(2 Thessalonians) Introduction and Commendation — Willie Mullan

So turning to the second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians, and we're at the first chapter of this evening, 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1, it's a short chapter, just 12 verses, and if you're looking at the notes, you will notice that I have divided the chapter into four parts.

The first two verses give off the introduction, shall I call that the out of college introduction. Two verses give off the introduction. Then in the next two verses, verse 3 and verse 4, we have the commendation, and a very worthy commendation it is.

Paul commends these points, Arcturus and Icarus, for three things, and when we come to look carefully at the commendation, we'll underline these three things that they were commended for. Then having looked at the introduction and the commendation, from verse 5 right through to the end of verse 10, we have what I call the revelation.

It was a special revelation of special truth to Paul from the Lord to these young believers. And of course this is where we'll get the weight of our teaching this evening. There are some very important things from verse 5 right through to the end of verse 10, and I have called that the needed revelation.

Indeed it was needed truth then, and I believe that it's needed truth tonight. So that the chapter opens with the introduction, verses 3 and 4 give off the commendation, from 5 to 10 bring off this needed revelation, and the last two verses, 11 and 12, bring off the supplication, sincere supplication, Paul praying for the Thessalonian converts.

So there we have the chapter before us in the full part. The introduction, the commendation, the revelation, the supplication. Now let's get into the depths of the great truth that's in the chapter. You'll notice that in the introduction here, this letter begins, like all Paul's letters, with that one solitary word, Paul.

Paul’s Humility in the Introduction

Now you remember how I pointed out to you when we began the first letter to the Thessalonians, that Paul began his letters with the word Paul. Let's never forget that he was the greatest preacher the Lord had on earth.

One of the greatest, I would say the greatest. The most outstanding warrior that God ever had. When I view the life of Paul, and seeing him going into the prison of Philippi, and his feet made fast in the stocks, and in the midnight hours hanging on to God, being loosed from Philippi, going down to Thessalonica, preaching the gospel in the synagogue, winning the Gentiles for Christ, being hunted for his life, fleeing down to Berea, starting over again, being again hunted like a partridge in the mountains, and on to Athens, where he was mocked and feared, and on to Cairns, why there was no holding of this man back.

He was an outstanding warrior for God. An instrument unto others. One of the greatest servants the Lord ever had. And yet, he just calls himself Paul. Just Paul. My dear friends, there's a lesson to learn here still.

The humility that we noticed when he penned his first letter, it's still the same. He hasn't changed. The unchanging humility is marked here. He just calls himself Paul. Was the God that we all should learn to be humble in the presence of the Lord.

There's so much show-off and hypocrisy and pretense among the servants of God these days that you're all most afraid to read the newspapers when they're announcing preachers. Henry Morehouse went to America, and when he saw the bills that the Americans printed about the amazing English preachers, he'd tear them down.

There's nothing amazing about the Simmons. The only thing that we have to boot the boss tonight is the cross work of Calvary and the Christ who died and rose again. He just calls himself Paul. You can notice the unchanged humility.

Unity in the Church of the Thessalonians

And as he commences this letter, Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus, onto the church of the Thessalonians, you will notice the unchanged unity. My, this church could be called the church of the Thessalonians.

You see, there were no divisions among the saints of Thessalonica. This was the church on Thessalonica, the church of the Thessalonians. We couldn't say that we're the church in Logan. It's true that we have a great bond of faith, but we are bound to recognize that there are saints in other denominations.

Yes, there are saints among the Presbyterians, saints among the Methodists, saints among the Episcopalians, saints in almost every denomination that we can name. I am saints down in Williamstreet, or Northstreet, down in the Roman Catholic Church.

My, I think sometimes we miss this. You know, there's a man in the meeting tonight, and he was leaving good then not so long ago into the convent in Lisbon, and he was going in whistling the very hymn that we started the meeting.

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds when a believer's here, and as an old nun Boston, she said, that's a lovely hymn you're whistling. When he put the goods on the window, he whistled as quick as he could.

