Those who obey not the gospel - 2Thess 1

“⁶ For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, ⁸ dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9).

The Lord is coming again, which means the Lord came the FIRST TIME. He was made flesh and took upon him a body like his brethren, tempted in all points like us, rejected by men, crucified, raised, and GLORIFIED. We celebrate this in the Lord’s supper each week, proclaiming His death UNTIL HE COMES.

We anticipate and look forward to this for THEN God will give relief to those are afflicted for their faith. We will be gathered with the LORD and we will be ushered into the eternal presence of our God. It will be a joyous day – for believers.

But this day of the Lord will prove to be a day of darkness, a day of gloom, a day of fear and anguish to some. On this day He will display His righteous judgment against all evil. These evil doers will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord, forever consigned to a condition of suffering, pain, and sorrow.

Who are these to receive such retribution from God? “Those who know not God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2Thess. 1:8-9). The gospel is not only to be believed but obeyed. The gospel not only tells us what God has done for us, but how we are to respond and live before Him. This is eternal life, that you might KNOW HIM (John 17:4). Hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

When the Thessalonians believed the message concerning Jesus, they “turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).

There is a great day coming: will it be a day of joy or of sorrow for you?

Hugh DeLong