God’s Good Time

October 24, 2016

God’s Good Time

But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.

1 Thessalonians 2:16c

Some of the Thessalonians responded to the Good News proclaimed by Paul and began gathering as a Christian community. They experienced persecution on two fronts. The ruling Romans were not receptive to the announcement of another king vying for the hearts and minds of Caesar’s subjects. Secondly, the Jews considered it blasphemy to offer salvation by their God to Gentiles.

Paul’s response to the persecution of his new friends in Thessalonica was first to assure them that through their faithfulness to Christ, they were sharing with Christ in his sufferings. From Paul’s perspective, based on his personal experiences, persecution was a validation of faith in Christ. Secondly, Paul assured his friends that God was standing with them and that in God’s time their faith would be vindicated. Paul’s assertion quoted above (1 Thessalonians 2:16c) is his prophetic statement that Jesus’ prophecy for the destruction of Jerusalem was close at hand. It wasn’t quite as close as Paul suspected, and he died before Jerusalem fell in AD 70. However, his point is quite valid and was a source of comfort for the Thessalonians. The persecuted Christians in the twenty-first century can also take comfort; in their present moment, they are sharing in the sufferings of Jesus, and in God’s good time (karios), their faithfulness will be vindicated.

Can you see how Paul’s faith rested on his belief that Jesus is coming again in final victory? Paul’s embrace of God’s vision for His kingdom enabled Paul to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to remain faithful. (2 Timothy 4:7) I believe we too will faithfully finish our assigned course as we are sure of this: Jesus is with us always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.