Our Blessed Hope

Titus 2:13, "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

This has always been one of my favorite verses of scripture. As we saw is our series on Israel last week the imminent return of Jesus Christ for His church, what we call the rapture, could occur a anytime. As I tell our congregation often, the only thing keeping Jesus from returning today is that in God's perfect plan, their are still people alive today He knows will be saved. But are we living our lives as if Jesus could call His body home at any time?

Absent Doctrine

Many churches and pastors don't seem to view this doctrine of Christ's imminent return as important anymore. God certainly believed it was important, as in the Old and New Testament the rapture and second coming of Christ are mentioned nearly 2000 times. The only doctrine discussed more in scripture is faith. Yet in many churches and pulpits we hardly hear teaching or preaching on the subject.

Their are several reasons for this. First, their is disagreement even among conservative scholars on when the rapture will occur. Some believe it will occur right before Christ's second coming at the end of the tribulation period. Others at the mid-point of the tribulation, after 3 1/2 years. I personally believe in was is called the pre-tribulation rapture. That we, being beloved as God's children, will not be subjected to the wrath of God reserved for the ungodly. I believe verses such at Revelation 3:10 and 1 Thessalonians 5:9 clearly teach this. But many shy away from the subject due to the uncertainty.

Secondly, and sadly, many believers are simply not biblically literate enough to truly grasp prophetic teaching. While the solution would seem to call for expository teaching to give the people the knowledge they lack, it is still avoided many times. This accentuates the third reason we'll mention here, the lack of preachers and teachers who are willing to go deep into God's word with their people. Exposition of scripture(verse by verse teaching) requires alot of study on the teachers part and a hunger on the believers part to truly know the whole council of God. This desire to engage in the study of deeper doctrine is lacking in many believers and pulpits.

It is no secret in the church today many want an "easy believism," teaching and preaching that does not challenge or offend them. They want lessons and messages to have appeal and application to them, and be something that does not last to long and does not require much thinking or action on there part. When speaking with a friend of mine about his church, he described it as an "easy Jesus" church. The church environment made him feel good, but lacked teaching of the things in the bible that the Holy Spirit wants us to know and help us in truly changing and living as Christ would have us live.

Sense of Urgency

The bible is roughly 30% prophecy, either fulfilled prophecy or prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled. That's alot of the bible to barely touch upon. Prophecy is so prominent in the bible as God wants us to know His plan, and He gives us a general outline on future events that we can be assured will occur. While we may lack many of the details of exactly how God will bring everything about, we do not lack information on what will ultimately happen.

But prophecy also is so prominent as God wants us joyfully and fearfully, with great anticipation, looking for the return of Jesus. We are told throughout scripture to be expectantly watching and earnestly prepared for the "appearing" of Jesus. Jesus Himself says He will come as a "thief in the night," that we do not know when, so that we will be continuously looking to Him with our eyes, hearts and the lives that we live.

The verses that surround Titus 2:13 communicate this to us. Titus 2:11-12 tell us, "For the grace of God has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age." This is how we should be living, so the question is HOW do we accomplish this. Well, Titus 2:13 is the verse that follows, and it tells us to be looking for Jesus. If we are faithfully and expectantly looking for the return of Christ, realizing He could return at any time, we should be properly motivated to be living in an obedient and pleasing way for Him.

And why should we do this? Well, Titus 2:14 tells us, "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." We live how Jesus said we should by embracing the reality He could return this very day. We do this because of what He has done for us. So as we go about our daily lives here on earth, let us remain constantly focused upon our eternal home, heaven, and our king, Jesus. With this perspective, our hearts will be exactly where God wants them.