The Vengeance and Judgment of God Part 3 | 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10

Scripture

• 2 Thessalonians 1:8–10

About this sermon

Introduction: One of the wonderful and important things about verse-by-verse exposition is that it produces its own balance. When we study the whole counsel of God — when we study the Scriptures in a way that is careful and contextual and comprehensive — it produces a wisdom and a mature knowledge that is well-rounded and properly proportioned. One of the reasons why people end up holding extreme and unbiblical positions is because they don’t keep the whole counsel of God before their mind’s eye. There is this tendency to take one doctrine, or one idea from Scripture and magnify it, exaggerate it, beyond what Scripture does. Or, to ignore or minimize those parts of Scripture that would set those doctrines or ideas into their proper context and give them the proper emphasis. This is important to consider when we think about the believer’s attitude toward our enemies. We know that we are commanded to love our enemies. We know that this love endures insults, it endures injustice, it is generous even where there is no possibility of repayment, and it is always mindful of the grace of God. The desire of love is not the destruction of its enemies but the salvation of its enemies. But if that was all that we had we might be tempted to think that there is no legitimate way in which we could ever look forward to the return of Christ. We might be tempted to think that there is no legitimate way in which the believer can look forward to the execution of divine justice. What we are studying here makes it plain that this is not the case. Believers are not only to be taught to love our enemies; we are also to be taught that one day God will JUDGE OUR ENEMIES. The return of Christ is going to mean retribution or repayment. The return of Christ is going to mean judgment for those who don’t believe the gospel and who mistreat His people. In fact, it is the knowledge that God WILL mete out justice, and that vengeance belongs to God and not to us, that allows us to entrust our life to God and love our enemies in a way that would be impossible without that knowledge. It is, in fact, a belief in the justice of God allows the believer to love unbelievers in a way otherwise impossible. Review: I. THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S JUDGMENT (VS.5) A. MANIFEST ARE TWO KINGDOMS B. MANIFEST ARE TWO FAMILIES II. THE EQUITY OF GOD’S JUDGMENT (VS.6-7a) A. OUR CONFIDENCE IN FUTURE JUDGMENT - IT IS RIGHT IN GOD’S SIGHT B. OUR COMFORT IN GOD’S JUDGMENT 1. RETRIBUTION 2. REST Lesson: III. THE NATURE OF GOD’S JUDGMENT (VS.7B-10) A. WHAT IT WILL BE (VS.7B) – An uncovering, a disclosure, a revelation of Jesus. (at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ) ἐν τῇ ἀποκαλύψει τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ἀπ᾽ οὐρανοῦ μετ᾽ ἀγγέλων δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ (2Th 1:7 GNT) ἐν πυρὶ φλογός (2Th 1:7 GNT) This doesn’t just tell us WHEN the retribution will be, it tells us WHAT it will be. It is the revelation of a person who is concealed right now. In fact the prepositions walk us through the picture. 1. WHEN THE RETRIBUTION WILL COME (VS.7A-B) (It will be experienced in the revealing of Jesus. His revealing will mean equitable judgment.) Leon Morris – “It is not only that the retribution will take place when Christ is revealed: the retribution is itself part of the revelation.” (1 and 2 Thessalonians, Tyndale, 120) Right now, Jesus is hidden from the eyes of the unbelieving. That fact that He really is, and who He really is, they do not see. Now, of course, we don’t see Him either.

Topics

• Hell & Judgment