Verse 5
Paul explained that suffering for Christ demonstrates the believer’s worthiness to participate in God’s kingdom. A hot fire under gold ore separates the gold from the dross and shows the gold to be what it really is. Likewise the fire of trials can separate the Christian from the unsaved and show him to be what he really is. He is what he is by God’s grace. It is God’s grace that qualifies a person for heaven, not suffering. Suffering, if properly responded to, only exposes the quality of the person whom God’s grace is transforming.
Paul taught elsewhere that God will reward Christians who endure temptations to abandon their commitment to Jesus Christ with the privilege of reigning with Christ in His millennial kingdom (2 Timothy 2:12). Whereas all Christians will return to earth with Christ at His second coming and enter His kingdom, only those who follow Him faithfully in this life will reign with Him. [Note: See Zane C. Hodges, Grace in Eclipse, pp. 69-77.]
"Jesus encouraged his disciples to rejoice when they were persecuted for his sake because, he said, ’your reward is great in heaven’ (Matthew 5:11-12 par. Luke 6:22-23). This note recurs again and again throughout the NT." [Note: F. F. Bruce, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, p. 154.]
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