"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all." 2 Thessalonians 3:16
The Lord has come! Maybe we missed the rapture? What do we do? The tribulation is upon us. The world is in such chaos. Todays' events are just too surreal. There is so much evil and wickedness around us that I am scared!
This seems to be the problem with the church in Thessalonica. Apparently, someone had been preaching that the day of the Lord was near, and this church, who was ever vigilant and in great hope of the Lord's return, was petrified. It is so easy to get this fearful as the second coming is awesome in its scope and power. Often, I put articles on this site wondering how it affects those who see them. They truly are signs of the nearness of the coming of the Lord, but they should make us joyful and ever obedient to share the truth of His cross and His second coming.
Fear is the tool of the enemy. He wants us to become so fearful that we begin to doubt the greatness of God's mercy and grace. The devil wants to immobilize our witness for Christ. It is his goal to get men so fearful of the future events that they doubt the Lord and are robbed of the peace they have in Christ. Notice the first words Paul writes, "Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1:2)" Now notice the last words to this church. "Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.(3:16-18)" Paul was so concerned about their well being in Christ that He hand signed the letter to authenticate its message. The letter, like our life in Christ, starts and ends with the grace and peace that is the precious gift of God which flows to us by the precious blood.
Yes, the signs are mounting that the Lord is coming. Yes, the world seems to be getting more sinful. Yes, it is so terrible that it is easy to become fearful. However, my life, your life if you trust Christ in the full pardon of your sins by His work at Calvary, is hid with Christ in God. Our High Priest, our King, our Unconquerable Champion is in full control! There is no need to cower in fear of the future. Our future, ultimately, is one of blessed, fully secured hope! Rather than fear, we need to trust in and rely on the presence of God's promises and God's Holy Spirit. God will see us through!
