PROBLEMS? DECISIONS? DO YOU “PUT IT IN GOD’S HANDS?”
2Th 1:2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2Th 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
2Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
We have all heard the sayings “I’m going to put it in God’s hands,” or “I’m going to let God handle it,” and this seems to be what is said by most when there is a problem, suffering, or an important decision that arises within their lives. But this is not how God would have us to react to things that we face, we as “sons” in Christ are expected of our Father to make godly sonhip decisions based upon the doctrine that our Father gives us as we progress through our sonship curriculum in our King James Bibles. The Thessalonians were a prime example of “sons” who were progressing into what God called them to be, because their faith in the gospel grew “exceedingly” to the point where their “patience and faith” abounded the sufferings that they experienced. The Thessalonians ‘endured’ “all” their sufferings because they were operating by sound doctrine, and letting God’s word work “effectually” within them, and an ungodly response to their sufferings would be to ask the Father to “handle it.”
2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Moreover, the Thessalonian saints also understood and appreciated that when they were persecuted by some in their lives that God was not physically ‘recompensing tribulation’ to them that troubled them here in this present time. But some today think that when they are ‘wronged’ by someone (these believe that because they are a ‘child of God,’ He will not only physically protect them from all tribulation, but that He will also punish ones who have done them wrong) God will physically “repay” tribulation unto them. But this is not what God promised at all, God promised that He will “recompense tribulation to them” in “that day,” not in this present dispensation. It is when the Lord has His day of wrath that He will take “vengeance” upon all the ungodliness of men, and we as “sons” are to “rest” in that understanding and appreciation just as the Thessalonians and Paul did.
1Th 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
1Th 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
God would not have His “sons” to be “moved” by the troubling things that we face because an adult “son” in Christ should understand that we all are “appointed” unto the “sufferings of this present time” by what we have learned in Romans chapter 8 and 2Corinthians. However because the book of Romans and 2Corinthians was not yet written at the time Paul wrote to the Thessalonians; Paul had already established these saints in the “sufferings of the present time” doctrine, and its effects, and the benefits that we have when we suffer, and the glory that it gives God when we ourselves are “weak.”
1Th 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
1Th 3:6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
1Th 3:7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
1Th 3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
1Th 3:9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
Satan, and this world (the “tempter”) would have you to be “moved,” and to ‘throw in the towel’ when these things come up in our lives, but because of the doctrine that we have been given, we are able to “stand fast in the Lord” by it, wherewith we ourselves can be an example unto others as the Thessalonians were unto Paul and the world at that time. Furthermore, when Paul himself faced “affliction and distress,” he was “comforted” by the actions of the Thessalonians when they suffered; because they were allowing God’s word to effectually work within them.
1Th 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
1Th 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
1Th 1:7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
1Th 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
And as such, the Thessalonians became ensamples to the saints around the world because of their faithfulness in how they let the doctrine work from the ‘inside-out.’ The Thessalonian saints knew how to respond to whatever they faced in a godly manner, and they also knew that it was their sonship decision making that God was going to view to see how they were progressing; or not progressing through their edification. And as we can see the saints were experiencing “much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost,” it was the doctrine of the Holy Ghost that taught these saints how to have “joy” in their sufferings, and instead of ‘throwing in the towel’ or asking God to take care of the situation for them, they responded positively just as an adult son “in Christ” should.
Pro 23:15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Pro 23:16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
The positive response to any and all the sufferings and decision making that we will experience should be based upon our Father’s doctrine as we apply it to our circumstances, and that we correctly make “wise” choices as a son, just as the Father expects us to. But the negative response would be the saint assuming that God will ‘sort things out’ for the saint, and that we are exempt from experiencing any sufferings at all, but as we saw earlier, we are to not only expect sufferings, but we are to glory in them as well. And it is the saints who can have a positive impact on the Father’s heart when we allow His word to work in us, and also we as “ensamples” can have a positive effect upon other saints just as the Thessalonians were to the saints all over the world. So as “sons” our Father expects an intelligent godly response to whatever problems, or decisions that we face based upon what we have been taught, this is part of the mechanics of sonship; it’s about the saint using his godly judgment to decide how his Father’s word would have him to respond to any, and every problem that we have, and when we do this accordingly, then shall our Father’s “heart shall rejoice,” and His “reins shall rejoice” when we “speak right things.”
Rod Jones