Scripture:
Vs 1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed …
Vs 8 … the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
Vs 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
Observation:
Paul is dealing with some false beliefs that have infiltrated this body of believers.
The wrong beliefs concerning the return of Jesus Christ and the coming of “the lawless one” … the antichrist.
This is causing worry and anxiety among these folks.
They are allowing their worry to become more powerful than their “eternal comfort” and “good hope”.
Paul states plainly for them to not be “shaken in mind” or “alarmed” because the victory of Jesus Christ is not in doubt.
Application:
A few words stand out to me in terms of how I am to handle this sequence of events.
Those words are “NOW”, the word “WILL”, and then again the word “NOW”.
The present is often full of worry about the future. This is a common fear of the unknown. And a presumption that this future unknown is going to be worse than expected.
Paul simply says “don’t be shaken” or “alarmed”.
And he says this about the “NOW”, currently, presently don’t be worried!
Why? How can I not worry about these future unknown events to come? Because they are, in fact, known! Jesus Christ “WILL” destroy the lawless one! This WILL happen!
And, by the way, it will not be some sort of epic battle.
Jesus Christ’s destruction of evil will not look like some sort of sci-fi fantasy film.
Jesus WILL destroy evil with ease!
Jesus will destroy the lawless one “with the breath of his mouth”.
Jesus can destroy evil with a word, not a battle.
Merely “the appearance of His coming” WILL “bring to nothing” the evil one.
Christ HAS won, and Christ WILL win.
Therefore, I can have peace NOW.
And the peace I can have is not a “PollyAnnish” peace where I close my eyes and pretend everything is just fine.
No, the peace in the midst of uncertain times that I can have is because Jesus and the Father “loved us and gave us” an “eternal comfort” and a “good hope” through “grace” for NOW.
And while evil will ultimately be destroyed with a word, I can NOW “establish” a “comforted heart” by living out “good works” and “good words”.
This is, indeed, Good News!
Prayer:
Thank you Father for your Word!
Help me to know it and remember it and live it in times of worry or uncertainty.
Help me rest in your good hope.
Help me establish good works and good words.
In Jesus name
Amen