2 Thess 1:5-10. Living Today in Eternity’s Future Glory.Thursday July 20, 2023
Theme: The uncovering of the Lord Jesus from heaven at His second coming will end the trend of history since the fall of man and turn the governments onto His shoulders.
To finally reveal to the world, visibly, bodily, and unmistakably, what we have been telling the world for centuries is one of the blessed hopes of every believer.
The Lord Jesus is currently hidden in heaven.
What we really are is hidden with Him.
When He is revealed, we will be revealed with Him.
Until that time, we are to walk in a manner worthy of that entire revelation of Him and us.
Col 3:1-4 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Col 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
Col 3:5 are the things that the world, Jesus is going to judge and destroy, openly loves.
Why would we think any of it could do us any good? Why would we think that we should not vehemently reject all of it?
1Pe 4:1-6 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God [worthy of 2Th 1:5]. 3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
Notice how in all of these passages there is the old life, the new life, and the coming Lord (1Pe 1; 4:12-13).
Col 3:6-11 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
The renewal of the new self is the increase of faith, love, and endurance (hope).
Col 3:12-17 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Hope – currently and joyously living in the manner of what the world does not yet see.
All believers are burdened with a soul that consistently faces a longing for something to come but in the mean time being content to live in the manner of what we are yet to see. The word for it is hope.
2Th 1:3-8 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; 4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5 This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Our persecutors are willfully ignorant of the coming Lord and all that will come with Him (holy ones – angels and us).
In vs. 7 we have the apokalupsis of the Lord Jesus – the uncovering of Him from heaven.
This is His second coming.
1Co 1:4-8 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christianity, there is a looking ahead to the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is to overwhelm all failings and sufferings. Faith and endurance are oriented toward the future salvation at the coming of the Lord Jesus from heaven.
And since vengeance (repay) comes with Him, we are not to take vengeance and no even judge.
1Co 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.
1Pe 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
To know that soon we will stand in the presence of the King motivates in us holy behavior.
1Pe 1:13-16 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
As Paul is relating to the Thessalonians, our suffering for the sake of Christ is temporary in the temporary world, the current course of which may not outlast today.
1Pe 4:12-13 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
2Th 2:8-10 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance (epiphaneia) of His coming (Parousia); 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
We look forward to this appearing of our Lord, when we will find relief and we will see and wonder in ourselves how the Lord Jesus is glorified in us, seeing the glory of His face and His power. Then we compare that with this much darker life and the suffering that we currently face. We weigh them both in the balance and what do we conclude?
Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
The coming of Christ is accordingly called the “revealing of the sons of God” - i.e. being revealed as the sons of God, invested with his glory.
Rom 8:19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
2Th 1:9-10 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed — for our testimony to you was believed.
Isa 40:3-5 A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 "Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
The whole world will see the One we have been proclaiming since the beginning of the church.
Act 3:19-21 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”
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