God’s will for you is to be encouraged by HIM. Though Paul has been a vessel of encouragement throughout this letter, at the end of this chapter he specifically says, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father…encourage your hearts…” (verses 16-17). God loves to use people to fulfill His many missions on earth, but He also delights in “He Himself” touching individual lives, and this intimacy is the lesson of 2 Thessalonians 2.

The word encourage in its most general sense connotes to give courage, hope, or confidence to; to give support to or help. The Greek word used in the New Testament adds the meaning to urge forward. 2 Thessalonians 2 paints a picture of God cheering us on as no one else can. He wants to enable us to hear His words of love and faith even when no other human being is around.

 

There is a widely-held, incorrect notion that spending time alone with God is all about Him showing us our sin and nothing more. How ludicrous! How limiting! God is our Encourager. He loves to urge us forward and restore our confidence and pick us up when the world or the enemy have knocked us down.

 

Through examining two adjectives and two verbs that define the Lord, this chapter serves to acquaint us with more of who God wants to be in our lives. If we focus on who God is and what He does, our days will be filled with His encouragement.

 

Who or what brings encouragement to your life?
How much encouragement do you experience from God?
Scriptures for further study: Romans 15:4-5; Philippians 2:1-4; Hebrews 12:5; Psalm 10:17; Acts 9:31; Hebrews 6:16-20.

God is Peace (Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5)

In verse 2, Paul asks the Thessalonians, “not to become easily unsettled or alarmed.” Our God is a God of peace, and does not want us to be molded by the world’s or the enemy’s frantic thoughts and frenetic pace. Even within the Christian community we find those who seem to search out topics or situations in which to cause alarm and unrest. God does not operate in this way.

 

God faithfully warns us and prepares us when needs arise, but with Him there is always a foundation of peace and calm in spite of the storm. When we know God as Peace, even when the circumstances are chaos, our hearts are at rest. He does not cease to be peace just because our circumstances unravel; therefore, our peace is protected in Him.

 

If you recall the background to this letter, Paul is trying to correct a wrong interpretation from his first letter. Some in Thessalonica were saying that the day of the Lord had already come (as Paul states in verse 2), so Paul is trying to calm everyone down and restore the peace.

In my life, there have been no phone calls about Christ showing up in Raleigh or family members disappearing in the rapture, but my personal peace can be threatened by volatile economic conditions or setbacks in my children’s lives. Those are the things that tend to “unsettle or alarm” me, and this lesson applies to that as well. What threatens your peace? What causes you to be easily unsettled or alarmed? Everyone has their own “peace stealers,” and God wants to encourage us to lock them out by remembering and living out this one fact, “My God is not a God of chaos and frenzy,” crawling up into His lap, and embracing who He is and who He wants to be in our lives.

 

Paul, in an attempt to restore the Thessalonians’ peace, goes on in these verses to explain specifics of the day of the Lord, which are interesting and should serve to minister to us about the end times. I have even included scriptures for further study in later sections of this lesson for those who enjoy more detail on this subject, but in studying these verses in light of my own “peace stealers” God teaches two general principles for protecting His peace in any area of life.

 

Exercise discernment. Do not believe everything everyone tells you. Don’t let every negative report take root in your heart. Remember to filter all through the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. Everything! Ask God to filter every unsettling rumor at work, every alarm caused by rising gas prices and home foreclosures, every uncertainty about your children or your future. Get His perspective. Understand His heart. Protect His peace in your life in every situation. He is not condemning our tendency to become upset, He is merely encouraging us to handle it well. Use your discernment and find out where God is in that situation. Give it to prayer rather than whining, complaining, and gossiping. Be productive rather than destructive internally and externally. God alone knows the deepest truths about everything from economic conditions to a disintegrating relationship, and He looks forward to sharing them with you and me.

