Looking For That Blessed Hope

As we sit here today, seeing all of the things going on around us, we should take note of the truth that this is not all we have to look forward to.  Many times we get caught up in the things of this world all too easily.  Whether it is something as small as a dent in our car door, or as large as the death of a loved one, we should be able to comfort one another with verses of scripture like the one found in Titus 2.

Titus 2:13, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"


We have something in our future that is not worthy to be compared with the things of this world, as Paul tells us in Romans chapter 8.  We must be constantly looking toward that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ.  Notice the underlined word in the previous statement, and.  Did you realize that the blessed hope is something different than the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ?  The glorious appearing is something added to the blessed hope.  The blessed hope we are looking for is that of eternal life.  How are we able to look for it?  We know that we have eternal life as a present possession, as a positional truth.  However, the actual transaction of the putting on of our eternal bodies at the catching away of the church does coincide with the glorious appearing.  In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, we shall all be changed.  We shall put on incorruption and immortality.  We shall then go to the judgment seat of Christ and then on to our places of governmental authority.  


What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see.  
When I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace.
When He takes me by the hand, and leads me to my home in Heav'n
What a day, glorious day, that will be.


The appearing of Jesus Christ on that day will be a glory unlike anything ever witnessed before, except for the unprophesied return of Christ in the air to speak to Saul of Tarsus.  The Dispensation of the Grace of God will end in the same fashion as it began.  An unprophesied return of Christ in the air, where only those with which He has to do will notice.  There are many today who have the physical return of Christ to the earth and the return of Christ in the air to catch up the Body of Christ to be the exact same event, when they are not.  Christ will return twice.  The first, He will stop in the air to catch away the Church, the Body of Christ.  The second, He will set His feet on the Mount of Olives to bring the Tribulation period to a close.  The return of Christ for the Body of Christ will not be the spectacular event that most of Christendom expects it to be.  There will not be millions of people disappearing on that day.  There will be a much smaller number as there are many who have not trusted the correct Gospel for their salvation.  Asking Jesus to take away your sins and live in your heart does not save anyone; yesterday, today, or ever.  There is only one Gospel that you can trust in to know you have sins forgiven and life eternal.  That Gospel is found in I Corinthians 15:1-4. 


Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:


It is simply by placing your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  That is all you have to do.  You do not have to walk an aisle, pray a prayer, or twiddle your thumbs.  Simply rest in what Christ accomplished for you.  


Greg Resor
Complete in Him