Worthy of the Kingdom

[Christsfreeservant]

“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 NIV)​

I am including this passage (above) from verses 3-4 for the purpose of context, but the Lord had me write on that passage earlier this morning in a document titled, “Be Someone Who Thanks Others.” So now the Lord will have me cover more of the passage:

“This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ​

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“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.” (2 Thessalonians 2:5-10 ESV)​

So, what is the message here? It begins with Paul (and Silvanus and Timothy) giving thanks to the Lord for the believers in Christ in Thessalonica because of their faith in the Lord Jesus which was growing in strength and in maturity and in practice and in wisdom and in understanding. They were also thanking the Lord for the love that the Christians had for one another. And the “love” they had is not human love, but it is agape love which prefers what God prefers, and which prefers to live through Christ and to choose his choices and to obey them in the power of God.

They also boasted among the churches of God about the Christians’ steadfastness and faith in all of their persecutions and in the afflictions that they were enduring, which is the subject matter for this writing.

Now next it says, “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering..” The “this” would be referring back to what he said about them and their walks of faith in the Lord Jesus and how their faith was increasing and how they were being steadfast in faith despite all the persecutions and afflictions that they were enduring. So their walks of faith were evidence that God was judging justly in considering them worthy of (fitting to) the kingdom of God. So, what does that tell us?

Well, all throughout the New Testament we read that those who are worthy of the kingdom of God are those who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, who are now walking (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. They are those who are no longer walking in sin, but who daily are putting sin to death, by the Spirit, and who are walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands, in his power and strength. For those who are still walking in sin are not regarded as worthy of the kingdom.

And this is critical that we understand what the Scriptures teach on this subject for far too many people today are believing a lie that says that they can make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ once in their lives and now all their sins are forgiven and heaven is their eternal destiny, but regardless of how they live. But God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, we don’t have eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

And who are those who are going to suffer the punishment of eternal destruction? They are all those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And what is the gospel that Jesus Christ taught us? He said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if sin is what we obey, it will end in eternal death. But if righteousness and obedience to our Lord is what we obey, it will lead to life eternal with God (see Luke 9:23-26 and Matthew 7:21-23 and all of the above Scriptures to get the full picture).

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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