10/12/2025
This morning's sermon comes from 2 Thessalonians 1. A (long) quote from one commentary:
"It takes spiritual discernment to see in a situation of injustice (like the persecution of the innocent) evidence of the just judgment of God. Our habit is to see only the surface appearance, and so make only superficial comments. We see the malice, cruelty, power and arrogance of the evil men who persecute. We see also the sufferings of the people of God, who are opposed, ridiculed, boycotted, harassed, imprisoned, tortured and killed. In other words, what we see is injustice—the wicked flourishing and the righteous suffering. It seems completely topsy-turvy.
We are tempted to inveigh against God and against the miscarriage of justice. ‘Why doesn’t God do something?’ we complain indignantly. And the answer is that he is doing something and will go on doing it. He is allowing his people to suffer, in order to qualify them for his heavenly kingdom. He is allowing the wicked to triumph temporarily, but his just judgment will fall upon them in the end. Thus Paul sees evidence that God’s judgment is right in the very situation in which we might see nothing but injustice.
We need the same spiritual discernment and godly perspective as Paul had. In the Thessalonians’ success, instead of flattering them, he thanked God for the evidence of his grace. In their sufferings, instead of complaining, he thanked God for the evidence of his justice."
- John R. W. Stott, The Message of Thessalonians