"THE CHRISTIAN’S BLESSED HOPE"

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;” 

(Titus 2: 13)

14th Athens Filipino Church of God Anniversary.

 

The Christian’’s ‘‘blessed hope’, referred to in Titus 2:13, is the imminent, personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word ‘‘hope’’ in the New Testament does not imply uncertainty; it means a ‘‘joyful and confident expectation’, based upon the promise of our Lord Himself (John 14:3). The signs of the times suggest that the coming of the Lord is imminent; the Bible clearly indicates that His coming will be personal.
This is a thrilling subject, yet sadly there are many Christians who are not looking for the return of the Lord. Today, in this 14^th Athens Filipino COG  Anniversary, I want to suggest seven reasons why every Christian should be familiar with and should rejoice in the ‘blessed hope’’ of the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. BECAUSE THIS SUBJECT SO INTIMATELY CONCERNS THE LORD JESUS HIMSELF         

                                                             

We must beware of becoming more occupied with the event than with the Person who is coming! Scattered throughout the Word of God there are scores of details concerning the time, manner and place of His return; but the most thrilling aspect of the whole subject is that HE is coming –- our Lord Jesus Himself! Three special New Testament references emphasise this:-

(1)The Saviour’s Declaration - (John 14:3) - ‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

(2)The Angel’s Confirmation –- (Acts 1:9-11) – ‘And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

(3) The Apostle’s Explanation –- (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) –– “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

As it is the Lord Himself who is coming, we as His followers should not only be familiar with the fact but also be on the lookout for Him.

2. BECAUSE THIS SUBJECT SO DEFINITELY RELATES TO EVERY BELIEVER       

Every Christian is going to Heaven, but how are we to get there? The ‘spirits’’ of the ‘dead in Christ’’are already with Christ, ‘which is better by far’(Philippians 1:23); but we are not going to spend eternity as disembodied spirits (2 Corinthians 5:3-4); one day we shall have a new body like His own. But how and when will this take place? 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 makes it clear that the resurrection of the dead in Christ’and the transformation and translation of all living believers takes place at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

3. BECAUSE THIS SUBJECT COMPLETELY DOMINATES BIBLICAL REVELATION                                                                                 

Many of the Old Testament prophecies are taken up with the final triumph of Christ and of His reign. They were not fulfilled at His first coming, when He came as a babe in weakness and when He suffered and died for us; they await fulfilment at His second coming. Again, there are many more prophecies in the Old Testament relating to the second coming of Christ than to His first coming. The subject of the second coming of Christ dominates biblical revelation! If we acknowledge the authority of the Bible we must be convinced about the glorious fact of His return, and when we come to the New Testament, the second coming is mentioned 318 times, or approximately once in every 25 verses!

4. BECAUSE THIS SUBJECT POWERFULLY AFFECTS CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND CONDUCT                                                                  

 If we believe that Jesus is coming again, we shall be different in what we are and do. There is no greater incentive to holy living than the truth that at any moment He may return. When we believe this it is:-

(1) An incentive to WATCH (Matthew 25:13) “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

(2) An incentive to SEPARATION (Titus 2:11-14) “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

(3) An incentive to PATIENCE (James 5:7-8) “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

(4) An incentive to CONTINUE IN HIM (1 John 2:28) “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.»

(5) An incentive to DILIGENCE (Revelation 3:11) “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

(6) An incentive to PURITY (1 John 3:2-3) “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

How carefully we would live and serve if we did so in the light of His coming!

5. BECAUSE THIS SUBJECT RADICALLY INFLUENCES CHRISTIAN SERVICE                                                                                          

 The truth of the second coming of Christ spurs us on to faithfulness and gives our service a sense of urgency; moreover, it safeguards us against a wrong objective in Christian service. If we believe Christ is coming, we shall pray and work for the evangelization of the world and the completion of the Church (Acts 15:14-18), which is God’s plan for this dispensation. “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,’ saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.”

6. BECAUSE THIS SUBJECT OBVIOUSLY RELATES TO WORLDWIDE EVENTS        

 The second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the only solution to the problems and perplexities of our collapsing civilization. No man, politician, government or scientist can solve the present situation - but God has a solution. His Man, the Man Christ Jesus, will come from the throne of Glory and will set up His reign and rule of righteousness, and all the signs of the times - religious, political, industrial, commercial etc. – – point to the fact that His coming is very near.

7. BECAUSE THIS SUBJECT PERFECTLY CURES THE TROUBLED HEART            

 It is significant that our Lord’s promise to return is set within the context of His promise of Heaven and His desire that we should have hearts free from trouble (John 14:1-3) “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”We need to understand and apply this cure for troubled hearts. Is there anything more comforting than this glorious truth of His assured and near return? –- look up 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18.
The ‘blessed hope’’of the Christian is the imminent, personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. To each one of us who loves Him He says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’, to which our hearts respond, ‘‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!’’ (Revelation 22:20).