Every year more than 365 million Christians worldwide suffer high levels of persecution for their faith! Things are not getting better in our world, they are only getting worse. (2 Timothy 3:13). It is my perception that people in general are becoming more self centered, greedy, arrogant, profane, lawless and more rebellious. Why does God allow such perverse evil to permeate our world? Why doesn’t God stop injustice?
Four good reasons why God has chosen not to punish evil doers – for now.
1. If God were to remove evil, he would also have to remove free will.
2. If God were to remove evil, it would mean removing all evil.
3. Removing evil would remove the means for your personal growth.
4. If you removed evil, there would be no reason for mercy or grace.
Trials are powerful evidences of a loving God who tenderly cares for us.
God will Set all Wrongs to Rights 5-7
Evil is a sign that judgment is inevitably coming!
God is piling up the evidence against the evil doer. Rev 20:12
1. Evidence you are counted worthy 5
Blessed are you when persecuted, great is your reward.” Matt 5:11-12
Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer. Acts 5:40-41
2. Evidence to repay evildoers 6
Some will complain no matter what God does or does not do!
Is it not My way which is fair, says the Lord? Ez 18:25-32
3. Evidence to grant you rest
If this life was all that there was, it would be a terrifying thing.
Jesus offers us a place of rest in the next life! Rev 21 3
God will set Right those Who do Wrong 8-10
God has stepped in to fix this world at the Cross.
God will one day step in and fix this world in Judgment.
1. God will set all things to rights WHEN Jesus Returns! 7-8
The New Testament mystery. Jesus coming will be in two stages:
| Jesus will come FOR his saints. 1 Thess 4:16 & 17 | Jesus will come WITH His saints. 1 Thess 3:13 |
| Jesus will take Believers to His father’s house. Jn 14:3 | Jesus will come to earth to judge the World. Rev 19:11 |
| The rapture could occur at any moment with no signs preceding it. Mat 25:13 | His coming follows the tribulation and has numerous signs preceding it. Mt 24:29-30 |
| The rapture will occur in the blink of an eye. 1 Cor 15:52 | His Return will be visible to every eye. Rev 1:7 |
| After the Rapture, He will reward Believers. 2 Cor 5:10 | After His Return he will punish unbelievers. Rev 20:11-15 |
2. WHAT this punishment is, is everlasting destruction. 8-9
There are two premises on which this punishment is based.
#1 The knowledge of God. If you do not know God, it will be your loss.
#2 Obedience to the Gospel. place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ!
Destruction means eternity will be one of ruin and sorrow. (Matt 8:12)
They will face eternal conscious torment. (Matt 15:30). (Rev 20:15).
3. WHY will God punish sinners. 10
If you set your heart against God, He will respond with absolute justice.
One day, we will respond in a completely different way!
We, His saints will GLORIFY Him. Our view of God will radically change.
We who believe will ADMIRE Him. We will approve and applaud Him!
Is the world getting worse and worse? Yes it is. But this is predicted in the Bible. And in fact time is marching relentlessly, inevitably, inescapably, toward the day when all wrongs will be made right. One day, we will experience the righteous judgment of God. Some will be punished for their rebellion, and some will be rewarded for their humble submission to the Gospel.
In 2004, in one of the deadliest disasters in modern history, 230,000 people died when a tsunami struck off the coast of Indonesia. A few years earlier, the world watched numbly as Islamic terrorists took the lives of nearly 3,000 people flying airplanes into the world trade center. Two years before that two young men murdered twelve students to Columbine. And lest we forget, every year more than 365 million Christians worldwide suffer high levels of persecution, discrimination and death for their faith![i]
Why does God allow such perverse evil to permeate our world? Why doesn’t God stop injustice?
Things are not getting better in our world, they are only getting worse. As we near the end of the end times, evil men are only growing worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13). It is my perception that people in general are becoming more self centered, greedy, arrogant, profane, lawless and more rebellious.
You might think that the state of the world would have God completely unhinged and ready to dive in right now and right all our wrongs? So why doesn’t he? I can give you four good reasons why God has chosen not to punish evil doers – for now.
1. If God were to remove evil from our world, he would also have to remove free will. And a world without freedom is not a loving place. Most of the evil in this world comes about because of the scandalous behavior of people. It is our bad choices and bad behavior which inflict evil on this world. God values free will so much, and wants us to voluntarily worship him so much, that he took a risk to create us with free will.
2. If God were to remove evil from the world right now, it would mean removing all evil. I know you want God to deal with the worst evils of the world, but where should he draw the line? At murder, rape, greed, cursing, lust, anger, gossip or somewhere else. God isn’t currently judging evil, and if he was, you wouldn’t like it.
