Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of 2nd Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 1 ⁶ Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; ⁷ And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸ In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: ⁹ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Our God is a God of Justice, and He will punish people accordingly, both here upon the Earth and at the final judgment. If people are going to sow to the sinful nature, they are going to reap God’s vengeance, especially when they wrong those who are serving Him. In Egypt, God punished pharaoh and his country because he refused to release the Israelites. He sent plagues, pestilence and other diseases in His vengeance. Vengeance is defined in the dictionary as punishment or retribution that is inflicted for an injury or wrong. Because they wouldn’t listen to His servant Moses, He punished them greatly, taking the first born of Egypt and destroying Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea. God is not mocked, and when you choose to live an impenitent and sinful life, you have just begun a losing battle with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Two groups of people are going to be found unworthy of inheriting eternal life. The first group are those who never really believed or accepted Jesus as their Savior. Without Christ, they have no forgiveness with God, and will die in their sins.
“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” — John 8:24
“Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.” Psalms 79:6
In the church when you knowingly wrong a brother, you are supposed to admit fault and apologize. Those who won’t are filled with the pride of the devil and will receive the devil’s reward. If they won’t apologize and reconcile with you, you are commanded to treat them as an unbeliever and a heathen, because they deny the gospel of reconciliation.
“And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” — Matthew 18:17
The second group who will be shut out of heaven are those who professed to be Christians, but never truly repented and became obedient to the will of God. They never completely submitted to God’s purpose that is found throughout the teachings of scripture.
Matthew 7. ²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
These are people who profess Christianity but their hearts are defiled. Rather than being filled with love for Christ and others, they choose to walk in hatred and disobedience to the will of God. They sit in a church somewhere, thinking that they are going to heaven, while the truth is that their works completely deny the faith that they profess.
Titus 1. ¹⁵ Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. ¹⁶ They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
It doesn’t matter if somebody professes to be a Christian, what matters is doing the will of God from your heart.
“But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” — Colossians 3:25
Romans 2. ⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ⁸ But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey. unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, ⁹ Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; ¹⁰ But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: ¹¹ For there is no respect of persons with God.
Galatians 6 ⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
As I was saying, God will punish those who wrong His own children. You don’t have to go to court, you don’t have to avenge yourself, God is watching from heaven above and just like the days of pharaoh, He will punish those who openly reject His will, and cause His servants to suffer. God has not changed because He’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Their punishment will begin here on Earth, and continue all the way to the day of judgment.
Luke 18 ² Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: ³ And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. ⁴ And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; ⁵ Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. ⁶ And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. ⁷ And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? ⁸ I tell you that he will avenge them speedily…….
“To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”. — Deuteronomy 32:35
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”. — Romans 12:19
“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.”. — Proverbs 20:22
“Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.”. — Proverbs 24:29
You don’t have to avenge yourself for the wrongs that people commit against you. The Father of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is watching, and when His children cry out to Him day and night in their suffering, He hears them. He will exact vengeance upon those who are responsible, and they will be punished swiftly by……
……The Hand of God
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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