He said, do you know the hymn? She said, I not only know the hymn, dear, I know the author. I know the one the hymn speaks of. He said, do you know the law? Well, she said, I'm seventy-three years of age, and when I was seventy I got saved.

That's true. My dear friend, the devil's not getting them all, you know. The Lord works in spite of the devil. But a special nature, all the saints were one. The unity was there, so that the church could be called the Church of the Thessalonians.

You'll notice the unchanged unity. I mustn't butter this question up too long. Then Paul goes on and says, unto the Church of the Thessalonians, then God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. You can see again, the unchanged deity.

The Deity of the Father and the Son

Yes, God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ are co-equal here. It's as equality. He can place these two names together without a quiver in his conscience. Unto the Church of the Thessalonians, and God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Lord is really God. Now, let's go on further. Do you see the second verse? Grace unto you and peace, from the same source. Because grace and peace comes from God. Yes, our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ is God.

Grace That Keeps and the Peace of God

This is the unchanged necessity. As long as we're in the flesh, as long as we trump the pilgrimage, as long as we pass through this withholding wilderness, we'll always need grace, and we'll always need peace.

I pointed out when we opened the last letter of Paul to the Thessalonians, the first letter, I pointed out that he's not talking about the grace that saves, you know. This is not saving grace. These people are already saved.

These people are walking with the Lord. This is not saving grace. This is the grace that keeps. When the storms of life are raging, this is the grace that makes you steadfast and unmovable and always abounding in the work of the Lord.

It's keeping grace, not saving grace. And when he talks about peace, he's not talking about peace with God. These people had peace with God through faith in Christ. They were justified, and they had peace with God.

But he's talking about the peace of God. My, that's something you need in your mind. You need the grace that makes you stand with your eyes upon the Lord, and being anxious for nothing, you pour out your heart to him.

And the peace of God, that part of all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds. It's not peace with God, it's the peace of God. And as long as we're down here, we'll need grace to make us stand, and we'll always stand in need of the peace, that part of all understanding.

The Commendation of Growing Faith

So that will do for the introduction. Then we come to this word of commendation, and it's worthy commendation, because he says, we are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meek, because that you'll keep growing exceedingly.

Do you know what he's commending them for? He's commending them for growing forth. Isn't that lovely? My dear friends, these young believers, I want you to get the hold of this. There came the day when Paul came into Thessalonica and he preached the gospel, and he said, Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost, and he turned to God for my good.

My faith trusted the faithful. That was an act of faith. The day you got saved, that was an act of faith. Oh, but you know this, that act of faith in these young believers became a matter of truth of faith.

When they began to walk by faith, everything they did was by faith. By faith they were advancing. And Paul noticed this. That faith was growing exceedingly. I wonder if that was a growing faith, isn't it?

Faith Tested in the Storm

Do you remember the disciples in the boat? My, they stepped into the boat with great faith when the Lord said, Let's go to the other side. And they stepped in, you know, and jumped down, and the sky was clear and everything was all right.

They were trusting the Lord. And then the storm came, and the boat filled with water, and they lost sight of the Lord. And the Master had to say, Oh, ye of little faith. Oh, it wasn't a growing man, was it?

How's yours tonight? Could you be commanded? Could somebody write of you? Your faith grows exceedingly. Have you got a trust that's head fast? Does it shrink? Do you get afraid? Are you worried about something?

Because it still works like this. When you're worrying, you're not trusting. And when you're trusting, you're not worried. Is your faith growing exceedingly? Now watch again, he went further. Verse 3,.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, after this meet, because that your faith grows exceedingly, and the charity, or that which really should be love, and the love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth.

Abounding Love Among Believers

My, not only was their faith growing, but their love was abounding. I think that's lovely. The love of half a dozen of you. Oh, no. Oh, no. The love of every one of you all toward one another aboundeth.

Oh, what a lovely little assembly it was. My, their faith was increasing, and their love for each other and all toward one another was abounding. I wonder where we stand with faith. It was just a young church.

They were just young believers. But what a wonderful combination is here. Their faith was increasing, and their love was abounding. And then he goes on further. Verse 4,. So that we ourselves may glory in you in the practice of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.

