If the Lord would be admired in the saints at his coming, from where would this admiration come? When Peter and John spoke boldly before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:1-12, the Jewish authorities took note of it, knowing they were not learned men. Therefore, they accounted for their boldness in that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Thus, the Lord’s enemies, however reluctantly, admired Jesus in his disciples at that time. In the same manner it would be the enemies of the Lord who would admire him in his disciples at his coming.
For a whole generation the disciples of Jesus had been preaching judgment upon Jerusalem and the Temple. They had done this during a time when Rome favored the Jews and had appointed more high priests out of the family of Annas (who had Jesus crucified) than any other important Jewish family. Thus, at least implying, Rome didn’t believe the testimony of the Apostles and showed their disagreement by allowing Annas’ family to rule the Jews more than any other Jewish family during the first century AD. Therefore, when the rebellion actually occurred, and the Jews had been defeated, just as the writers of the New Covenant Scriptures had been preaching, however reluctantly it was done, everyone who knew what the disciples of the Lord had predicted, couldn’t help but admire Jesus (the Judge) in the disciples who remained faithful to him. So, more than any other time prior to 70 AD the disciple of Jesus had the world’s ear. They were at least curious and, therefore, willing to listen to what else they had to say.
Therefore, Paul told the believers at Thessalonica that he continually prayed they would respond favorably to their calling, and, in doing so, that the power of the Lord would rest upon them and enable their every desire for goodness along with each of their works of faith (2Thessalonians 1:11).
Paul continually pressed on toward the mark of his own high calling, which was to fulfill the purpose for which he was called (Philippians 3:14; Galatians 1:16; 2:9; cp. Matthew 28:19-20). It wasn’t that Paul had a higher calling than other believers, but, rather, any calling from the Lord was high, in that it was a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1). The Lord had called all believers and set them apart from the world for the purpose of serving him, not for the purpose of working out what they might desire in this world (cp. 1Thessalonians 4:7). In other words, the life the believer once had was, for all intents and purposes, dead, because the life he now lived belonged to Christ and was to be lived out in faith (Galatians 2:20). So, what Christ said he would do through all his disciples, he would continually do, no matter what power opposed them (cp. 1Corinthians 1:8-9).
Herein, the Lord, Jesus, is glorified and we in him (2Thessalonians 1:12). That is, when the believer accepts his position apart from the world (his sanctification, his being set apart by God) and counts his own life and his own desires loss for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:7-8), Jesus is glorified. Put another way, Jesus lived his life on earth to glorify and honor his father, if believers have truly ended their rebellion against God (cp. 2Corinthians 5:17-19) and trust in Christ, they would imitate Jesus, becoming his image (cp. Genesis 1:27) by reflecting the very same thing in their own lives that he lived out in his. Of course, this can’t be done simply through our own efforts (1Corinthians 2:4-5; 10:4-5). Rather, believers trust that the Lord will enable their every good desire (i.e. one that fulfills his will) and work of faith, or, in other words, our success is due the grace of God (cp. 2Thessalonians 1:11-12).
Smoodock's Blog 