Marsha's Musings: Stuff of Life/The Wrath of God

I noticed that I have not written any musings since June 24.  So I guess I need to get back in the saddle.

I've been preoccupied with some things and so have neglected to write.  I would covet your prayers for my husband and I as we work though some important issues together and establish some new habits together.

We've had a heat wave and have been busy with many activities.  It is summer!!!

I have so many things on my to do list!!!  I wish I could figure out how to keep it from growing so much!  Any thoughts?

I'm starting the day off with a deficit of sleep, thanks to an early morning announcement from DJ that a thunder storm was on the way and then the actual storm that lasted about an hour.

My Quiet Time Thoughts:

...so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 ESV)

Even though I have already read through 1 & 2 Thessalonians, I see that I have only posted blog comments for the first 6 verses.  So I will go back and reread the two books and post my thoughts on my reading as I go.

Things I notice here:

1.Paul commends the Thessalonians because their faith is so strong it has become the talk of the town and the region beyond.

What an encouragment that must have been to Paul and the other Christians! I would be curious to know what it was that they did or said that gained them this reputation.

2.They turned to God from Idols.  Perhaps this is what gained them the reputation mention in #1.  If serving idols was a big deal there and they suddenly quit, I suppose that would make quite a stir.  

What would it take for Christians in our country to have their faith widly noticed and talked about?  

3. What did they replace their worship of idols with?

a. Serving the true and living God

b. Waiting for His Son Jesus to return from heaven

What should we know about Jesus from this passage?

a. Jesus is in heaven & will retuen

b. God raised Jesus from the dead

c. Jesus delievers us from the wrath to come

Have you ever thought about this last point?  What is salvation?  What do most churches and tracts teach that it is?  Here is what I remember from a few places I have been:

1. Jesus saves you from your sin

2.Jesus saves you from yourself

3. Jesus saves you from a failed marriage

4. Jesus saves you from the troubles in your life

Is this what it means to be saved?  Are these things that we are saved from and that we should promote coming to Christ for to people?  Are there people who "come to Christ" for these reasons who are never really saved, but only go through the motions?

You rarely hear or pick up a gospel tract that warns people that they need to be saved from the wrath of God to come. Yet if you read Romans 1, this last verse here and many other passages the wrath of God is mentioned numerous times in Scripture.  

People have so focused on the love of God that they have excluded the other side of the coin which is His wrath against sinners.  

When you neuter salvation of God's wrath, then salvation really isn't salvation at all.  It becomes a false Gospel.