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Reading 2 Thessalonians 5:8-10 and considering the punishment of eternal destruction in light of a mass shooting that took place in Las Vegas. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!
Christ will return with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who did not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that is good news when we understand the text.
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Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky, and greetings everyone. We continue with our study of 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, and once again I'll be reading verses 5 through 12. The Apostle Paul writes, 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, 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, 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, to this end we always pray for you that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
On Sunday night, after I finished recording the devotional, I uploaded it to the website and I can timestamp it as to when the podcast will officially post and you've probably noticed that the timestamp is 1201 and after I did that I continued working on a writing project and before I shut my computer down I checked the news.
That's pretty typical, it's like the last thing I look at before I close my laptop and I remember seeing that there was a shooting in Las Vegas but I didn't pay much mind to it. Tragic to be sure but it's Las Vegas, there's a lot of crime that happens there and it wasn't until the next morning when I got to the church and then I opened my laptop again that I started catching up on the news and finding out that what I had seen as a headline the night before was much worse than previously thought.
I think at the time that I read it was over 40 dead and over 400 wounded and at the time that I'm recording this now it's 59 dead and over 500 wounded. Not a lot is known about the gunman, what his motivation was, there's a lot of theories.
ISIS apparently took credit for the shooting but according to his family he had no political affiliation and no religious affiliation. Some are thinking that maybe it had something to do with gambling debts.
At one point he had over two million dollars to his name which was not just because of money that he had earned from gambling but also because he had invested in some real estate but this is something that takes a lot of time to plan and he spent a lot of money on the guns that he used to open fire on a country music concert that was happening over the weekend in Las Vegas.
There are dozens of people who are dead, there are hundreds that are wounded and that many families have been affected by this tragedy. Thousands of people that were at present at that concert that are experiencing even mental trauma if they did not experience bodily harm.
All of this in the aftermath of what is being called the worst mass shooting in American history and at times when things like this happen there is a I mean it's very common for us to ask why something like this would occur and especially for those who believe in God and even those who don't believe in God to ask why would God allow such a thing to take place.
Whenever a massive tragedy like this happens I believe that it's important to teach three things and I want to clarify that it doesn't matter whether this was a a violent tragedy it was somebody who enacted violence on somebody else or we're talking about a natural disaster like an earthquake or a hurricane which we also experienced in the month of September looking at the aftermath of those things any kind of tragedy I think it's important to teach three things.
Number one this is a fallen world and it is fallen because of our sin that's why it's fallen. God subjected this world to futility because of the rebellion of mankind against the law of God our sin is so serious that it sent all of creation into upheaval so that we would know the the seriousness of what our sin has done how much we have been separated from God.
Paradise is lost and now we live in this fallen world that has been subjected to futility because of our sin in which there are tragedies natural disasters violent acts evil men and these things will continue as long as we live in this world.
And so I think that's that's the first thing that we should teach the world is fallen because of the sin of man. This this thing that happened in Las Vegas I mean sure it's the sin city is the is what we refer to it as but something like this could happen anywhere it didn't happen just because it's Vegas.
It happened because the world is fallen and sinful. There are people that die in greater number than this in other parts of the world at the hand of terrorists and violent regimes. But this is something that hits close to home for us in the United States of America.
It's what's dominating the newsreel and it it is a serious tragedy that has affected thousands of people. So this is where our attention at and this is what has us asking why. But there is always tragedy in the world and there always will be as long as we're in the world.
The number two thing I think that is important to teach when it comes to explaining these kinds of tragedies is that God will put an end to this but part of him putting an end to this means he is going to judge this fallen world.
That's part of what putting an end to it for our righteous and holy God will mean. All who are evil all who have sinned will stand before God in judgment. And the Bible is clear Romans 3 23 all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
And it even says in Revelation that all will stand before God in judgment. There is not anybody who will not stand before God in judgment. So yes these tragedies will end and evil will be put to an end.
But when God brings all of that about it means the final judgment of all mankind who are evil. And it is because of their evil that all creation had been subjected to futility. And we have this fallen world.
So there's number one and number two. Number three thing that we need to teach. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ will save you. The gospel of Christ is this that though all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God we are justified by his grace as a gift through the righteousness that is in Christ Jesus.
He who is God came to this earth and became like one of us. He lived a perfect life that we could not live. He died the death that we were supposed to die the perfect spotless lamb of God dying on the cross for our sins laying down his own life.
