Blessed Hope (Listen or Read)
The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God…. (Tit. 2:11-13 NAS)
In the next two chapters, I will attempt to present a comprehensive understanding of the big picture—God’s unfailing plan for man—as I perceive it through my dim mirror of understanding. I refer to it as the “Blessed Hope” as Paul links this phrase with the salvation of all and the appearing of God’s glory. The salvation of all is certainly a blessed, amazing, magnificent, grand, wondrous, awe inspiring, and glorious hope that brings glory to our Great God!
Hope for the World
Let us begin at the close of our Lord’s earthly ministry: the night of His arrest. His whole life had led up to this climactic moment. He knew exactly what was to befall Him (Jn. 18:4). In the midst of a time like this, please reflect on the cry of His heart:
Lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come….Holy Father, keep them in your name…that they may be one even as we are one….that they may all be one…that the world may believe….that they may be one…that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me” (Jn. 17:1, 11, 21-23 NAS).
Just think of it! Our Lord could have been completely paralyzed with fear with only His execution in mind. On the contrary, His thoughts did not dwell on Himself, but instead on all humanity. His heart went out to the whole world. And what does the world need? To witness Christians loving one another—walking in unity. The world has yet to see it. It is my conviction that the Blessed Hope has the potential to tear down the highest walls that have divided believers over the centuries, and restore the fullness of joy into the hearts of God’s people. “You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1Pe. 1:8 NAS). Then the world will believe! Then the world will know who sent Christ and why!
Babes
It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.
(Mt. 11:24-25; See also 1 Co. 1:26-29)
I am grateful that the discovery of God’s truth is not the exclusive domain of the religious “elite.” In this passage, God has hidden “things” pertaining to His judgments from the wise and has revealed them to “babes.” Oh, that we would all be babes! Many “babes” today, I believe, long for the day when the dark cloud veiling God’s judgments is lifted from the Church. Oh what joy, peace, and unity of purpose will envelop His Body on that day! Then the world will know Jesus Christ is Lord! (Jn. 17:23). This is the glory of the Blessed Hope I cherish.
Reason
God expects us to think through what we believe and not to simply accept what men teach. Christ commands us to judge for ourselves what is right (Lu. 12:57). Paul exhorts us to test all things (1Th. 5:21) and to judge for ourselves what he says (1Co. 10:15). From the outset of biblical revelation, we are challenged to think for ourselves—“Shall not the judge of all the earth do right” (Ge. 18:25)? Does not such a question require thinking? Our Lord always expected His hearers to think. “What do you think, Simon” (Mt. 17:25)? “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep…” (Mt. 18:12). “What do you think? A man had two sons…” (Mt. 21:28). “What do you think about the Christ” (Mt. 22:42)? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father…” (Mt. 7:11)? Call to mind the Bereans who searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether the words preached to them were so (Ac. 17:11). They are said to have been “more noble-minded” (NAS).We have been endowed with great reasoning powers, and God expects us to use them. He even invites us to reason with Him! “Come…let us reason together, says the LORD” (Is. 1:18). It is our very capacity to reason that enables us to love and be like God.
Our hell tradition goes against all reason. In response to this, some will quote Is. 55:8: “His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.” By this, they are inferring man’s reasoning is flawed—what we think is cruel and unjust is really not. If this be true, then we are not made in His image and have nothing in common with God. It would be impossible to reason with Him on any level. But is this what Isaiah meant? If you check the context, you will see that His thoughts are different than ours in relation to mercy, not cruelty. What a travesty such a wondrous passage has been twisted out of context to say the very opposite about God. This is a prime example of invalidating the Word of God for the sake of tradition (Mt. 15:6)—a tradition fostering a fear toward God taught by the commandment of men (Is. 29:13).
Though man a thinking being is defined
Few use the great prerogative of mind.
How few think justly of the thinking few!
How many never think, who think they do!
—Jane Taylor 1
Question of Questions
How can a good God create creatures He knows will be tormented forever? There are two views. There is the prevalent view, that this is the price God had to pay to get a few into Heaven. The second view is the Blessed Hope. He does not face this dilemma at all, but reconciles all to Himself in the fullness of time. Which most glorifies the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? Which conforms with an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving Creator?
How can we believe God is good, while at the same time believe infinite penalty is the lot of most of humanity? We cannot unless we have a perverted sense of what “good” is, or we do not believe God has the power to prevent it, or we have not thought long and hard enough about the horror of what infinite penalty entails. However, if we believe God is “good” in the normal sense, and His penalties are finite and just, there are no conflicting issues. This is the theology of the New Testament, the early Church, and a remnant of believers throughout the centuries since. It is a theology that honors God, satisfies both reason and God’s moral witness in each heart, and best harmonizes the Scriptures. This is the Blessed Hope.
References: See Bibliography page.