3. If God were to remove evil, sin, trials and tribulations from this world, he would be removing the means for your personal growth. You’ve heard the saying, “no gain without pain?” That would no longer be true. And how about emerging triumphant from trials. That would no longer happen. Trials have a purpose, and all things work together for God for those who love God. (Romans 8:28)
4. If you removed evil, there would be no reason for mercy or grace. You wouldn’t need Jesus to die for your sins. You wouldn’t need forgiveness, and you wouldn’t get any if you stepped out of line. Instead you’d immediately go to hell. You would not pass Go, and you would not get a second chance.
In short, problems and persecution are powerful evidences of a loving God who tenderly cares for His children and wants us to have a relationship with him.
Is the world getting worse and worse? Yes it is. But you see, all this is predicted in the Bible. And in fact time is marching relentlessly, inevitably, inescapably, toward the day when all wrongs will be made right. One day, we will experience the righteous judgment of God. Some will be punished for their rebellion, and some will be rewarded for their humble submission to the Gospel. Get ready!
God will Set all Wrongs to Rights 5-7
God will punish persecution. And in fact here is what I found so interesting about this study today. Evil is actually a sign to us believers. Persecution is meant to tell us that judgment is inevitably coming! In allowing sin, God is piling up the evidence God that he will use to convict and punish the evil doer.
Let’s start at verse 4 and work our way into our study today.
We ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which are clear evidence of the righteous judgment of God.
Your persecution and tribulation, your trials and troubles, problems and sorrows are “clear evidence!” Evidence of God’s righteous judgment. What does that mean?
The Word evidence is ἔνδειγμα endeigma means a “token, evidence, or proof of a thing.” The persecution that is inflicted on Christians is proof positive that God’s judgment is righteous! In places all around the world Believers are facing threats, arrest, violence, discrimination, hostility, torture, dismemberment, homelessness, torched houses, fire bombed churches, threats, crime, harassment, religious and ethnic cleansing, and death for their faith.
God is writing all this down in his book. Revelation 20:12 says that the books were opened and the dead were judged on the basis of their works. And those not found in the book of Life were cast into the lake of fire. What is in those books? Everything you’ve ever said, thought or done. It’s all there. You’re guilty. What can expunge my record? Only the precious blood of Christ, and then only if you will turn to the lamb of God in repentance and faith.
So there are three things which persecution and tribulations prove. #1. Persecution is evidence that you are counted worthy of the Gospel. #2 Persecution is evidence that persecutors should be repaid. #3. Persecution is evidence that those who are persecuted deserve rest.
1. Evidence you are counted worthy 5
Let’s read all of verse 5: persecutions and tribulations that you endure, are clear evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.
A woman once came to a pastor and told him her tale of woe, and how people were harassing her, mistreating her and persecuting her. And then she said, “Pastor, please help me! Please make them stop!” He replied, “If I were to do that, I would be stealing your reward!”
Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Matt 5:11-12
Acts 5:40-41, “The Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus name.”
2. Evidence to repay evildoers 6
Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you
Persecution is evidence that God will set wrongs to rights. Here is what I find amusing. The same people who complain that God is to be blamed because he has failed to step in and stop evil in this world, also complain that God must be evil when he does step in to judge the Egyptians with the ten plagues, or when he does step in to tell Joshua to drive out the hostiles in the promised land, or when he does step in, in the book of Revelation to punish the people of earth.
When skeptics hear how God punished Sodom and Gomorrah for their immorality, they are incensed! How could God be so calloused! When they read about how Joshua conquered the pagans in the promised land because they were idol worshipping, child killing sacrificers, and abusers, they cry foul. You can’t have it both ways.
God asks this question in the book of Ezekiel 18:25-32 you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 30 Therefore I will judge you, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”
3. Evidence to grant you rest
And to give you who are troubled rest with us.
Right now you are struggling with life, but God will give you troubled rest. If this life was all that there was, it would be a terrifying thing. What is the point of working and toiling and struggling through sickness, distress, sorrow, and brokenness if this is all that there is? The injustices in life cry out for a solution! Jesus is that solution and he offers us a place of rest in the next life!
One of my favorite verses comes from Revelation 21 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Get ready! Get set! God will set all wrongs to right! And we say amen to that!
God will set Right those Who do Wrong 8-10
Persecution will be repaid. God will punish those who do wrong! This is prophetic Justice. If you are worried about a God who appears to be doing nothing to remedy the evil of this world, worry no more! The human mind may require God to step in now to fix this world, but believe me God has stepped in to fix this world, when he sent Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sin, and one day he will return to judge the world in righteousness!
