God's judgment
We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.
This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
DEVOTION
I am touched by the words, "We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing."
If ever there was a prescription for how Jesus can be glorified in the life of a Christian this is it!
Sometimes I fear that we make things very difficult, when in essence our call as Christians should be very simple.
We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to love God (e.g., have abundant faith) and love our neighbors as ourselves!
As we grow in our faith and love for our brothers and sisters, we will have cause to give great thanks for the work of God in and through The Church on earth.
Especially as we are approaching the CHRISTmas holy-day season, it is exciting to see many Christians gearing up to bless others!
In my own church we are assembling baskets for the sick and shut in, collecting names for a Christmas giving tree, and preparing offerings for those less fortunate than ourselves.
As we love and serve those with need, I truly believe that believers and non-believers alike will have cause to give thanks for our work and ministry throughout the earth.
Isn't it wonderful that we get to be the hands, feet, mouth, and heart of Jesus in this world?!
May God grant that we will be made worthy of God's call--and will--and fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in us, according tothe grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Let us pray: Holy One, you are so majestic and holy in all your ways. I gaze upon you with awe and with wonder. Thank you for all of the ways that your Spirit increases my faith and leads me to love and serve others. As I serve, may I ever glorify Jesus who lived, died, and rose again to make atonement for our sin and gift us with eternal life. To you be all the glory and honor, forever and ever, Amen!
INVITATION
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