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2 Thessalonians 1:5
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5 Which is a manifest token [endeigma] of the righteous [dikaios] judgment [krisis] of God, [theos] that [eis] ye [humas] may be counted worthy [kataxioo] of the kingdom [basileia] of God, [theos] for [huper] which [hos] ye [pascho] also [kai] suffer: [pascho] KJV-Interlinear
5 This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. NASB
The word for token, ‘endeigma,’ means proof.
The suffering that Christians must endure in life, come from all sorts of circumstances. Suffering is not limited to medical problems, or handicap problems, or emotional problems, or economic, or prejudicial problems. But suffering in this world comes from the world’s rejection of God, and of truth.
Whether you have practical experience in suffering, whether your suffering is direct, whether your suffering is indirect, is all irrelevant. You receive no merit from whatever brand of suffering that is real or imagined in your life.
Gods policy is truth. Satans policy is evil. The world is a symbolic term referencing the environment in which Satans policy is functioning. The world is often referred to as the carnal or temporal or physical realm. Gods realm is the spiritual realm.
Thus the world is symbolism for an environment which operates outside of and with total disregard to, Gods truth.
Gods truth is more than simply believing in Christ, it includes the many sciences such as mathematics and physics and chemistry and so forth. God invented the universe and all of the laws or rules that run it. But truth also includes the many principles which govern society, such as the laws of divine establishment (volition, marriage, family, nationalism, free enterprise, economic principles, law by due process, freedom through military victory, and so forth).
For every principle of truth, there is an equal and opposite principle or group of lies, opposing truth. All of these opposing viewpoints, present confusion and ambiguity in society. The only way to sort it all out is through a knowledge of truth. Thus discernment, or the ability to see the difference between the lies of life and the truth of life, is through an understanding of Bible doctrine.
When society adopts truth, then blessings result. When society adopts lies, then suffering results in the many forms of prejudice, unfairness, crimes, sins, difficulties in life, etc., etc., etc. Suffering is a broad term which applies to all of humanity, whether rich or poor, regardless of color or culture, talent of lack of it.
And because the world operates with an unfair script, then judgment by God is inevitable. Evil and the suffering that accompanies it, will not go on forever, but will one day, be ended by God.
You, as a believer living in this world are living proof, ‘endeigma,’ that judgment will come and all suffering will cease.
By understanding that this is the devils world, that evil rules, that society has an inclination toward evil and therefore is generally anti-God, then suffering is inevitable for your life. God does not bring evil and suffering upon you, but God sustains you through the circumstances that you will meet, while He allows you to grow up in your spiritual life and develop your faith to the maximum.
Now, in some things you do not have to experience them in order to know how they will end, like falling off the top of a ten story building. But in the spiritual life, experiences in suffering are required in order for you to gain an understanding of how the world works, without God in it. This helps you to build up an empathy for others, an understanding of evil, and certainly helps you to grow up in your spiritual life.
Those who blame God because of their sufferings, fall prey to the trickery of the world.
Those who adhere to their faith through doctrine, gain a status of ‘worthy,’ ‘spiritually esteemed,’ ‘good and faithful servant,’ and their afflictions, while not earning reward, make one qualified for reward because of your faith.
You cannot work your way into heaven. You cannot earn your way into heaven. You cannot bring suffering upon yourself in order to prove your worthiness. Human works, human efforts have no value whatsoever.
Only Gods work has value, intrinsic value. Mans efforts stop at the cross and Gods grace rules from that point on.
Your suffering exists because you live in the devils world. Your worth exists because, and only because, of the doctrine resident in your soul.
