The Wrath and Grace of Jesus Christ

Introduction:

Connection:

Q - If you were to think of one attribute that would summarize your view of Jesus, what would it be?

We tend to overemphasize one aspect of Christ’s character, to the neglect of others, don’t we?

Q - Why do you think that’s potentially dangerous to our souls? And to our doctrine and practice?

Need:

We need to tremble & rejoice—to be in dread & in delight. We need to know the Whole Christ.

Theme:

The Wrath and Grace of Jesus Christ

Purpose:

To warn the wicked of the wrath of Jesus, to comfort the saints in the grace of Jesus, and to cause us all to marvel at God’s glory.

Recap:

In our first lesson last week, we saw the context of the letter, that status of the Thessalonian church in union with God in Christ, and the grace and peace in which they stand in Jesus. We also saw how the church was growing in faith, love, and endurance, in their afflictions and persecutions that they were facing. And thus, Paul continues his thoughts about what else these persecutions signal in his eyes. So tonight let’s continue:

Text: 2 Thess. 1:5-10 ESV

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

What we’re going to see this evening is that Paul’s text can be structured into three main points—and each of them illumines an aspect of both wrath and grace, for us to indeed rejoice and tremble before. So firstly:

(1) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Justice of God’s Kingdom - v. 5-6.

2 Thessalonians 1:5–6 ESV

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— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

(1) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Justice of God’s Kingdom - v. 5-6.

Q - Can someone go back and read verse 4 out lout? How does this connect to the first word of verse 5?

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God,

It is this patient endurance in afflictions and persecutions, by faith and steadfastness in Jesus, that leads the Apostle Paul to say that this endurance is evidence of the righteous judgment of God.

How so? This is a challenging verse. Is the judgment of God being described here positive or negative judgment? Is our endurance evidence that we have received a judicial sentence of justification? Of being declared righteous? Or is our endurance evidence of the coming penal judgment that will fall upon the wicked? Given the context of God’s judgment, retribution, vengeance, and punishment that Paul is going to address, I think the safest interpretation is the latter. The Greek word used, is κρίσις, which in the NT is used mostly to refer to ‘penal judgment’ (TDOTNT).

Thus, Paul is reminding the saints that their persecutors will fall under the righteous judgment of God. It reminds us of Abraham’s righteous prayer and plea in Genesis!

Q - Can someone turn to Gen. 18:25, and read it aloud?

Genesis 18:25 ESV

Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

Q - And can someone turn to Rom. 2:5, and read it aloud too?

Romans 2:5 ESV

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

I think it’s this type of motif that Paul has in mind, when he reminds the saints that the righteous judgment of God is going to come against the enemies of Christ.

Here’s what Calvin says on the verse:

Hence, if we hold this principle of faith, that God is the just Judge of the world, and that it is his office to render to every one a recompense according to his works, this second principle will follow—that the present disorderly state of matters (ἀταξίαν) is a demonstration of the judgment, which does not yet appear. For if God is the righteous Judge of the world, those things that are now confused must, of necessity, be restored to order. - John Calvin

Q - Can you think of any examples of persecution against Christians that cause your hearts to yearn for God’s judgment to come and make things right?

Is it not written: those who destroy God’s temple He shall destroy? Those who curse you, I will curse. Touch not the Lord’s anointed. For the church is the apple of God’s eye, the bride of Christ—and thus the persecutors of the church must be warned of the righteous judgment of God that is coming their way. The Judge draws nigh:

Ecclesiastes 3:17 ESV

I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

But this reality of final judgment doesn’t just warn the wicked, it also comforts the saints. That day is not only a day of wrath, but also a day of grace—because on that day, as we finish the race through suffering and by faith, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to do so:

that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

This persecution doesn’t only prove or evidence forth the destruction of the wicked, it also encourages the saints that on that final day they will be enter into the kingdom of glory in the new creation!

