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with Elder Elico Manenji
✝️The second letter to the Thessalonians was evidently written soon after Paul's first letter to that church.
The occasion may well have been necessitated by the return of the bearer of the former Epistle and his report.
The present letter, then, was written to instruct the Thessalonians concerning the day of Christ and our gathering together to meet him.
As First Thessalonians had more in view of the day of Christ, the Second has the day of the Lord. In this chapter, the Apostle and his companions salute the Church giving thanks to God for their faith, love, unity and for their patience under persecutions.
He speaks of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the punishment of the ungodly and the glorification of the righteous. He prays that God may count them worthy of their calling and that the name of Jesus may be glorified in them.
1️⃣2 Thessalonians 1:1-4:The Apostle and his companions salutations and faith, love, unity and patience of the Church amidst persecution.
⏹️The Apostle and his companions saluted the Thessalonians for their faith, which grew exceedingly, their increasing love which is the result of believing the truth, their unity, their inseparable trust in Christ and patience even amidst persecution.
The Apostle says, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15).
⏭️The purpose of Christ’s death and its bearing on human salvation is the only means of forgiveness of sins and justification by faith.
The Apostle says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace"(Ephesians 1:7).
⏹️Trials, tribulations and persecutions will always befall God’s dearest and choicest of His servants for the sufferings of Christ personal are complete and meritorious as the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through suffering, so His followers will also suffer as He was made perfect through suffering.
The Apostle says, "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Hebrews 2:10).
2️⃣1Thessalonians 1:5-12: The day of the Lord and His righteous judgment and His gracious purpose.
⏹️The judgment of both the righteous and wicked shows that there is a Holy God who Just, a Governor of the world, who will do justice to them that do well, and will do also justice to them that do evil as He will reward the righteous and punishment the wicked on the day of the Lord.
The prophet Isaiah says, "For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion"(Isaiah 34:8).
⏭️When Christ came as a Saviour, He accordingly displayed His love and mercy for all to acknowledge and accept, now He will come as a Judge, and what we look for in a judge is equity. God’s justice now is very much a matter of faith but when He shall appear, His justice will be fully manifested.
The Psalmist says, "Justice and judgment are the habitation of your throne: mercy and truth shall go before your face"(Psalm 89:14).
⏭️The justice of God is His attribute as Governor of the world, it is the perfection of the His Divine nature. The same is with His holiness as God loves righteousness and hates iniquity.
The Psalmist says, "And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness"(Psalm 9:8).
⏹️At the Lord's coming, eternity begins as Christ, the Judge will decide our state of happiness or misery.
Therefore we need not put His coming far away in the future but we should prepare for it, whilst we live so that it may be to us an event of joy and not of terror.
The prophet Isaiah says, "But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked"(Isaiah 11:4).
⏫To unbelievers the Lord’s coming will be an indescribable terror for they rejected Him when He came to deliver them from sin. Then will they behold Him as their righteous Judge to pronounce upon them the condemnation of their own choosing.
Jesus said, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil"(John 3:19).
⏭️Salvation is the result of the pleasure of God’s goodness and His power begins by embracing the covenant of His grace He offered to all mankind, to work a change of heart into becoming a new creation so that we are enabled for all duties and be able to
resist all temptations.
The Psalmist says, "He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation"(Psalm 24:5).
🅰️Appeal
As God's elect, we are called with a high and holy calling, we are called to God's kingdom and glory.
We are called to the inheritance of the saints which is the hope of our calling, to the enjoyment of that glory and felicity which shall be revealed when Christ Jesus shall be revealed from heaven. You too can be part of this glory at the coming of Christ.
The Psalmist says, "His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed"(Psalm 72:17). Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704)
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