Terry Storch

Writing about life, leadership, faith, and anything else I find interesting.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-12 - Facing Eternity

 

2 Thessalonians 1:6-12 - Facing Eternity 

God is Just, there is a Why, even when we might not see it at the moment. Yesterday we covered the first part of 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. Today we will cover the second part, less comforting and a bit uncomfortable. The challenging and uncomfortable part happens in the transition of God’s justice. Verse 6 says this;

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.” - ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:6-7‬a ‭NIV‬‬

This, for me, really isn't the uncomfortable part. After reading the beginning and hearing about the trials, persecution, and the suffering that the people were going through, I like hearing this. God will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief... This is encouraging. 

What gets pretty uncomfortable is the next part, the raw description of everlasting Hell. 

“This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” - ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:7b-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul goes back into the day of judgment, and some end-times teaching. Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. This is a powerful visual and descriptive language. I am not sure if this is literal or using blazing fire as a visual descriptor to what things might look like. I don’t think it matters, what we are reading is Jesus is coming back, he will return with powerful angels in a great and mighty way, and He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Again, this type of judgment doesn’t push me to uncomfortable just yet. This seems like justice and God being just. The part the pushes me to uncomfortable is the eternal part, the everlasting destruction. 

“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his might,” - ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Here is where the tension lies. Eternal is eternal. A commentary that I was reading this morning put it this way.

As the blessings of heaven are eternal, the penalty of hell is also eternal. “The perpetual duration of this death is proved from the fact that its opposite is the glory of Christ. This is eternal and has no end.”

My tension isn’t if I believe this or if I don’t...the tension is in the fact that this is real, and is true. Wrestling with those I know and love that face eternal separation from God, that is uncomfortable and challenging to deal with. 

So what do I do this? As you are reading this, what are you processing and thinking? Check this out, I believe inside this lays our takeaway. 

“With this in mind, we constantly pray that our God will empower you to live worthy of all that he has invited you to experience. And we pray that by his power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you completely. By doing this the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you will be glorified in him, by the marvelous grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:11-12‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Paul's closing here guides us to the place that God will empower you to live worthy of all that he has invited you to experience. And, faith would fill you completely. As well as, Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you will be glorified in him... Think about that for a moment. If we are empowered by God, living a life worthy and honoring to HIm, full of faith and glorifying Lord Jesus in all, we do what would that look like? That would look like we are evangelizing, imitating Jesus in all we do, and leading people to follow Jesus with our lives and our actions. 

For me, this grim reality of Hell, this reality that people across the globe face a reality of eternal separation for God, moves me to sincere prayer, deep sadness, and to real-life action. The tension I described is best unpacked by asking myself what am I doing about it. That is something worthy to ask ourselves and face today. 

Lord God, our prayer is Paul's prayer. Empower us to live a life worthy of all you have invited us to experience. Lord fill us with faith, faith, abundance, and overflowing. Lord, may we glorify you today, and may you be glorified and alive in us today. And most of all, Lord, may this produce a life that leads others to follow you and spend an eternity with you. Amen. 

other writing
John 20 - The Gospel

John 20 - The Gospel

The Gospel, the Good News! Jesus, Son of God, was born of Mary, lived as the Son of Man, died, and rose to life to rescue the world and bring about a new life. The central message of the gospel. Jesus, the centerpiece! John 19 & 20 cover the brutal death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

In this scene, I can not imagine how the disciples felt. John describes them as overjoyed...but those words just fall short of what I can imagine this moment was like.

John 19 - The Magnitude of the Cross

John 19 - The Magnitude of the Cross

The day of Jesus' crucifixion fulfilled 28 Old Testament prophecies. Scripture was fulfilled! Beyond that, trying to wrap my mind around what happened this day, on the cross, and fully grabbing the magnitude of the cross is mind-boggling.

Sure, we can dumb this down or simplify it to a place where I just don’t believe it is anywhere near accurate. We can get into penal substitution and argue over was God full of love or was God full of wrath and hate that he killed his son. To me, John 3:16 is pretty clear on the love part.

John 18 - Jesus levels an army

John 18 - Jesus levels an army

In John 18, we come to the great betrayal. Judas came with the soldiers, officials, and chief priest and Pharisees. We know the scene. But this morning, I saw something I don’t remember reading and surly don’t remember learning about.

“So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭18:3-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 17 - The Lords Prayer

John 17 - The Lords Prayer

John 17 is Jesus looking heavenward and praying to God the Father. So much beauty and mystery in this prayer. One thing that jumps out to me is that Jesus, fully God, and fully man prayed. Jesus is God fully. Why did he need to pray, He was One with the Father, He was God...and yet he prayed. This is so powerful;

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭17:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 16 - What does it take to believe?

John 16 - What does it take to believe?

By the end of John 16, Jesus had done countless miracles, preached some amazing sermons, transformed so many lives, and developed a close and personal relationship with his disciples. So, when reading these verses, I am just utterly confused on so many levels.

“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:28-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John 16 - Undervaluing God in Spirit

John 16 - Undervaluing God in Spirit

Jesus’ time on earth is quickly coming to a close, and he finishes up his last sermon or teaching to his disciples as they walk to Gethsemane. This final teaching was a heavy one that no doubt left his disciples with a heavy heart. Jesus said it this way;

“...None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭16:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus goes on to say;

John 15 - Constant Growth

John 15 - Constant Growth

We were built for growth, constant growth. From birth, all the way until our death, we were designed by God for constant growth. The problem is, we often can find ourselves stuck in a belief, a phase, or a part of life where we stop growing.

One of the most brilliant investors embodies this understanding. Charlie Munger, at 96 years old, is still learning and growing as a person. I love this quote:

“Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant.”
- Charlie Munger

John 14 - The Gift of Peace

John 14 - The Gift of Peace

John 14 opens with Jesus, saying, Don’t let your hearts be troubled. And the chapter closed down with Jesus saying Don’t be troubled or afraid.

A message that needs to resonate with our spirit and our inner self. This was such a good reminder, reading through John 14 over and over. This passage lifted off the screen.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart…

John 14 - Troubled Hearts

John 14 - Troubled Hearts

The world today seems so volatile and chaotic. Everywhere you look, whatever we read and see on TV just seems to be troubling. Last night, I noticed my lovely wife Tweeted this;

“I can’t be the only one who watches the news and is simply embarrassed right now, right? (Dear Jesus, we tap out. Come on back.)”

I find this first humorous, but then I also find it sad. It’s true, watching the news as a Christ-follower is pretty embarrassing. In John 14, we see Jesus…

John 13 - Unselfish Concern

John 13 - Unselfish Concern

Summarizing John, chapter 13, looks like this. The Lords Supper takes place. Jesus washes the disciple's feet. Jesus calls out Judas, and Satan enters him. Night comes, Judas leaves, and Jesus says he must go, and where I am going, you can not come. To cap it all off, Jesus also calls out Simon Peter and tells him that he will deny and completely disown Jesus three times. Whoa, a really full chapter, and historical day.

Nestled in the wrap up of the day is the parting message Jesus leaves his disciples, a message Jesus is sharing with us right now.

 
thoughtsTerry Storch