Notice that Paul doesn’t say that they are worthy of the kingdom—but rather—that they will be considered worthy of the kingdom, or accounted worthy of the kingdom, or declared worthy of the kingdom? In ourselves—we are unworthy. But in Christ—we are made worthy. We are declared sons of God. We are declared forgiven. We are declared righteous. We are transferred into God’s kingdom. We are made citizens of heaven. We are made partakers of Christ and His grace. And we are filled with all the fullness of God in Him—and thus—we are going to be considered worthy of the kingdom on that day. So as we suffer for it now—let us not lose heart. Christ has overcome the world (Jn. 16).

Acts 14:22 ESV

through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

One commentator adds:

EBC: With opposition behind them, all who are Christ’s at his [coming/parousia] will be welcomed into the messianic kingdom on the ground of their God-given worthiness.

Matthew 13:43 ESV

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

But Paul returns in verse 6 to the reason why such wrath is going to poured out on the wicked. He says:

6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

Simply stated, why is God going to pour out wrath? Because he considers it just. He will consider us worthy of the kingdom by grace, but for the wicked, he considers it just to repay them. And what is the most basic, biblical principle regarding civil and penal justice? Eye for eye.

Q - Can someone turn to Exodus 21:23-25 and read it out loud?

Exodus 21:23–25 ESV

But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Perfect biblical justice states that the punishment must fit the crime—and be proportionate to the evil committed. And thus, if the persecutors of Christ’s church have afflicted her with pain—God considers it just to afflict them with pain. He will bring perfect justice, by the lex talionis, and he will judge those who try to destroy the people of God.

Revelation 22:12 ESV

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

And so, from verses 5-6, we see that:

(1) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Justice of God’s Kingdom - v. 5-6.

Q - Any questions or comments from verses 5-6?

We know that justice will prevail—and that salvation is drawing near. Let’s continue and see the next point Paul has for us in our text:

(2) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Revealing of God’s Son - v. 7-8.

2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 ESV

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 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.

(2) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Revealing of God’s Son - v. 7-8.

Have you noticed how Paul is sort of flipping back and forth, in the same breath, between wrath and grace? The same act of justice that is coming to repay with affliction, is the same act that will:

7 grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us,

The word that Paul uses for relief is: ἄνεσις, which has such a beautiful meaning for this context. It means: rest, relief, liberty, or remission. But it’s even more basic meaning is: “is the relaxation of tension” (TDOTNT).

Q - For a moment, think of the worst muscle-cramp that you’ve ever had. How would you describe the discomfort and pain? ……… And how would you describe the feeling of when it goes away?

That relaxing of the muscle, and relieving of the tension—is the sort of rest and relief that God is going to grant to the saints when Jesus Christ returns or calls us home. Our sister Gayle, is enjoying a rest and relief that is unspeakable at this very moment. As it says in Revelation 7:

Revelation 7:15–17 ESV

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

All the pain, all the affliction, all the suffering, all the hardship, all the disappointment, all the sorrow, all the health challenges, all the frailty and weakness—it’s all gone. There is perfect rest—perfect relief—perfect relaxation in the presence of Him who has loved us. And when will this rest come in it’s fullness? When the enemies of God are fully rooted out of the land, when the conquest of Christ’s enemies is complete—when when shall inherit the new Canaan, the eternal world that is flowing with milk and honey. And all of this will happen:

when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire,

Jesus is on the throne right now, reigning over all things, building his church, advancing his kingdom, redeeming the nations, establishing righteousness, conquering his enemies, saving his people, and subjecting all things to the glory of God the Father. And when that work is complete—Christ shall return to bring perfect justice, and to make all things new!

Right now Jesus is hidden to the naked eye. We cannot see him. But we know Him. We love him. We trust him. We hope in him. We desire him. We need him! But he is covered by the clouds of heaven. And so Paul says, that he will be: ἀποκαλύψει, he will be revealed, or literally, uncovered. How so?

Q - Can someone turn to 1 Thess. 4:15-18 and read it aloud for us?

1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 ESV

For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

And so when he is revealed from heaven, in flaming fire (Isa. 66:15), he will come to put an end to the suffering of the saints, and he will come:

inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Q - Have you ever heard the saying: God doesn’t send anyone to hell, he just let’s people go their on their own? That’s hogwash. Why?