 

I have put this lesson into practice with regard to my irritation over rising gas prices. Rather than grumbling I’m committed to praying. I’ve told the Lord I will become the persistent widow that Jesus spoke of, seeking Him for answers and understanding and resolution. Discernment means to see from God’s perspective, which incidentally, is the only perspective that truly matters and that is His encouragement.

 

Trust your relationship with God. Paul said, “Don’t let anyone deceive you” (verse 3). Just as discernment is a commitment to prayer, trusting our relationship with God is a commitment to truth. No one knows the depth of our relationship with God except us and Him. As we maintain that relationship and protect it, He will not allow us to be deceived, and He is the only one who can do that effectively.
 

One of the great tragedies of this life is our dependence on people to provide that peace and truth and consistency. A popular song speaks of one woman’s pain through the loss of someone who told her “forever.” No one can give us forever except Jesus. Nothing in this life is forever except Jesus. Why do we spend so much time looking everywhere else? He is peace. He is enough. He is forever. His encouragement is forever. Will you choose Him today?

In who or what is your peace?

 

What tends to make you “easily unsettled or alarmed?”
How do you discern if something is of God or not?
How close is your relationship with the Lord?
What causes you to doubt your relationship with the Lord?
How can knowing the Prince of Peace help maintain peace in your life?
In what area do you need God’s peace today?
 

Scriptures for further study: 1 Corinthians 14:31; Psalm 4:8; Psalm 29:11; Psalm 34:14; Psalm 85:8;Psalm 119:165; Isaiah 9:6-7; Romans 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20-21.

 

The definition of sovereign is above and superior to all, ultimately in control of everything. There are Christians who dislike the topic of God’s sovereignty because they can’t explain everything, particularly the hurts, pains, and horrors that exist. When they don’t have all the answers they feel the need to hedge and say things like, “Well, God isn’t really in control of everything because then none of the bad things would happen,” and that simply is not true.

 

His timing and plans are perfect. In verse 6 Paul mentions “the proper time.” What is the proper time? We have no idea. Only God knows. Trusting His sovereignty means letting go of our schedules and expectations. Many times when we get unsettled or alarmed it is due to our perception of timing or more often what we consider “late timing.” God is not sleeping. He is simply not in a hurry. In what way are you anxious about God’s timing in your life?

 

When my first two babies neglected to arrive “on time,” the Lord taught me that the “due date” was man’s calculation not His. When it took eighteen months to sell our home, it was my expectations that caused the disappointment not God’s failure. In what way are you challenged to trust God’s timing. He is encouraging you today to believe in His Sovereignty. Will you?
 

His plans can be equally mysterious. Reading these few verses about deception, rebellion, destruction, and idolatry as part of God’s plan can be quite unsettling, but God is neither haphazard nor irresponsible, so we must return to a trust of His sovereignty over all. Not merely for the end times but for our individual lives as well. When we experience heartache or pain, we must embrace the truth of His master plan working good in every way.

 

I don’t understand the hardships of this life, especially some of the more senseless events such as parents tying their child to a tree in extreme heat until he dies. Or wicked rulers oppressing their subjects. Or drugs and guns and gangs and the associated violence. I don’t understand those things, and I could list many others, but I don’t have to understand them to trust God. He is simply so much bigger than I am. That is what His sovereignty is about.
 

God wants us to get a hold of the fact that we cannot get a hold on Him. We cannot figure Him out completely and demand He be who we want Him to be. He is so much deeper, wider, stronger, and purer. We see a word on a page, He sees the entire book. We see a flute player, He sees the orchestra. We see a few pieces of thread, He sees a complete tapestry. We must trust Him with the big picture.

The world is in its present condition because of man’s poor choices. Trusting God is the best choice toward healing, relief, and understanding.

 

In what way are you struggling to trust God’s plan? In what way do you need encouragement about His plan for your life? Discuss it with Him today! He is Faithful.

 

He is the Restrainer and Revealer. “He” in verse 6 is the man of lawlessness mentioned in verse three or the one known as the antichrist. Theories abound concerning this person, who he is, what he will do, and how we will know him. I have no intention of explaining the details of the antichrist and the end times. God has given us limited information for a reason. What we can apply to our lives today, however, is an understanding of God’s sovereignty as the Restrainer and Revealer.

