Looking for the Blessed Hope
Paul tells us that “the grace of God […] has appeared […] teaching” (Titus 2:11-12). What this grace teaches is incredibly important, for this is not just any grace but “the grace […] that brings salvation.” God’s saving, teaching grace instructs us negatively (to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts”) and positively (to “live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age”). However, it also guides us towards an important goal: “we should live […] looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
I was born in the southwest corner of the southern peninsula of Michigan and spent the first few years of my life there. I remember distinctly the powerful thunderstorms that would roll off the lake and unleash their might and fury on my small town. I remember waking up at least once to the flashes of lightning and peels of thunder and thinking that Jesus had returned. It was “glorious,” for sure, but it filled me with terror instead of “blessed hope.”
I had this experience because even though I had heard the teaching surrounding Jesus’ second coming, I had not understood it as an expression of “the grace of God that brings salvation.” This is not to say that the prospect of the Lord’s coming should always inspire the same emotion. In fact, the coming of the Lord is a fearful thing to those who “know not God […] and […] do not obey the gospel.” To them, Jesus will come “in flaming fire taking vengeance” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). However, even in the context of that truth, God’s teaching grace describes the prospect of Jesus’ coming as something that should have given the “troubled rest” (2 Thessalonians 1:7).
The devil hates God’s saving, teaching grace. He wants very much for us to dwell in a place of fear, for fear is the enemy of saving faith. Though fear can be initially motivating (Jude 1:23), if it is allowed to dwell in our hearts, it will rob us of our confidence and drive us towards inactivity. The one talent man in Jesus’ parable confessed, “I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25:25). Fearful inactivity places us alongside of “the demons” who “believe – and tremble” (James 2:19). No, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” and, “perfect love casts out fear” (2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18).
As grace teaches us, it not only guides us to look for the “appearing of […] Jesus” but to see it as a “blessed hope.” This is because it guides us to transform our behavior even as we trust in God. Those who allow teaching grace to shape and mold them are freed from fear and inspired with confidence. To them, the coming of Jesus is not to judge but to reward. Paul saw the second coming as a day when he would receive “the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8). This vision seen through the eye of faith was not for him “only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” Note, Jesus does not reward those who have feared His appearing in life but those who have loved it.
We could learn a lot about where faith should take us by reflecting upon Paul or upon John who prayed relative to Jesus’ coming, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). However, another worthy goal would be to develop the faith of Simeon. Simeon did not live to see the resurrection let alone the second coming. Instead, he waited his entire life to see the first coming of Jesus, to see the birth of “the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). Simeon knew that Jesus would usher in judgment that would reveal “the thoughts of many hearts” (Luke 3:35). He knew His coming was “destined for the fall […] of many in Israel” (Luke 3:35). However, grace still taught Simeon that the coming of the Lord was “peace […] salvation […] light […] glory […] and [the] rising of many” (Luke 3:29-34). Simeon was right; even when the Lord comes in judgment, He always also brings these things.
What does the Second Coming of Jesus mean to you? For some, it is a day that inspires false confidence because though they have been active for the Lord they have not been obedient to His will (Matthew 7:21-23). For others, it is a day that inspires fear either because grace has not yet had a chance to teach them what Jesus’ coming truly means or because they have chosen to dwell in inactive fear rather than in obedient faith. For those in whom saving, teaching grace has formed saving faith, the coming of the Lord is a “blessed hope.”
I was born in the southwest corner of the southern peninsula of Michigan and spent the first few years of my life there. I remember distinctly the powerful thunderstorms that would roll off the lake and unleash their might and fury on my small town. I remember waking up at least once to the flashes of lightning and peels of thunder and thinking that Jesus had returned. It was “glorious,” for sure, but it filled me with terror instead of “blessed hope.”
I had this experience because even though I had heard the teaching surrounding Jesus’ second coming, I had not understood it as an expression of “the grace of God that brings salvation.” This is not to say that the prospect of the Lord’s coming should always inspire the same emotion. In fact, the coming of the Lord is a fearful thing to those who “know not God […] and […] do not obey the gospel.” To them, Jesus will come “in flaming fire taking vengeance” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). However, even in the context of that truth, God’s teaching grace describes the prospect of Jesus’ coming as something that should have given the “troubled rest” (2 Thessalonians 1:7).
The devil hates God’s saving, teaching grace. He wants very much for us to dwell in a place of fear, for fear is the enemy of saving faith. Though fear can be initially motivating (Jude 1:23), if it is allowed to dwell in our hearts, it will rob us of our confidence and drive us towards inactivity. The one talent man in Jesus’ parable confessed, “I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25:25). Fearful inactivity places us alongside of “the demons” who “believe – and tremble” (James 2:19). No, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” and, “perfect love casts out fear” (2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18).
As grace teaches us, it not only guides us to look for the “appearing of […] Jesus” but to see it as a “blessed hope.” This is because it guides us to transform our behavior even as we trust in God. Those who allow teaching grace to shape and mold them are freed from fear and inspired with confidence. To them, the coming of Jesus is not to judge but to reward. Paul saw the second coming as a day when he would receive “the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8). This vision seen through the eye of faith was not for him “only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” Note, Jesus does not reward those who have feared His appearing in life but those who have loved it.
We could learn a lot about where faith should take us by reflecting upon Paul or upon John who prayed relative to Jesus’ coming, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). However, another worthy goal would be to develop the faith of Simeon. Simeon did not live to see the resurrection let alone the second coming. Instead, he waited his entire life to see the first coming of Jesus, to see the birth of “the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). Simeon knew that Jesus would usher in judgment that would reveal “the thoughts of many hearts” (Luke 3:35). He knew His coming was “destined for the fall […] of many in Israel” (Luke 3:35). However, grace still taught Simeon that the coming of the Lord was “peace […] salvation […] light […] glory […] and [the] rising of many” (Luke 3:29-34). Simeon was right; even when the Lord comes in judgment, He always also brings these things.
What does the Second Coming of Jesus mean to you? For some, it is a day that inspires false confidence because though they have been active for the Lord they have not been obedient to His will (Matthew 7:21-23). For others, it is a day that inspires fear either because grace has not yet had a chance to teach them what Jesus’ coming truly means or because they have chosen to dwell in inactive fear rather than in obedient faith. For those in whom saving, teaching grace has formed saving faith, the coming of the Lord is a “blessed hope.”
-Patrick Swayne
patrick@tftw.org
patrick@tftw.org
Posted in Bible Study
Posted in Second Coming, Second Coming of Jesus, Titus 2, Titus 2:13, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Confidence, Hope, Fear, Faith, Judgment, Judgment Day, Judgement, Judgement Day
Posted in Second Coming, Second Coming of Jesus, Titus 2, Titus 2:13, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Confidence, Hope, Fear, Faith, Judgment, Judgment Day, Judgement, Judgement Day
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