Patience Through Persecution and Tribulation

You see, not only did he commend them for their increasing faith and abounding love, but he commended them for their continuing patience. My, what qualities he could spy in this little church. Your faith growing exceedingly.

Your love abounding. Your patience is continuing. And all this was happening in the midst of persecutions and tribulations. My, the flag was flying over the floor, and the devil had them hemmed in on every side.

And they were being crushed and crushed and scarred and mocked. Persecutions and tribulations, and in the midst of it all, their faith was growing exceedingly, and their love was abounding, and their patience was continuing.

My, that puts some of us boys to shame. They would, they were only young believers. I wonder how we all stand here tonight. Could we be commended for growing faith and abounding love, and continuing patience in the midst of persecution and tribulation?

What a commendation. My, I put the word worthy. Worthy commendation. And now we come to the cream and the depths of the gesture. This is very important, and I'd like all the young ones to get the hold of this.

Suffering as Evidence of Worthiness for the Kingdom

Because Paul knew that these persecutions and these tribulations that had come against this young judge, Paul knew that all this was for a purpose. And now he's going to comfort their souls and enlighten them with this needed revelation.

And that's why he says, these tribulations and persecutions, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye also suffer. And that's a difficult one, isn't it?

I want to teach it very carefully so that you will get the truth. I want you to get the hold of this, that the only way that you become a subject of the kingdom of God is by the new birth. That's the only way you become a subject of the kingdom of God.

And you know this as well as I do, that you are born again, says the Apostle Peter, by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God. That's the only way the new birth is produced, by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God.

And what he meant by that phrase was just this, that the Word of God is brought to you in the gospel of God, and the Word of God in the gospel of God always uplifts the Christ of God. So that there came a day in the life of these believers when Paul brought them the great message of Christ who loved them, the one who left heaven for them, the one who went to Calvary for them, the one who fought the battle for them, the one who shed his blood for them, the one who rose to be triumphant for them, the one who was alive forevermore, the only Saviour.

My, that's the incorruptible seed. And the moment you listen to this message and put out the hand of faith and accept this only Saviour, our dual Saviour, the Bible says you're born again. And you're born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, and the moment you're born again you're in the kingdom of God.

You're a subject of the kingdom. You're a child of the kingdom. Now that's how you get into the kingdom of God, but it's another thing proving that you're worthy of the kingdom of God. Don't you know sometimes God tests His children, and sometimes God allows them to be tested, to see if you're worthy.

Oh, are you worthy? You know, when you suffer for the kingdom, you're counted worthy. And that's exactly what was happening here. You know, this was righteous judgment. God was allowing these persecutions and these tribulations to come upon these young believers that they might have the privilege of proving to all in summary they were worthy subjects of the kingdom.

They were prepared to suffer for the kingdom of God. Now, wait a minute, I don't think you'll get that just clearly unless I do something else. Let's go to the Acts of the Apostles for a moment, and we're at chapter 5.

The Apostles Counted Worthy to Suffer

The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 5, and to get the connection, look at verse 17. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

Now they arrested the apostles here, and put them in the common prison. If you read the rest behind that, you'll find the angel of the Lord let them out. And then in verse 27 it says,. And when they had dropped them, and set them before the council, and the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we strictly command you that ye should not teach in this name?

And, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring that this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said,. We ought to obey God rather than men.

And Peter started preaching to the council. In verse 33 says,. When they heard that, they were chopped to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. Oh, they were going to slay these apostles. And then a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, he spake up for them.

And in verse 39 he said this,. But if it be of God, ye can it overthrow. Lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. And to him the council agreed. Now watch this,. And when they had called the apostles, and beaten them.

And I want you to watch that phrase, and beaten them. Now the Jews had the custom in those days that they could beat a man if they thought that he breached their religious law. And the beating was something like the Dutch.

The Roman life was a leather life with leather balls at the end, and that was what our Lord Jesus Christ was lost with. But these fellows were before the Jewish council, and they were being beaten with something like the British.

And usually they got 39 marks. They were supposed to get 40, but the Jews were always very careful to be exact, so they said 39, to make sure they didn't get one too many. And can't you see these apostles?

