1:6 上帝既是公義的,就必將患難報應那加患難給你們的人,
1:7 也必使你們這受患難的人與我們同得平安。那時,主耶穌同他有能力的天使從天上在火焰中顯現,
1:8 要報應那不認識上帝和那不聽從我主耶穌福音的人。
1:9 他們要受刑罰,就是永遠沉淪,離開主的面和他權能的榮光。
1:10 這正是主降臨、要在他聖徒的身上得榮耀、又在一切信的人身上顯為希奇的那日子。我們對你們作的見證,你們也信了。
God is just: He will pay back trouble to
those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as
well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing
fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do
not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting
destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be
marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you
believed our testimony to you.
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這裡說道主耶穌再來的日子,信與不信福音之人的不同下場:「得榮耀」和「受刑罰」。你要站在哪一方呢?
當然你會認為上帝不公平。但是,其實人本來的下場是:「受刑罰」,因為人犯罪。信福音是因為受上帝的恩典,所以才可以「得榮耀」。
雖然「得榮耀」和「受刑罰」是上帝決定的。但是為甚麼要自取滅亡站立在「受刑罰」這一方,向上帝抗議而自取滅亡。為何不站立在「得榮耀」這一方,存感謝的心領受上帝的救恩呢?