And it was there on the cross that he took the wrath of God upon himself for our sin so that he would purify for himself a people redeeming them from all lawlessness. The bible says that he drank every last drop of the cup of God's wrath and he became sin who knew no sin so that we might become the righteousness of God.
This is what is called double imputation. So upon Christ our sin was placed upon us. The righteousness of Christ is placed so that all who believe in Jesus only those who believe in Christ God looks upon not as the fallen sinners who will be wiped out under his wrath but those who are clothed in the righteousness of his son and are objects of his love.
And we have been adopted into the family of God his sons and daughters by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't stay dead after laying down his life but he took it back up again and he rose again from the grave also signifying that God had received this perfect sacrifice that he had given up Christ conquered death so that all who believe in Christ likewise will rise again from the grave.
We will have a resurrection like his Jesus has since ascended back to the father where he sits at his right hand and is interceding for us on our behalf. So when we cry out to the Lord for mercy and grace and forgiveness we know that we have it because Christ is interceding for us and it is by his righteousness that our sinful wounds have been healed and we stand before God as justified.
And then as we continue to live in this life live in this world we will grow in holiness and in righteousness not returning back to our former sins for which we deserve judgment. But in Christ we are being made into a new creature.
The old is passed away and the new has come. So the rest of the time that you live in this body you are pursuing the righteousness of Christ. The gospel has saved you from your sin. And now you must obey the call of the gospel to repent and live for the kingdom of God.
So those are the three things that we must teach when it comes to understanding why a tragedy like this would happen in this world. Number one all of the world is fallen and subjected to futility because of our sinful rebellion against God.
Number two God will put an end to all of the tragedy that happens in this world. But that means that the judgment of God upon all sinful man is coming. And number three the only thing that will save you from that judgment is the gospel of Jesus Christ believing that he died for our sins rose again from the grave ascended into heaven and he is coming back again to judge the living and the dead.
Only those who are in Christ will be saved. Those who are not in Christ will perish under the wrath of God and they will go to eternal torment the lake of fire and sulfur prepared for the devil and his angels forever.
That's where those will go who did not obey the gospel. And that's what Paul is saying here in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1. God is coming back 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.
I do not think that it is beyond me to say that this man who had shot all of these people in Las Vegas is standing before God in judgment. And he this gunman turned the gun on himself he he killed himself.
So he would not have to face the ramifications on this earth for this thing that he had done. However justice is being served. It's being served right now as he stands before the Lord. Tragically though I must also say that there are people who are victims in this shooting who also died and they are also standing before God in judgment.
Only those who believed in Christ who knew his gospel who turned from sin and pursued his righteousness only they will be saved. Only they will hear from the Father. Well done good and faithful servant.
Now great is your reward. So there are those who are even victims in this tragic shooting who will be condemned along with the shooter who brought this evil. And God is righteous and just to bring about this judgment because this it's the judgment that we all deserve.
The only ones who are saved are those who are in Christ. So God might be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus as we are told in Romans. So God is merciful and he is loving so that all who believe in Christ will indeed be saved.
We will all still stand before God in judgment. This is the picture that Jesus gives us in Matthew 25 the great white throne of judgment in which all the nations will be gathered before him and he'll separate.
He'll separate one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep will go on his right hand and the goats will go on his left. The sheep will enter into eternal life because they obeyed the gospel.
Because they worshiped Christ because the righteousness of Christ was upon them and they showed that by the works that they did while they were still in this life. But those who are on Christ's left will go into eternal punishment because they did not obey the gospel and they did not know God as Paul is talking about here they will face the wrath of God in flaming fire inflicting vengeance on those who did not know his son Jesus they will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction.
Paul says second Thessalonians 1 9. Away from the presence of the Lord and away from the glory of his might. And this is where we get that understanding that hell means eternal separation from God which means hopelessness.
There is no hope for a person after that. Once that judgment that final judgment has been made all hope is lost. They will never be recovered from that eternal punishment that they have been turned over into.
They have been cast 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.
Paul says to the Thessalonians. So how do you know that you are saved. Because you heard the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed and you repented. You turned from your sin and you believed it. And what was evident in your life from that point on was the righteousness of Christ.
Now there are such things as deathbed conversions in which a person on their deathbed realizes the seriousness of the sin that they have committed over the course of their life. And if they stand before God in judgment today they would be condemned because of their sin.
And so they would repent. They would believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and so be saved. But I hope that you understand these circumstances are extremely rare. This is not a norm. And so a person certainly shouldn't think that a day will come when they can always convert to Christ on their deathbed.