Their back is burned, and the canes are in across their back. 59 times. Now you can see the marks across their back as they leave the council. Now watch this. Here they are leaving the council, verse 41.

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. Why that's a wonderful text, isn't it? Oh you know I feel that if some of us had been put in before the council, and they pulled your shirt over your head and beat you with stripes, my you'd come down the main street groaning and moaning and murmuring and wondering.

No, not these fellows. These fellows are the truth in those days that I feel we have lost. They rejoiced that they were counted worthy. I forgot it. My, you know the young Thessalonian council, they were counted worthy to suffer for the kingdom.

And the apostles were counted worthy to suffer for the king. Let's get the hold of this, that the Lord was left up down here below as witnesses to the Saviour and a subject to the kingdom. I wonder if you've got that truth in you, that God counts you worthy to suffer for the kingdom, and worthy to suffer for the Saviour.

The Lord’s Vengeance Against Persecutors

You know, some day you'll be in a place where somebody will laugh at your religious belief. Somebody will mock when you talk about your belief in the virgin birth. Somebody will laugh, he thinks he's a big fella.

And somebody will mock when you say you're going to remember the Lord. Somebody will mock. And thorn will be thorn at you. And the lion will roar. Yes, you'll be jeered and scoffed and mocked. I wonder when you get this truth away down deep in your heart and say, thank God, I'm counted worthy.

I'm they lived to the point that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for their name. And Paul's getting this truth into these young believers at Thessalonica, who said, you know, this persecution and these tribulations, my extra-righteous judgment of God, because God's testing your faith and you're being counted worthy subjects of the kingdom to suffer for the kingdom of God in which you're placed.

It was a great truth. Now let's go on and watch it. First Thessalonians, and we're at verse five. Read it over again. Tribulations and persecutions is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye ought to suffer.

Now, I want you to get this, that seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulations of them that trouble you. You know, I want you to get that. You see, if men are led by the devil and they hit you without a cause, and they bring persecution and tribulations of their upon you, God may well allow that.

Thus to test your faith and to prove to all and sundry that you're worthy of the kingdom of God for which you suffer. But let me say this. God will punish those who persecute you. Oh yes. You see, I want you to get the hold of this truth.

This is where I'm getting round to. There's one thing proves beyond doubt that you're a subject of the kingdom, and that is when you're willing to suffer for it. And there's one thing proves beyond doubt that you're a subject of the devil when God is tribulating in your head for persecuting the king.

Both things are true. My dear young man, if you're in this meeting tonight and you're not saved, maybe it has been you a lot in the days gone by to mock and to jeer. Maybe through your slanderous tongue you brought persecution and tribulation to some child of God.

Let me tell you that if you died while you're living, might have terrible days ahead of you. There's a whole eternity where God will let you think and think and think. The child of the devil. Mind you, there's something just behind this that we want to see.

Now watch. The whole truth will only come out as we get a bit by bit. We'll read from verse 5 again. All these persecutions and tribulations is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye ought to suffer.

Seeing it as a righteous thing was God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. And to you who are troubled, rest with us. Here's one thing that Paul wanted these young believers to get a hold of.

Eternal Rest for the Troubled Saints

That these storms and these persecutions would not go on forever. Mothers, a rest for the people of God. The Lord Jesus is going to take us out of this resounding wilderness and he's going to bring us into eternal rest.

Mothers, a rest for the people of God. It's perfectly true that when we talk about guilt on our conscience, my, that's a burden. And it weighs a man down. And he may be burdened for years with the guilt of the past.

And then one day he hears the word of the truth of the gospel and there's a Christ before him saying, come unto me and I will give you rest. And the moment that man exercises faith in Christ, the burden lays away.

He's got rest for his conscience. Oh, but you know, he may have to pass through persecutions and tribulations on the way to heaven. But soon enough, there's a rest eternally for the people of God. Mothers, a rest eternal.

Now Paul wants them to get hold of this, that these people that persecute you, God will deal with them. There's a rest eternally for you. And while the storm's blowing, you're only being counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you suffer.

