as Paul states is “away from the presence of the Lord” which takes us back to the garden of Eden. It was there when sin entered through the rebellion of Adam and Eve and they were cast out from the presence of the Lord. It was foreshadowed then of all judgment and wrath of God is found in the absence of the presence of the Lord in our lives. What great suffering will all those enemies of God and his church face by eternally being separated from their Creator whom they were designed to fellowship with and love. It is in this state of OUTER DARKNESS where the light of Jesus does not dwell.

Finally, notice the way Paul describes the recipients of this eternal destruction.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 “8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

He does not say only those who persecute the church will face such wrath. Instead, he says those who face the anger of the Lord when Jesus comes again, will be people :

do not know God

do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus

Both categories here describe one person and they give us the broad way that leads to destruction. You don’t have to firebomb a church to deserve God’s retribution. You have to reject the gospel of the Lord Jesus. You have to live without a genuine relationship with God through Christ.

At the coming of Jesus Christ, many will be lost to eternal destruction because they knew of God but they did not know God in a relationship in His Son. They were lost in sin, bound to participate in Satan’s devices, disbelieving the gospel.

Friends, this might describe some fo you this morning. You know of God and you know of Jesus. You can speak the truths of the gospel like you can recite the pledge of allegiance. But it does not mean anything to you.

To the persecuted church: Next week, we will pick up in part 2 but let me leave us with words from the psalmist:

Psalm 37:7–9 “7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. 9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.”

Let me close with this Hymn by John Newton

Day of judgment! Day of wonders! Hark! the trumpet's awful sound, louder than a thousand thunders, shakes the vast creation round. How the summons will the sinner's heart confound!

2 See the Judge, our nature wearing, clothed in majesty divine; you who long for his appearing then shall say, "This God is mine!" Gracious Savior, own me in that day as thine.

3 At his call the dead awaken, rise to life from earth and sea; all the pow'rs of nature, shaken by his looks, prepare to flee. Careless sinner, what will then become of thee?acts

4 But to those who have confessed, loved and served the Lord below, he will say, "Come near, ye blessed, see the kingdom I bestow; you forever shall my love and glory know."

B. The Eternal Rest and the Temporary Suffering

III. The Prayer of the Persecuted Church(vs. 11-12)

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 “11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”