Week 15, Day 5: God’s Great Judgment

Today’s reading:  2 Thessalonians 2:1-3:18

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

I know that I am late getting this posted today, but the day was so beautiful, it was difficult to get inside and work on this.  I hope that you all were able to enjoy the beautiful day, and that you will get to resting long before I do tonight!

In 2 Thessalonians 1:3-8, Paul writes about the judgment that God would bring at the end of time.  He speaks of giving rest to those who are troubled, and punishment to those who are doing the troubling.  But, in the process of giving this statement, Paul speaks of those who will reap the punishment of God.  There are two classes of people in particular that he specifies.  The first is “those who do not know God” and the second is”those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8).”  When we consider these two classifications of people, it should make the work we have to do very clear!

The first group are those who do not know God.  There are many people who have never learned about God.  I know that we as a nation tend to be “religious”, but that does not mean that people know about God.  In fact, I would guess that most people, even among those who are religious, do not know the one true God at all!  How many religions today are centered upon the desires of the people, rather than the desires of God?  How many have instituted beliefs and practices that have no foundation, let alone authority in the pages of God’s revealed word?  Many “churches” have become nothing more than free social clubs, places where people can come together for the purpose of fulfilling their own physical and social desires.  It is our responsibility to take the true God to these people, and share Him with them, teaching His will alone.

The second group are those who do not obey the gospel.  This seems to indicate those who have heard the gospel message, but have chosen not to be obedient to it.  This is another area that we often do not stick with God’s revealed word, but rather soften the gospel message so that more people will be drawn to it.  If we teach something short of the unadulterated gospel message, then we will not be teaching people what it takes to be pleasing to God.  We may get them baptized, but if they are not taught the whole gospel message, and given the opportunity to choose to accept it (including the need to repent!) then they are not being obedient to the gospel.  If we fail to teach the whole counsel of God, then we do a grave disservice to those whom we teach.  Our role is to preach the plain, heart changing gospel.  There are many gospel preachers today that would never be in danger of being stoned had they preached their message in the first century because they have softened it so much people wouldn’t even know that they were saying they had to make changes in their lives!  In fact, it seems, that many teaching the “gospel” today don’t even try to get people to make changes (repent) to be pleasing to God!

The consequence for both of these groups is a sad and frightening one.  Paul said that the Lord and His mighty angels would come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those in these two categories.  That should make us want to do all that we can to ensure that we are not in those categories, and that we help others to not be in those categories.  We have the opportunity to share the gospel with others, and strive to teach them God’s will for them.  If we teach “another gospel” we endanger both them and us (Galatians 1:6-9).  Let us go forth and “preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15) just as they did in the first century.  There will be some who will obey.  There will be many others that will reject the word.  But, we must fulfill our responsibilities (Ezekiel 33).  Let us do our very best to lead as many from the destruction of the judgment day as we can, being agents of God to help lead those souls into the “kingdom of His dear son (Colossians 1:13).”

Aristotle’s Four States of Man

I thought that I would share with you an idea that I plan to use in my sermon tomorrow morning.  This is Aristotle’s 4 states of man, which describe where a person is in their battle against wickedness.

• Perfect temperance: Reason rules over passion, and the fight is won
• Unbridled lust: Passion rules over reason and the fight is lost
• Incontinence: Reason fights, but passion prevails.  The battle is on, but at the moment, reason is losing
• Self Control: passion fights, but reason prevails.  The battle is on, but at the moment reason is winning.

The first is what we should all seek to attain, even though we know that we will certainly never reach perfection in this life.  Hopefully, we avoid the second at all costs.  However, we can look around us and see that there are plenty of people who have that very attitude toward sin.  It seems that they are trying to be as wicked as humanly possible!  Typically, we will find ourselves bouncing back and forth between the last two possibilities.  The battle is certainly raging, and sometimes we are winning the battle, but sometimes we are losing the battle.  Our goal should be to spend as much time as possible in the last category.  We need to grow to the point that we can control our own desires, and have reason win out over the passions of life and lust!