The Revelation of Christ and the Day of Vengeance

But he goes further. Watch. Verse seven, unto you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire seeking vengeance on men. I want you to get the hold of that.

Now here's the bit that sometimes gets mixed up. You see, when Paul talks about the Lord Jesus being revealed from heaven, that's not the rapture. That simply couldn't be the rapture. That's the revelation of the Lord.

You know, when the Lord Jesus comes to the air for his saints, and that can happen at any second, you know, only his own believing ones will see him. That's not the revelation of the Lord at all. That's the rapture of the saints.

But there'll come a day when the King, blessed Lord Jesus, will come right to earth and the big second revelation, every eye shall see him. That'll be the revelation of the Lord Jesus and all his mighty angels.

At that moment when he comes to earth, it will be the day of vengeance. Come to take vengeance. Come to take vengeance on those who were persecuting the saints. You know, there are one or two things I think we need to get the hold of.

Isaiah’s Prophecy of the Acceptable Year and Vengeance

Let's watch Isaiah chapter 61 for a moment. I think this is wonderful. I'm just doing this for young believers, and I want you to pay attention. Isaiah chapter 61, at the first verse. And remember, these words were written 600 years before Christ appeared.

Isaiah 61, verse 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Now, you'll notice there's an apostrophe after the word Lord, because that's not the end of the sentence. The whole phrase is this, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God.

Now, that's a remarkable statement. Now, you look at Luke's Gospel, now, chapter 4. Luke's Gospel, chapter 4, and this is one of the first messages, the moth to fish. Do you see verse 16? Luke's Gospel, chapter 4, verse 16.

And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah.

That's just the Greek way of saying the Hebrew word Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. Chapter 61. There were no chapters then, but he found the place. This is where we were reading.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book. You know, he stopped in the middle of a sentence. He had not finished the sentence. You see, friends, if there's somebody here and you always question dispensational truth, you would need to take another look at what the Lord said.

The Lord differentiated between three different places. He said, I've come the first time, and the Spirit of God is upon me to preach the good tidings, the acceptable year of the Lord, and to be led to come again before the day of enemies is here.

So he didn't bring it in that time. He stopped at an apostrophe, because he differentiated between the two dispensations. Oh, but the day of vengeance will come when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed to this world with his mighty angels.

Jude’s Prophecy of Christ Coming With His Saints

Well, do you see it? It's far clearer in Jude than anywhere else. That's the little epistle before the book of the Revelation. Jude, and do you see verse fourteen, and Jude speaking of Enoch. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.

Now, can't you see that? How could the Lord come with his saints before he came for them? Wouldn't he have to come for his saints so that he could come with his saints? So the rapture is the time when he comes for his saints, and the revelation is the time when he comes with his saints.

And every eye shall see him. Now, what's he coming for? He's coming with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their odd features which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

My, he's coming back, you see, it will be the day of vengeance. Ungodly sinners have spoken against him. My, he's coming back, you see, it will be the day of vengeance. Now, turn back again to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1.

Everlasting Destruction and the Judgment of Persecutors

You see what Paul's trying to get over to these young believers? He's teaching them that tribulations and persecutions are a load of God, that he may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. And then that the God who allows it will punish those who have troubled them.

And that you who have gone through the tribulations, you'll find eternal rest when the Lord puts down every enemy. You see, there's a little question comes in there, and it's as this sometimes, when we're raptured and we meet the Lord in the air, do we not enter into rest then?

Oh my, wait a wee minute, you know you've got to face the judgment seat of Christ in a minute or two after the rapture. You know, then we rise to meet him. Yes, it will be a wonderful moment, but for some who really grew up, my, it will be a kind of shame, they'll be ashamed that he's come.

Some of them will be caught in old modernistic churches. Some of them will be caught supporting ministers to poor bishops. Some of them will be caught in dens of iniquity. Some of them will be caught in the dog track.

Some of them will be caught on the football field. Then Jesus comes. All will rise if the mark of the blood will rise, yes, but there'll be a Then, you know, before everything's sealed and settled for eternity, there's a lot of things to be squared out of the judgment seat of Christ.

