2 Thessalonians 1:6 - Good Guys and Bad Guys

2 Thessalonians 1:6 "since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you," (ESV)

When I was a young boy growing up, I used to watch television more than I should have. One of my favorites on television was cowboy movies.....particularly Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, and Gene Autry.

It was always clear in those programs who were the bad guys and who were on the side of good. I'd take just one look at Roy Rogers, and I knew that the man was good........just look at his smile...........his fancy horse. I loved the way Hopalong Cassidy would ride into the scene and command control of it with his presence................dark outfit...........fancy holsters and guns........silver white hair.....a voice that was deep and resonate. Then there was Gene Autry...............who it seemed was smiling most of the time......and who would pal-up with the likes of Gabby Hayes.........only a good guy could love Gabby.

The bad guys were pretty consistently grizzled..............rode ordinary horses..........drank a lot..........and seemed to slither on and off the screen.

The bad guys, it was obvious, were the bad guys...........the good guys were the good. That's the way it was back then. To some extent, life somewhat mirrored what we saw on the screen or so it seemed through a young child's eyes.

As I grew older, the situation changed. It began to be harder to see who was the good guy and who was the bad........even movies blurred the distinction between those opposites. I'm sure some of that change in perception had to do with my growing older, but I think, too, some of it relates to society changing.

Social misfits and malcontents were made heroes............good guys were often painted as naïve and out of touch.

Today it's even more difficult to tell the difference in some cases. It almost seems like a daily occurrence to pick up the paper or turn on the nightly news and see a story about someone doing well in life at the expense of others. And there are probably many more there that I don't see.

When I read tonight's scripture, however, it brought home to me that no matter how good someone is at fooling others......the Lord can't be fooled.........and no matter if the bad guys seem to be getting ahead...........the Lord will someday "repay with affliction those who afflict" others.

In the final analysis good will triumph over evil............that decision has already been made on a Cross 2,000 years ago at Calvary.

Love in Jesus,

Jim

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"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." (1 Corinthians 12:18 NASB)

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."

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This devotional was originally posted on CCI-Devo - Daily Group Devotionals on January 6, 2004 in post #448. It was written by Jim Ross, a former United Pentecostal Church member, who attends Christian Challenge International, the sponsor of the devotional group. The devotional is the copyright of Jim Ross and is reprinted on this site by permission.

Page added April 14, 2006

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