You know there's a possibility that if they denied him in life they will also do that on their deathbed. They will be mad at God because this has happened to them. So they won't cry out to him for mercy.
Instead they will curse him to their very last breath. So no one should ever think that they have the will to turn from their sin and worship God anytime they will please. You have heard the gospel now and so now is the moment.
Today is the day of salvation as Paul put it before the Corinthians that you would turn from your sin and worship Jesus Christ. That you would read about his life in the Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John.
That you would hear the commands that were given by his apostles in the book of Romans through Jude. And then you would read the revelation of Jesus Christ as given to John in the book of Revelation to see what Christ in his glory will look like when he comes back to finally put an end to all of this destruction and devastation.
And so be reminded once again to turn from your sin which will be judged by Christ and worship him as holy and as Lord. And that is the gospel that saves a person from the righteous wrath and judgment of God which is coming upon all who did not obey the gospel.
John 3 36. He who has the son has life. He who does not obey the son shall not see life. But the wrath of God remains on him. Deuteronomy 32 4. The rock. His work is perfect for all his ways are justice a God of faithfulness.
And without iniquity just and upright is he. And because God is holy without iniquity then those who are sinful cannot stand in his presence. They will be destroyed. But we are able to come to God. You can come to God now call upon his name and be sure that he will hear you.
If you are in Jesus Christ because you're clothed with his righteousness. And that gives you access to the very presence of God. Praise God for his love and his mercy. You know this this message is good news for us in that we will be delivered from the wrath of God the holy wrath of God that is coming upon this sinful world.
But it's also good news in the sense that justice will be served. Those who do evil will receive punishment. But those who do not believe the gospel there is no justice in this tragedy that has taken place in Las Vegas.
Do you understand that. And for those who do not know God there is no justice in this world for those who were either wounded or killed in this tragedy. Why. Because the gunman is already dead. He killed a whole lot of people injured hundreds more.
And then he shot himself. He killed himself. So he's not been arrested. He's not going to be put on trial. It's not going to be the trial of the century where everybody's waiting for justice to be done.
For all those who were killed or wounded in this tragedy. And we're just left clamoring and asking questions. And people who were affected by this tragedy will walk away with wounds both emotional and physical.
And no justice for them in this world will ever be served. I mean it is such a hopeless existence to not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only those who believe the gospel will not only be saved from the judgment of God but will rejoice in the judgment of God because he is just and he will put an end to all evil.
And we looked at examples of this yesterday when we went through revelation chapters 11 and 15 and 16 where the saints are gathered around the throne praising God for putting to death evil men. Now the total consummation of all things hasn't happened yet we cannot see the end from the beginning.
So that is not our reality. Yet we still live in a fallen world existing on this timeline from one moment to the next. And these kinds of things should grieve us and cause us to cry out to the Lord and pray to Christ.
Lord Jesus come quickly and in the meantime urge us to share the gospel of Christ with everyone so that they will turn from their sin and believe. And on the day that they die and stand before the Lord they will be ready because they will be clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
It is only the gospel of Jesus Christ that will save a man from judgment. And so let us be bold in declaring it the way that the apostle Paul puts it in Ephesians chapter 6 we put on our feet the shoes of the gospel of peace.
Why is it the gospel of peace. Because when we bring this message and a person turns from sin and believes it they have peace with God which is a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a peace that is even greater than a peace that we can experience in this world because we know that God is the ultimate judge he has saved us from our sin and he will put an end to all evil.
And with that reality in our hearts longing for that eternal kingdom it is a gospel and a message of peace. It is the only peace that we can give sharing the gospel. And so let us do that in Jesus name.
Lord I pray for those families who have been affected by this horrible tragedy and I pray that while they are mourning and as they are asking questions for why things like this happen put someone in their life who will come to them and explain to them that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.
And because of sinfulness all of creation has been subjected to futility. But God is a merciful God and he has not left us dead in our sins but has sent Jesus to die in our place so that all who believe in him will be saved from the judgment of God that is coming against all unrighteousness.
And knowing that God is just and that he will bring an end to all evil they will have peace in their hearts knowing that that this tragedy is ultimately being used for God's glory and he will bring justice.
That's good news to the person who knows Christ but it is horrible and fearful to the person who does not. So may we continue to proclaim the gospel that those who believe it will be saved and they will have peace with God forever.
Put your enemies under your feet and come quickly. Lord Jesus we pray this in your name. Amen.
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