Look at verse 7: God will set all wrongs right, “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven, and He will take vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The next few verses answer three questions. #1 When will this day of vengeance occur. #2 What will occur. #3 Why is God going to punish sinners. The answers are elementary.
1. God will set all things to rights WHEN Jesus Returns! 7-8
This will happen 7 when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire.
Now the New Testament reveals a mystery. The mystery is that Jesus coming will be in two stages: The first stage known as the rapture is for believers, and the second stage known as His return is for Israel and an unbelieving world.[ii]
On the one hand verses like 1 Thess 4:16 & 17 explain that at the Rapture Jesus will come FOR his saints to bring them to glory. Whereas 1 Thess 3:13 explains that at his Return he will come with His saints in all his glory.
And John 14:3 indicates that at the Rapture Jesus will take Believers to His father’s house to rejoice with them, while in Revelation 19:11, at his Return he will set foot on the Mount of Olives to deliver Israel and bring Judgment to the World, which will no rejoicing to them.
According to Matthew 25:13, the rapture could occur at any moment with no signs preceding it, followed by the terrible Day of the Lord, but according to Mt 24:29-30 the second coming follows the Day of the Lord and has numerous signs preceding it, including the seven year tribulation. .
According to 1 Cor 15:52, the rapture will occur so quickly that if you blink your eye you will miss it. While according to Rev 1:7 the Return of Christ will be public and every eye will see Him descend to the earth.
After the Rapture, Jesus will reward His people at the Judgment seat of Christ, where we will receive a crown (2 Corinthians 5:10), While after His Return he will punish the unbelieving world at the Great White Throne Judgment, where they will receive punishment in the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:11-15).
And that is the WHEN of setting things to rights! God will set things right AFTER His second coming.
2. WHAT this punishment is, is everlasting destruction.
taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
The first truth we should digest is that this is vengeance. ἐκδίκησις ekdikesis – This word means, to vindicate, to avenge, or to repay. When God repays mankind for the evil they have done, he does it in absolute justice and righteousness. His every act is fair, just and right.
You should know that there are two premises on which this punishment is based. #1 The knowledge of God. If you do not know God, it will be your loss. The only way to avoid the day of vengeance is to know Him. #2 Obedience to the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news that if you will place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and turn from your sin to follow Him, then you will not have to face the judgment day. Jesus death on the cross is the full payment of God’s vengeance. You can even pay it yourself, or you can let somebody else. And the only somebody that could or would ever pay it is Jesus Christ.
But there is more to the WHAT of this punishment which God will bring on sinners. This punishment is EVERLASTING destruction from the presence of the Lord. The word destruction ὄλεθρος olethros in the Greek, doesn’t mean that God winks you out of existence; it does mean that your eternity will be one of ruin and sorrow.
What it means for those who don’t know Christ is that they will face eternal conscious torment. (Matt 15:30). It’s punishment is too much for any man or woman to bear. It is called the Lake of Fire because of its fearsome nature (Rev 20:15). It is a place of utter loneliness, despair and outer darkness (Matt 8:12).
God will set things to right, he will punish those who do evil and persecute us. But the question remains, WHY will God punish sinners.
3. WHY will God punish sinners. 10
It seems like the answer is elementary. If you set your heart against God, He will always respond with absolute justice. As sad as this may be, ultimately we end with some good news.
He comes to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among those who believe
Hell is not one of my favorite subjects, due to the seriousness and longevity of punishment, but according to this verse, once we are with Jesus we will respond to his righteous judgment in a completely different way! There are two amazing responses that we will have towards God’s righteous judgment.
First, We, His saints will GLORIFY Him. This means that our opinion, our judgment, our view of God will radically change. We will be so awed by his majesty, filled with wonder at his magnificence, overwhelmed by his splendor, that will fall at his feet and praise him.
Second, we who believe will ADMIRE Him. This means that our opinion of God will be so changed that we will not only approve of God’s actions, we will applaud them!
Why does God allow such perverse evil to permeate our world? In short, problems and persecution are powerful evidences of a loving God who tenderly cares for His children and wants us to have a relationship with him.
Is the world getting worse and worse? Yes it is. But you see, all this is predicted in the Bible. And in fact time is marching relentlessly, inevitably, inescapably, toward the day when all wrongs will be made right. One day, we will experience the righteous judgment of God. Some will be punished for their rebellion, and some will be rewarded for their humble submission to the Gospel.
But there is a way you can Get ready for this! You can place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. You can ask Him to forgive your sins. You can have a change of heart about God. You can choose to Glorify Him and Admire Him. One day all wrongs will be made right, and God will judge those who do evil!
[i] https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/#:~:text=More%20than%20365m%20Christians%20suffer,very%20high%20or%20extreme%20levels.