Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13 NKJV
Our hearts are hardwired by God for hope! This eager anticipation of future good is the daily pulse of our lives. Hope is also defined as “confident expectation of a guaranteed result that changes the way we live” (Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies). Despite this reality, our hearts are always in danger of growing cold and wallowing in despair as a result of losing sight of what we have been made for: to “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom.5:2). Since our hearts have indeed been hard-wired by God for hope, what is it that you are looking forward to with eager anticipation? The late Howard Hendricks said, “When your memories of the past are more exciting than your dreams for the future, you’ve begun to die.”
Theologically, for the Jews in time past, the hope of Israel’s redemption was the advent (and 2nd coming) of Messiah in fulfillment of prophecy in order to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth. For the Body of Christ in the dispensation of grace today, the Blessed Hope of the Church is the secret coming of Christ in the heavens to rapture, or catch us away, and bring us home to Himself in glory. Are you looking forward to this with “expectation of a guaranteed result that changes the way you live?” Have you taken ownership of the Blessed Hope in the depths of your soul, by the grace of God? Or has your heart grown cold in the depths of despair?
Historical & Biblical Context
The historical narratives of Holy Scripture transpired in real time and space not in a mythological land of fairy tales. Due to cultural secularization though, we are prone to relegate these events to a time “Long ago in a galaxy far far away…” or to the worlds of Middle Earth, Narnia, or Never Never Land. Thanks be to God that His Word does not begin with “Once upon a time…” and does not end with “…and they lived happily ever after.” Instead, the Scriptures open with “In the beginning God…” and close with “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
The light of the gospel of grace first infiltrated the pagan darkness of the continent of Europe in the ancient city of Thessalonica, in the region of Macedonia north of Greece, during Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey (ca. A.D. 48/49-51). Paul’s gospel ministry upon entrance into a city was consistently characterized by revival and riot, and Thessalonica was not excluded (Acts 17:1-9).
Subsequent to establishing the Thessalonian church, Paul wrote two epistles to further establish this assembly in the faith lest their hearts be subverted by doubts ensuing from persecution and the death of loved ones in Christ. Both letters focus on the Blessed Hope of the Church, the Body of Christ, otherwise known as the Pre-Tribulational Rapture. This event is where our exalted Head, Christ Himself, will come back for His own and catch us away into Heaven to be with Him forever. It is also the time when every member of the Church will give an account of their gospel stewardship responsibility before the Lord and receive their reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Blessed hope indeed (Titus 2:11-15)!
THE BLESSED HOPE OF THE CHURCH
Ignorance of Blessed Hope – 1 Thes.4:13 cf. 1 Cor.15:16-19
As their spiritual father in the faith, Apostle Paul was deeply concerned that the Thessalonian saints be firmly established in the truth, lest their hearts and lives be taken captive by the diabolically insidious nature of the enemy’s deception that this world is all there is and physical death is the end. Unfortunately, in the modern era, biblical ignorance amongst the general public is an increasing trend in contrast to generations gone by. Of far greater significance is the biblical and doctrinal ignorance pervasive within the Church, as multitudes lack knowledge of and familiarity with the text and teaching of Scripture. When professing Christians are not familiar with the comprehensive nature of the Christian worldview rooted in Holy Scripture, it is not surprising that they are ignorant of divine wisdom or the application of biblical knowledge and teaching to life. If Paul had anything to do with it, the testimony of these Thessalonian Christians would be different.
Foundation of Blessed Hope – 1 Thes.4:14 cf. Eph.1:12-14
The power of God to salvation in the gospel of Christ is the foundation of blessed hope. Our Savior transforms lives today, as He did with the Thessalonians, by grace through faith alone in His death, burial, and resurrection. This rock of salvation is the gospel of the grace of God which the risen Lord Jesus Christ entrusted to and through Apostle Paul, in contrast to the gospel of the kingdom preached during Jesus’ earthly ministry to the nation of Israel and during the early Acts period.
As a result of the Rock of Ages’ faithfulness to the promises of His Word, members of the Church, the Body of Christ, possess the rock of assurance that He will fulfill His perfect plan. We confidently anticipate the full redemption of the purchased possession of His people, dead or alive, when Christ delivers us from the very presence of sin in the resplendent glory of Heaven.
Expectation of Blessed Hope – 1 Thes.4:15 cf. Phil.3:20-21
Paul’s apostolic authority to proclaim divine revelation and the unsearchable riches of Christ was given to him by the risen Savior Himself. God’s servants preach God’s Word because God’s truth is unchanged and unchanging regardless of what progressive liberals and secular humanists assert about so-called cultural relevance. As Voddie Baucham once said, a preacher does not write the mail but delivers it after it arrived at his home first.
According to the revelation of the mystery, the secret coming of Christ at the end of the current dispensation of the grace of God is an imminent event not preceded by “times and seasons” like the second coming of Christ to the earth in fulfillment of prophecy. Understanding the differences between the Mystery and Prophetic Programs of God, afforded Paul confidence in the realistic possibility and eager anticipation of seeing his Savior return during his lifetime. Hence the old adage, “Perhaps today!”
Since Christ did not return during Paul’s lifetime, he and all members of the Church who have physically died and are described as “asleep” will be at the front of the line when Christ does come back at the end of this age of grace. At this historic event, there will be a prescribed unfolding of the details since God does all things decently and in order and He is not the author of confusion (1 Cor.14:33a, 40).
Leadership of Blessed Hope – 1 Thes.4:16 cf. 1 Cor.15:51-55
As the Exalted Head of the Church, which is His Body, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will lead the covert operation through enemy territory to extract His ambassadors before resuming His dealings with Israel, which begins with Daniel’s long foretold 70th week and the outpouring of His wrath according to prophecy. Christ’s ultimate leadership will be accompanied by angelic emissaries of Yahweh at His beck and call on that glorious day. First, deceased believers will readily heed the voice of God and rise from the dead, because when the Almighty speaks, the dead come to life (Jn.11:25). Christ will reunite their souls and spirits with their newly resurrected, glorified physical bodies. They, along with living believers in transformed, glorified bodies, will ascend to meet the Savior as He sovereignly carries out His plan for the Church (1 Thes.3:13; 2 Cor.5:8).
Joy of Blessed Hope – 1 Thes.4:17 cf. Col.3:1-4
Paul eagerly expected to be physically alive at the Rapture of the Church and anticipated all living and previously deceased members being caught up or raptured together in the clouds. This imminent hope and joy of being reunited with family and friends in Christ, along with the saints of old and heroes of the faith, is an objective reality because such confidence is focused on the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas happiness is temporal, circumstantial, and fleeting, a joy-filled heart that radiates from the countenance is an enduring promise of God because of the ever-present reality of who Christ is, what He has done, and what He will do in the future.
Encouragement of Blessed Hope – 1 Thes.4:18 cf. Titus 2:11-15
Having endured substantial adversity for the cause of Christ and uncertainty about the future destiny of those in their local church who had died, these comforting words from God through Apostle Paul were exactly what the Thessalonians needed. Our hearts always need the encouragement of sweet fellowship with family and friends in Christ, and the confidence of anticipating those times is a healing balm and anchor to the soul in times of distress.
Every member of the Body of Christ, has a stewardship responsibility before God to invest “this day” in light of “that day” by encouraging one another and by faithfully pointing others to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God. May our hardwired hope in Christ’s return for His Church motivate us to embrace and obey Apostle Paul’s admonition: Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor.15:58).
