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The World Is Not Just  - 2 Thess 1:5-10

The World Is Not Just  - 2 Thess 1:5-10

While the world is not just but God is. Being a Christian means living a godly life.

Those who live godly live by principles that should make us the best neighbors and citizens in the world! Note the character of those who are blessed according to the sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:    ). Note the fruit that godly living produces in Gal. 5:21-22. Note the character that we are developing according to 2 Peter. 1:

It is true however, that you and I attempt to live this way, yet even among us we find injustice. WE don’t always do right! I don’t always do right!

Such life does NOT produce a life that is filled with justice.

Ecclesiastes noted this long ago: 16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work” (Eccl. 3:16-17).

The Psalmist noted this: “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalms 73:1-3).

YOU have noted this! How many times have you said in your heart: “That is NOT FAIR!”?

God is just. God does NOT ignore or overlook unjust actions of people.

Such truth is bound up in the very nature of God who is holy and just. Righteousness is the foundation of His throne (Psa. 89:14). God will not overlook sin – ‘theirs’ or OURS (Exod. 23:7; 34:7; Num. 14:18; Nahum 1:3). Thus the bible repeatedly speaks of the ‘righteous judgment of God’ (2Thess. 1:5; Rom. 2:5; 2Tim. 4:8; Psa. 7:11, etc.).

Such does not always happen on our time-table, sometimes it only comes to fruition at the judgment of the end times.

This truth led the souls under the altar to ask ‘how long’? Here, we look far beyond our own life-span and unto the end judgment. We may very well NOT see such judgment of God upon evil doers in OUR lifetime. That does NOT mean that they ‘got away with it’. As the old saying goes: there will be hell to pay – read Matt. 25 again!

Such realization makes it difficult for we are impatient about this. But, we MUST be! We MUST let God be in control. We MUST step back and allow God to work His work. In the END, there will be justice.

            We then see Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonians. God WILL make things right. You do NOT want to part of those who will face such judgment. Hence, even if you do right and suffer for it, it will be well with you in THAT day of judgment. We, as children of God, live by a different rule. Are you willing to suffer for righteousness?  

Hugh DeLong

 

NOTE: We do NOT thus develop a martyr complex! We don’t do right (or anything else) IN ORDER to be punished or persecuted. We seek to do right because it is right! We seek to be godly because we love God and desire to be like our Father. Let the world chose to do evil, yet our hearts are set upon God and His righteousness.