And to wait for his Son from heaven
The Lord Jesus Christ, who is the natural, essential, and eternal
Son of God; and whoever is truly converted, is not only turned to
God the Father, and believes in him; but also believes in,
receives, embraces, and professes his Son Jesus Christ; who
became incarnate, and, in the human nature he assumed, obeyed,
suffered, and died and rose again, and ascended into heaven,
where he now is, and will be till the time of the restitution of
all things; when he will descend from thence, and come and judge
the world in righteousness; and from thence the saints expect
him, and look and wait by faith for eternal glory and happiness
by him, and with him at his appearance and kingdom; so that many
articles of faith are contained in this expression, which these
Thessalonians were acquainted with, believed, and acted upon: and
Christ the Son of God is further described as that person
whom he raised from the dead;
that is, God the Father raised from the dead, and whereby he was
declared to be the Son of God; and which supposes his dying for
the sins of his people, as it expresses his rising again for
their justification; things which the faith of these believers
was led unto, and in which light they viewed him:
even Jesus, which delivered us from wrath to
come;
which is revealed from heaven against sin, and comes upon the
children of disobedience; which all men are deserving of, even
God's elect themselves, but shall not partake of, because they
are not appointed to it, but to salvation; and because they are
justified by the blood and righteousness of Christ, and so are
saved from it; not from all fears about it, and apprehensions of
it, which they are filled with, especially under first
awakenings, and sometimes afterwards when under afflictive
providences; but they are delivered from the thing itself, by
which is meant vindictive punishment, even from all punishment in
this life, for there is no wrath mixed with any of their mercies
or their chastisements; and from all punishment in the world to
come, which will fall heavy on others; and that because Christ
has bore their sins, and the wrath of God and curse of the law,
due unto them, in their room and stead.