You know, things have taken place even in assemblies down here. And some of the saints whose love never abounds, they'll never forgive. If somebody's took them wrong one day, they've no forgiveness. They'll never forgive.

Dear son, you'll put it right at the judgment seat of Christ. You'll put it right. And if you've held something against your brother and sister, you'll put it right. And it will take all the days of the tribulation and the rest to put things right at the judgment seat.

And when everything's squared up, the Lord will come to us and we'll enter into perfect rest. Perfect rest. Why are you learning tonight? The Lord might test you, you know, just to prove that you're a worthy subject of the kingdom.

And those that persecute you, the Lord will come to you. And there's rest for you. And for every persecuting of the saints, as they die as they live, there's a day of vengeance. By the Lord's coming back, mind you, and He'll avenge the saints.

There's a day of vengeance. And that's what it says here. That's it. And flaming, fire-kicking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'd like you to underline that word.

And that obey not... You know, there are some of you men and women in this place tonight, and you know you've been disobedient to the gospel all your days. Now your mother locked you a cradle thing in your gospel head.

And you were brought up in a place where the old godless Sunday school teacher taught you the gospel in plain English. And you've always been under the gospel. But tonight your mother keeps just obeying the gospel.

You obey not. The master knocks at the door and says, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in. But you obey not. He wouldn't let him in. The master holds out his hands and says, come, and I will give you rest.

But you obey not. And you know, friend, you're going to be punished in a day to come. I want you to notice this particular verse. We'll read verse 8 again. When the Lord Jesus comes from heaven, and flaming, fire-kicking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

My, there are no quibbles about that. My, that everlasting destruction, that's eternal torment. Eternal torment. Go along and say, friend, you that mock, you that criticize the saints, you that would persecute, there's no man who better the subject than the man who tendeth.

As he went on, that the master grew, breathing out slaughter against the saints. His voice from heaven said, fall, fall. Why? Persecuted by me. He was a persecutor. Some of you may be in this meeting are persecutors of the saints.

Every time your tongue touches a child of God, you touch the Christ of God to whom you belong. Why? Persecuted by me. And remember, there is a day of vengeance, and you'll be punished from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power with everlasting destruction.

There's no second chance about that. Everlasting destruction. Dear friend, there are heavy truths for you in this chapter. But once again, here's something more for the saints to learn. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, and flaming fire taken vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.

Christ Glorified in His Saints

I think that's lovely. Here's what He's saying to these persecuted young believers. He's saying, I want you to get the hold of this, that this may be the righteous judgment of God, whereby your faith is being tested, so that you may prove worthy of the kingdom for which you suffer.

And remember, there'll be rest for you. You are in an eternal kingdom, and you'll have eternal rest. And remember, you'll have eternal glory. When the Lord will come, He'll be glorified in all His saints.

My, at that moment, the blaze of the glory will bow every knee on earth and every tongue will have to confess that He is Lord. But wait a minute, He'll not only be glorified, He'll be glorified with all the saints.

And you know, as we look at Him and admire Him, and from our hearts cry out, Glory! Let God, we'll see Him in one another. God will be admired in all them that believe. We, at that moment, will be like Him.

My dear friends, look, if you're going to go into any tribulation, or somebody's going to scoff, or somebody's going to say something about you, would you remember that you're a witness of the Savior, and rejoice that you're counted worthy to suffer shame for His name?

Would you remember that you're a subject of the kingdom, and you're being tested to prove that you're worthy of the kingdom? Would you remember that there's eternal rest along the road of it? Would you remember that one day you'll feel like Christ?

Salvation Through Believing the Gospel

Now, here's what He said to these young believers. He said, you know, you're in the kingdom, you're going to have eternal rest, you're going to be glorified, and you'll have the beauty of the Lord, for the Lord will be admired even in you.

Do you see the word, because, in verse 10? Because our testimony among you was believed. Ah, listen to this. He said, you young believers, you got put into the everlasting kingdom, you're bound for everlasting rest, you'll have everlasting glory, because you believe the gospel we teach.