 

Paul explains that the lawless one is being held back. Theories exist that explain this restraint as the work of government; however, upon further study it seems clear to me that he is speaking of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can truly restrain the work of evil. He may work through humans (including government), but it is only His power that brings any victory at all.

 

When the Holy Spirit restrains the work of wickedness in our midst, it is for the express purpose of bringing us to the truth. If we return to Paul’s focus on the end times, reading through Daniel and Revelation shows the restraint of the Holy Spirit as God tries to bring the unsaved to Jesus. God holds back and holds back in the hope that all will come to know Christ. Some of the saddest verses in Revelation revolve around this time period, when God is reaching out but people continue to ignore Him or even worse, curse Him, even as they do today.

 

In our lives God will often work in the same way. Temptation or wickedness may be knocking at the door of our heart. God restrains evil forces from overwhelming us, but He expects us to make correct choices. After time, the second aspect of His character must come forth - God as Revealer.
 

During the last days God will eventually allow the antichrist full power to reveal the truth of who he is. People will believe his lies until God reveals the truth. Unfortunately death, pain, destruction, and devastation will accompany this truth. The same is often true in our lives. If we continue to ignore the truth of a situation, God will eventually stop restraining the evil. When He does, the truth is revealed, and while it is painful we still have the ability to choose to walk away from the evil.

 

Let me give you an example. My friend, I call her Debbie, developed a relationship with a woman in her church whom I’ll call Donna. Several people warned Debbie to be careful because Donna was known to be controlling and manipulative. Debbie, however, saw neither of those characteristics at work and continued to pursue the relationship and defend Donna at every turn. God was restraining the evil in Donna and using His people to try to deliver Debbie from this unhealthy relationship, but Debbie simply could not see it. Finally, one day, God stopped restraining and began revealing. Donna turned on Debbie severely, exposing her control and manipulation as well as betrayal and destruction.

 

Debbie was hurt considerably, but God encouraged her, taught her, and picked her back up again. She experienced God as the Restrainer and Revealer and as a result, she discovered His sovereignty in a fresh way.

 

In what situation may God be working to open your eyes in a new way? Has the “bottom fallen out” in some area? Has some relationship turned sour or ugly? Has a dream been dashed? When our spirits are crushed we especially need Him as our Sovereign Revealer. He alone knows all things and He alone can comfort us in the times of hard truth. 
 

In your own words, what does it mean that God is sovereign?
When in your life has God’s timing seemed “perfect” to you?
When in your life has God’s timing worked out in a way that really surprised you?
In what areas of your life do you struggle with God’s timing?

 

Scriptures for further study:
The word “sovereign” describes God 294 times throughout the NIV translation. Reading the context of these proclamations can be a great faith builder. We’ll list a few to get you started.
Genesis 15; Joshua 7; 2 Samuel 7; Isaiah 50; Jeremiah 32; Ezekiel 13; Daniel 4:17, 25, 32; Luke 2:25 32.

 

I love studying the story of Armageddon in Revelation. Because of movies made and books written on the subject I expected a long, drawn out dissertation in God’s Word. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the entire battle barely requires a paragraph! Victory is God’s nature, and He intends it for all His children, including you.

 

God wins easily. Paul explained the Lord’s victory over the lawless one in verse 8 saying, “the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.” So basically Jesus shows up and breathes to defeat the enemy. Though Paul is speaking here of the end times, God invites us to allow Him to win in our lives every day. When battles invade our lives, Jesus wins in the same way. Let Him come. Let Him breathe on the problems and frustrations, the hurts and fears, the pain and confusion. 
 

How? Begin with His Word. The Bible is the breath of His mouth. Let Him speak into your life through His Word. Start your day with it, carry it with you wherever you go (in your heart and literally if possible), and close your day with it as well.

