The Christians in Thessalonica were being persecuted. They were suffering for the Gospel's sake. Most of us are aware of the intense persecution that Christians suffered at the hands of the Roman Empire during the first few centuries of the Christian Era.

Because the saints in Thessalonica responded to their suffering with patience and faith the Apostle Paul was able to boast of them to the other churches.

It may be noticed that Paul did not comfort them by telling them they would not be permitted to suffer. Paul was pointing toward their godly response to their suffering and promising them that Christ would come and destroy their enemies.

The sufferings that come upon us are the judgment of God on our personality. It is through these sufferings that we are changed and made worthy of the Kingdom of God.

Our change and our worthiness depend on our response to the persecutions and tribulations. If we murmur, complain, grumble, blame people through whom we think our trouble is coming, as did Israel in the wilderness, we will not be found worthy of the Kingdom. We will not be changed in personality. We will not share in the Kingdom of Christ unless we continue through the wilderness patiently and joyously until the Lord returns.

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:14)

Peter states that we are saved with difficulty.

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (I Peter 4:18)

In what way are the righteous saved with difficulty?

We are saved with difficulty in that our nature is so full of sin, God is obliged to send fiery sufferings upon us. When He does we do not always choose to abide patiently and cheerfully under the correction of God. We complain and rebel because of our pain and frustrations.

The Spirit of the Lord works patiently with us. The Lord chastens every son in this manner that he might be a partaker of God's holiness and walk in the peaceable ways of righteousness. The fire of suffering burns the sin and self-seeking out of his personality.

If we refuse and rebel we will find ourselves in a barren desert. If we continue to defy the Lord, not repenting and seeking His forgiveness and deliverance, we will never ride with Him in His Day.

We always, like the Apostle Paul, ought to pray that God will remove our suffering. Sometimes our problems are not coming from the Lord and we will be delivered if we pray.

On other occasions no matter how much we pray the difficulties do not disappear. But we do receive the grace to forgive others and to praise the Lord as we continue to walk carefully before Him.

The Lord will return, and when He does He shall bring vengeance upon our enemies. In that Day we will be revealed together with Him provided we have profited from the numerous tribulations through which we are entering the Kingdom of God.

To be continued.