God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted… when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7
These new Christians in Thessalonica had experienced a relentless onslaught of difficulties since their conversion to Christ—violence, lawsuits, slander, false accusations. It all started when they became followers of Jesus Christ, and that put pressure on them to turn back.
This is the kind of life that Jesus experienced, and He tells us that it will be the same for us: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).
If we are to endure this kind of suffering, we need to learn to do what Jesus did: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pet. 2:23). This doctrine will not answer all your questions, but it tells us that we have not yet seen the end of the story.
God says to suffering believers, “A day is coming when Jesus Christ will be revealed, and on that very day, you will see the full measure of My justice and the full measure of My love.” Use this truth to sustain your faith as you wait for the justice of God in a suffering world.
How does this speak to your suffering today?