Paul says that God will repay the wicked, afflict the wicked, inflict vengeance upon the wicked, punish the wicked, and cast them away from the presence of Christ. Sinners don’t just stroll into hell—they are cast into hell by the wrath of God and of the Lamb. Why? Because they have refused to know God as their God, and have refused to believe and obey in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Two Puritan pastors add these words of commentary:

This appearance [of Jesus from heaven] will be terrible to those that know not God, especially to those who rebel against revelation, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the great crime of multitudes, the gospel is revealed, and they will not believe it; or if they pretend to believe, they will not obey it. Though sinners may be long spared, they will be punished at last. They did sin’s work, and must receive sin’s wages. - Matthew Henry

And another adds: Gospel sins are most heinous and most provoking, and will be most severely punished. - Matthew Poole

Oh it is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And who can say on that day, that they did not know? That they had an excuse? None.

Q - Can someone turn to Romans 3:9-18 and read it aloud?

Romans 3:9–18 ESV

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

There is no such thing as an innocent man in Africa—the heavens declare the glory of God, and all refuse to know Him and glorify Him as God. But those who have the Word of the Gospel, and still refuse to obey Him—will receive the greater condemnation. The more light refused, the more wrath incurred. And so God’s wrath shall come:

Micah 5:15 ESV

And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.

On that day, on that glorious and dreadful day of the Lord:

(2) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Revealing of God’s Son - v. 7-8.

Are you ready for that day? Are you going to receive wrath or grace? The only way to answer that is in relation to whether or not you obey the gospel.

Q - Any questions or comments from verses 7-8?

There’s one more point Paul makes for us tonight:

(3) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Presence of God’s Glory - v. 9-10.

2 Thessalonians 1:9–10 ESV

They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 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.

(3) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Presence of God’s Glory - v. 9-10.

These verses are both the hardest to swallow and the sweetest to sip on. Again, we have another combo of wrath and grace. Firstly, Paul tells us the fate of the wicked:

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction,

This is the historic, traditional, evangelical, and biblical view of the damnation of the wicked—in eternal conscious torment. One scholar notes that:

The very fact that this “destruction” (cf. 1 Thess. 5:3; 1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 6:9) is “everlasting” shows that it does not amount to “annihilation” or “going out of existence.” On the contrary it indicates an existence “away from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” - Hendrickson

According to Paul—God considers it just to repay the wicked with affliction, with flaming fire, with vengeance that is constituted by the punishment of eternal destruction, of eternal death, of eternal suffering. And all of this only makes sense if we understand the God who has been sinned against and spat upon. His infinite glory brings infinite loss to those who despise Him, reject Him, hate Him, and deny Him.

Q - Can someone turn to Ex. 34:5-7 and read it out loud?

Exodus 34:5–7 ESV

The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

And hear also from the Prophet Nahum, ch. 1:

Nahum 1:2–6 ESV

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

You see, it’s because of who the one, true and living God is—and because of the gravity of human sin and depravity—that the just penalty for rebellion against this King, is the punishment of eternal destruction. Hear from Dr. Beeke:

Beeke: The punishment of God's wrath will last forever. The fire is "unquenchable" (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17). Christ will send away the wicked into"everlasting fire" (Matt. 18:8-9; 25:41). "Their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched" (Isa. 66:24; cf. Mark 9:43-48). Condemnation from God on judgment day will bring "everlasting contempt" (Dan. 12:2), "everlasting punishment" (Matt. 25:46), "eternal damnation" (Mark 3:29), "everlasting destruction" (2 Thess. 1:9), "eternal judgment" (Heb. 6:2), and "darkness for ever" (Jude 13). The damned will "be tormented with fire and brimstone.... And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night" (Rev. 14:10-11; cf. 19:3; 20:10). In hell, the ungodly will be ever dying but never dead, ever being consumed but never fully consumed. Even death would be a relief, but, as Augustine said, the wicked will suffer "a miserable existence in eternal death without the power of dying."

Q - Why do you think that so many people reject the traditional view of hell in favour of something more palatable?

