WHAT IS THE BLESSED HOPE?
"Awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ..." Titus 2:13, R.S.V.
"Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!" We sing it, we pray it, we anxiously await it. It is the "blessed hope" of the Christian. But what is the greatest thing about the second coming of Christ? Our deliverance from this sin-filled world? Our reunion with loved ones laid to rest? Our new immortality?
Stop for a moment and reflect: "Why do I want Jesus to return?" Don't try to think of "correct answers"--be honest with yourself. And remember, no answer is a bad answer. God understands the deeper reasons why we think the way we do. Take a piece of paper and make two columns. On one side, list why you want Jesus to come soon. On the other side, list why you wish He'd take His time.
After having done this exercise, stop again and reflect: "What do I love the most about God? What about Him makes me feel the most uncomfortable?" Write these things down, too. And as you examine the two lists, you very likely will discover a definite correlation between them. Let me explain.
If one of the things about God that makes you feel uneasy is His role as judge, very probably one of the reasons you wish Jesus would not come very soon is that you do not feel ready. Or perhaps you listed something about wanting to have a chance to get married, or finish your education, or have the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of your labor. Possibly, if you were candid enough, you might have written that you felt put off by God's attitude toward material things.
Have you ever considered that God used His judgeship to ward off the accusations of the devil? And that His desire that we not become attached to the things of this world is because He does not want us to be distracted from becoming friends with Him?
May I suggest that once our view of God is such that we downright relish everything we know about Him, our double-columned page will quickly merge into one under the joyous theme; "Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!" You see, the very best thing about the second coming of Christ is not the "when" or "what will happen" when He does. It is who He is! He is our blessed hope!
"Awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ..." Titus 2:13, R.S.V.
"Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!" We sing it, we pray it, we anxiously await it. It is the "blessed hope" of the Christian. But what is the greatest thing about the second coming of Christ? Our deliverance from this sin-filled world? Our reunion with loved ones laid to rest? Our new immortality?
Stop for a moment and reflect: "Why do I want Jesus to return?" Don't try to think of "correct answers"--be honest with yourself. And remember, no answer is a bad answer. God understands the deeper reasons why we think the way we do. Take a piece of paper and make two columns. On one side, list why you want Jesus to come soon. On the other side, list why you wish He'd take His time.
After having done this exercise, stop again and reflect: "What do I love the most about God? What about Him makes me feel the most uncomfortable?" Write these things down, too. And as you examine the two lists, you very likely will discover a definite correlation between them. Let me explain.
If one of the things about God that makes you feel uneasy is His role as judge, very probably one of the reasons you wish Jesus would not come very soon is that you do not feel ready. Or perhaps you listed something about wanting to have a chance to get married, or finish your education, or have the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of your labor. Possibly, if you were candid enough, you might have written that you felt put off by God's attitude toward material things.
Have you ever considered that God used His judgeship to ward off the accusations of the devil? And that His desire that we not become attached to the things of this world is because He does not want us to be distracted from becoming friends with Him?
May I suggest that once our view of God is such that we downright relish everything we know about Him, our double-columned page will quickly merge into one under the joyous theme; "Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!" You see, the very best thing about the second coming of Christ is not the "when" or "what will happen" when He does. It is who He is! He is our blessed hope!
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