Every Believers "Blessed Hope" The 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ
There are what are called essential doctrines of the Christian faith. If a church doesn't have even one of these it is not a Christian church. They are not following God's truth. Those essentials are as follows: The virgin birth of the savior...that His mother Mary had not come together with Joseph to whom she was betrothed....that she was indeed a virgin as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah over 700 years before Jesus Christ's birth. Another essential that our God is triune...one in essense-- three in person. All sharing the same divine nature that Christianity declares as the trinity....essential number three the absolute necessity of the cross....for without the cross and the suffering servant, the lamb of God there is no blessed hope for salvation for the lost... For without the shedding of blood their is no forgiveness. (Heb. 9:22).... essential number four of the Christian faith is the inspiration of Scripture....that all of scripture is literally "God/Breathed"...that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit... and the last but surely not the least essential of the Christian faith is the resurrection and second coming of Jesus Christ. That one day Jesus will return with those who have died in Christ, to gather His elect together and to judge the world in righteousness by the man whom God has ordained. The man Christ Jesus. Having giving assurance to us all by His resurrection from the dead. That second coming is what we'll take a look at as we delve into the Scriptures and find out more about our Blessed Hope. We begin in the gospel of Matthew:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let them deny themselves , and take up the cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a person if they should gain the whole world, and loses their own soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for their soul? (Matt. 16:24-25) The Blessed Hope is truly that Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. So he shared in our humanity, took on a body of flesh, blood and bones. One hundred percent human. Laying side certain divine attributes yet one hundred percent divine, being in very nature God and without sin. There has never before been a being like Him and there never will be again. He is "theanthropos" the God/Man. Who came to save His people from their sins.
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From 1 John 2:15-17 of the classic amplfied bible we're told this by the Apostle John:
Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world. And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in their life abides (remains) forever. (1 John 2:15-17 AMP CLASSIC)
The Apostle Paul teaches us with these words from Philippians chapter 3:17-21:
Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Phil 3:17-21) Imagine by grace through faith and not of yourself. It was God the Father who gave you to the Son to nurture and cherish. You have been given eternal life and no one can snatch you out of His hand. Then Jesus adds these words, "I and my Father are One.
And those who believe in (has faith in, clings to, relies on) the Son has (now possesses) eternal life. But whoever disobeys (is unbelieving toward, refuses to trust in, disregards, is not subject to) the Son will never see (experience) life, but [instead] the wrath of God abides on him. [God’s displeasure remains on him; His indignation hangs over him continually.] (John 3:36 AMP CLASSIC) Jesus has come to redeem us from our sin nature, bought us with a price, His perfect, precious, sinless life to an eternal home in heaven free from the wrath of God that is coming upon the entire world.
When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. (2 Thess 1:7-10) For it is in that day of the Lord, the day of Christ, the day of God that the living, the dead and those who return with Christ from heaven will all come together for what is our Blessed Hope:
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. (`1 Thess 4:15-18-5:1-3)
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13) The most amazing words found in this Scripture from Peter are the words "hasten its coming"....or speed its coming. That is a startling statement indeed. How can mere mortals have a vital part in shortening the time set for the coming of God's day? In Matthew 24:14 When Jesus spoke about the last day, He instructs His followers to proclaim the gospel to all nations. "And then the end will come." And in Acts 3 Peter tells the people to repent in order to hasten the coming of the Lord.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the BLESSED HOPE and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-13) He is the blessed hope for he saves His chosen people from their sins, makes them right with God, gives them everlasting life, saving the redeemed from the wrath of God in the judgement that is coming upon all who refuse to believe, because they love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.
When He (Jesus) had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38)
Think carefully about what Jesus says. To deny His free gift of salvation; to turn away from the gospel, the good news, is the worse possible scenario to a life. You may gain the whole world but in the process your own soul is lost in an eternity absent from the presence of God and the glory of His power. That is a foreboding prospect indeed. To be standing before the judgement seat of Christ and hear Him say "depart from me, I never knew you." Such is the wide road that the world follows to destruction. A road that ends in eternal punishment. For when Jesus spoke of His betrayer, Judas Iscariot in Matt. 25:24 He proclaimed "woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
