Tuesday January 12th, 2021
Memorize: 2 Timothy 4:8 Good News Translations (GNT)
« And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day–and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for him to appear. »
Read: 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 Easy-to-read version (ERV)
5 This is proof that God is right in his judgment.
He wants you to be worthy of his kingdom.
Your suffering is for that kingdom.
6 God will do what is right. He will punish those who are causing you trouble.
7 And he will bring relief to you who are troubled.
He will bring it to you and to us when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven for all to see, together with his powerful angels.
8 He will come with burning fire to punish those who don’t know God—those who refuse to accept the Good News about our Lord Jesus.
9 They will be punished with a destruction that never ends.
They will not be allowed to be with the Lord but will be kept away from his great power.
10 This will happen on the day when the Lord Jesus comes to receive honor with his holy people.
He will be admired among all who have believed.
And this includes you because you believed what we told you.
Message:
The wicked are people who do not know God and those who probably know Him but do not seek Him (Psalm 10:2-13).
Their lifestyle shows that they don’t believe in the gospel of Christ and that they do not have any regard for God.
On the other hand, there are saints – the people of God; these are the people who believe.
Though they may suffer persecutions and afflictions for the Kingdom, they remain faithful children of God.
Paul assures the saints who have believed and remain steadfast even in their afflictions that God will grant them relief and their afflictions would come to an end in due course.
Christ will be glorified in them, and they in Him (2 Thessalonians 1:12).
On the other hand, God will repay the persecutors with affliction; He will carry out justice.
He says in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 CEV that the retribution will be:
« Their punishment will be eternal destruction, and they will be kept far from the presence of our Lord and his glorious strength. »
The wicked would not cease to exist because of God’s final judgement; rather they would be deprived of being in Gods presence forever.
Daniel also declared in Daniel 12:2 GNT :
« Many of those who have already died will live again: some will enjoy eternal life, and some will suffer eternal disgrace. »
Jesus described the judgement thus :
« Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life. »
Matthew 25:41, 46 NLT
Revelation describes the fate of the wicked thus:
« And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever »
Revelation 20:10 NKJV
Beloved, a life without Christ is one full of crises – both when the fellow is alive, and even after death.
Too many people pay lip service to following Christ but actually do not in the real sense of it.
Examine your life and choose to deny yourself and follow Christ daily to escape eternal damnation.
Reflection: Which are you: wicked or saint?
Author: Pst E. A. Adeboye.
Text edited by Naomie
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