I know that this can be a doctrine that is hard to accept—and even disputed by some at Calvary. But, if I may humbly say, with myself included: the reason we struggle with it is because we have such a low view of God’s holiness—and of sin’s magnitude—and of Christ’s Cross. So in love, hear these words from Bavinck:

Critics of eternal punishment not only fail to do justice to the doom-worthiness of sin, the rigorousness of divine justice; they also infringe on the greatness of God's love and the salvation that is in Christ. If the object had not been salvation from eternal destruction, the price of the blood of God's own Son would have been much too high. The heaven that he won for us by his atoning death presupposes a hell from which he delivered us. The eternal life he imparted to us presupposes an eternal death from which he saved us. The grace and good pleasure of God in which he makes us participants forever presuppose a wrath into which we would otherwise have had to be plunged forever. And for that reason it is this Christ who will one day execute judgment and pronounce his sentence. - Herman Bavinck

And Paul, to hammer home his point, quotes from Isaiah 2 to establish the Deity and Wrath of Christ:

Q - Can someone turn to Isa. 2:10 and read it aloud? The context is warning the wicked of the day of the Lord:

Isaiah 2:10 ESV

Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty.

Now hear how Paul applies this to Jesus our Lord. The wicked will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, where?

away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

As the terror of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty is revealed—the wicked are cast into punishment—and are cast out of the gracious presence of Jesus and his radiant beauty and glory and awesome power, that we shall enjoy forever!

As our first parents were “sent out from the garden of Eden” in judgment, and as Israel was “sent out from the land of Canaan” in judgment—so too will the wicked be “sent out from and away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his mighty” when they are cast into outer darkness, and barred from the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord. And they will be tormented day and night, forever (Rev. 14; 20). As Jesus said:

Matthew 25:46 ESV

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Quite literally—eternal delight and eternal agony depend upon our relationship with Jesus Christ. May God have mercy on us and grant us life everlasting. But before we close tonight, Paul has one more promise for us to take great joy in tonight:

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.

That day is not only a day of wrath for the impenitent—it’s a day of glory and grace and goodness and marvelling for the saints! Hallelujah! When Jesus comes, he is coming to save his people! To redeem the creation! To purify His temple! To consummate his kingdom! To resurrect our bodies unto honour, and to sanctify us completely, as we are made like him, as we see him, face to face—and worship Him forever!

When Jesus comes—he will be glorified in us! The prayer of Christ will at last be fulfilled:

Q - Can someone turn to John 17:10 and read it out loud?

John 17:10 ESV

All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

As we are transformed, at last, from glory to glory, into His very own image. And we who have believed and obeyed the Gospel, who have received the testimony of the Scriptures, will marvel at his majesty and stand in awe before the King in all of his beauty! And we will join the song!

Revelation 5:11–14 ESV

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Here’s what John Gill has to say about our admiration of our Saviour, who is altogether lovely and who is ours forevermore:

GIll: He is admired by them now; he is with them the chiefest among ten thousands, and altogether lovely: they wonder at the glory and beauty of his person, and the fulness of his grace; and are amazed that such as they are should be admitted to communion with him; and how much more will they wonder, when they shall see him as he is? and he’ll be admired by others on the account of them, when they shall see those that they have despised, and persecuted, and accounted as the filth of the world, and the off-securing of all things, received into the arms of Jesus with all the expressions of tenderness and love; placed at his right hand, and set down with him on his throne, clothed with white robes, and crowns on their head, and palms in their hands: and he himself will be admired with them, when they shall see him whom they took to be a mere man, and who was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs, and was loaded with reproach, and at last suffered a shameful death, coming in the clouds of heaven in power and great glory as the Judge of quick and dead; thus will he be admired by them, in them, and with them.

Revelation 22:3–5 ESV

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

And so what else is there to say but: maranatha, come Lord Jesus!

(3) Wrath and Grace are Coming by the Presence of God’s Glory - v. 9-10.

Q - Any questions or comments from verses 7-8?

And so, in summary, let’s hear our conclusion from our text for this evening:

(C) Christ will Slay the Wicked in Wrath and Save His Saints by Grace—So Obey His Gospel and Become Worthy of His Kingdom!

We need a *Whole Christ*. Praise God that we have Him. He is ours, and we are His. And in Him is eternal life!

Amen? Let’s pray and then sing Psalm 11A.