 

Be intentional with God’s Word. As you saturate your heart and life with it, listen for God’s voice and application to your unique circumstances. Jesus is the Word (John 1). The Bible is His presence and His breath that promises victory. Though at times the Word is sharp and corrective, it is always good and right. Don’t wait for a battle. Let Him encourage you today.

How often do you open His Word to experience the breath of His mouth and the splendor of His coming?

 

God wins mightily. The splendor of His coming implies forcefulness. God doesn’t accidentally win or win by default. He wins deliberately and with power. These verses describe some of the wickedness He is up against, and none can withstand Him. Retain this lesson for your daily life. There is nothing too difficult for Jesus. He is never outnumbered, out resourced, or outmaneuvered. He wins easily and mightily. What battles are you facing today? Who or what are you turning to for help?

 

God wins truthfully. The root problem of those who perish is described by Paul as, “they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (verse 10). God does not need mind games or lies to defeat the powers of darkness. He often uses parables, discipline, and visuals to teach us, but He never lies or resorts to the enemy’s tactics. When we find ourselves on the losing end of a battle we must examine our heart for truth. 
 

When the antichrist comes he will espouse one lie after another. He will promise people the world and affirm whatever they want to hear. He will have no commitment to the truth, and those lies will lead to the destruction of all who believe him. As we live our daily lives waiting for Christ’s return we face the same challenge. Liars abound. We must be discerning and thorough. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). See Him and you will know truth and victory.

 

God wins fairly. Verse 11 sounds harsh and unfair, but God embodies neither of those characteristics. He only sends a powerful delusion to those who have chosen the lies as their lifestyle. These verses let us know that He made every effort to reveal truth, but some people just will not accept it. To those who knowingly and consistently refuse the truth He simply gives more of what they request. God wins “fair and square” as the saying goes. Once again, these lessons apply not only to the end times but also to today. People are “dying” in their marriages, parenting, jobs, and relationships because they refuse to love the truth, they refuse every attempt by the Almighty to intervene and bring light, and eventually, to His sadness I am sure, He accommodates them.

 

What battle do you need to trust Him with today? What battle do you feel like you are losing? God wins and He wins easily, mightily, truthfully, and fairly. However, do no misinterpret this to mean He will always perform the way you decide. Experiencing His victory requires faith in His character and dependence on Him completely. Ask Him to show you how He wants to win each particular battle in your life. He is sovereign, He knows best, and you will find no better encourager to see you through to the end.

 

Questions for further study: 

Is anything too hard for the Lord? (see Genesis 18:14 and Jeremiah 32)
What situations in your life seemed “too hard” before the Lord brought victory?
What situations in your life seem “too hard” right now?
Why do we find it easy to believe lies sometimes?
What tempts us to avoid or dismiss the truth at times?
What battle do you need to hand over to God today?

 

Scriptures for further study: on victory: Deuteronomy 20:4; Joshua 10:10; 2 Samuel 8:6;
Psalm 18:35; Psalm 44:6-7; Psalm 60:12; Matthew 12:20; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4-5; Romans 8:37-39.

 

On the end times/the second coming: Ezekiel 28:1-10; Daniel 7:25, 8:23-25, 9:25-27,11:36-45; Isaiah 14:13-14, 11:1-5; Luke 17:20-37; 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; Matthew 24; 1 Timothy 4:3; Revelation 13:1-18; 19:11-16, 19-21.

 

God Loves You (Read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17)
Any teaching on the encouragement of God would be incomplete without this most beloved and life-changing cheer: God loves you! Paul has said it over and over in these two letters, and verse 13 reiterates again that the Thessalonians (and you!) are “loved by the Lord.” It’s easy to surmise, actually, that verses 13-17 contain Paul’s primary focus in this letter. After so much persecution, misunderstanding, and fear, I sense Paul crying out, “Please don’t get sidetracked! God loves you!  Don’t let anyone steal from your relationship with Him!”