The people to whom he was writing were strangers, not so much to Peter, as they were to the rest of the world. They lived in the reality that they were only visitors on this planet; that their citizenship was in Heaven. “This world is not our home, we’re just a passin’ through.” Peter was writing to these strangers because they were elect, chosen of God. They were recipients of God’s abundant mercy, made available through the resurrection of Jesus. They were strangers because they were sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and because they were obedient to God’s will. They were strangers – the “diaspora” – scattered as Christian-seeds in the soil of earth. They had been bequeathed and guaranteed an incorruptible, and untainted inheritance. They themselves were being kept and preserved by the power of God toward that great inheritance day. And they were in possession of a wonderful hope; a living and blessed hope; “THE blessed hope.” And what was that? It was a part of the promise of the Saviour’s return. A pair of angels had said, “This same Jesus, which ye have seen go up into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven.” And Jesus said, “If I go away, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.”
Those early Christians, strangers in Pontus and Galatia, were living in the earnest expectation of Jesus’ return. It was a “lively” or “living hope” to those people. That means that it was a hope with wings and lungs. It was a hope that moved and spoke to them. It was a hope that could grow and reproduce. It wasn’t a trophy to sit on their mantle or to decorate their studies and dens. It wasn’t a stale, academic idea or a chapter in one of their theology books. This hope of the Lord’s return and the completion of His promised salvation was as important and alive as any of those people’s human loved-ones.
My question this morning is this: Why has this vibrant, spirited, dynamic hope died? Why is the “living hope,” a dying or dead one in the lives of so many modern Christians? In the Bible I see a longing and excitement about the Christian’s hope and the return of Christ. JOHN, the penman of the Book of Revelation, after hearing once again the promises of Jesus’ return, earnestly and longingly, from the bottom of the heart shouted, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The Apostle PAUL spoke of loving the thought of Jesus’ return – II Timothy 4:8: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” In another place, PETER referred to anxiously looking forward to the day of God – II Peter 3:12: “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” PAUL suggested to TITUS that we all should be looking for that “blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Why have so many professed Bible-professing Christians in these last days lost the excitement of this hope? Is it because the planned Second Coming of Christ has been cancelled by the fiat of God? Don’t be silly. Is it because the Second Coming is no longer believed and taught? Admittedly that is true in a great many churches. Just as they’ve thrown out the doctrines of Hell, Satan, Blood atonement and the Virgin Birth, they’ve tossed out the imminent return of the Lord. But OUR faith is not contingent on what others believe; it’s based upon God’s Book. The fact is, the bulk of evangelical Christianity, still believes in some form of the Second Advent of Christ. But, unfortunately, it has become a mere intellectual curiosity. For most people its nothing more than a museum relic, brought out and displayed occasionally when someone important comes by. For some reason, it is particularly prominent when one of the loved ones has passed-away. It is a picture in the family album, but it doesn’t move anyone’s heart very often.
Why is that? May I suggest that its due to three kinds of errors? Doctrinal, Relational, and Positional.
The blessed hope is a dying hope in many hearts because of DOCTRINAL error.
Nearly every Christian denomination, sect, group and cult believe in the Second Coming in some way. Sadly, there are 100 and 1 different perspectives and opinions about the one reality. Some believe that Jesus has already come – He came on the Day of Pentecost or some other time. Some think that the Lord comes whenever a Christian dies. Some think that He won’t come until the U.S.A. celebrates a millennia of July 4th. Some think that Jesus won’t come back until after the world is wiped-out by nuclear war. And others think that He won’t return until man eliminates the possibility of that nuclear war. But our church, based upon what we perceive the Word of God to say, believes that Jesus may come before you take your next breath. We believe in the IMMINENT return of Christ to gather his people and take them to be with Him. And then after judging the world, and particularly his old people Israel, he will return precisely seven years later to actually dwell upon this earth once again – and then for a thousand years.
Jesus told his disciples they were to be ready at all times, “for in such an hour as ye think not, the Lord cometh.” Paul told Titus that it was a part of his responsibility to be “looking for the blessed hope and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” James said that the Lord’s coming is drawing nigh – that it is getting closer. And Paul said that “the Lord is at hand.” If the coming of the Lord was approaching in the Apostles’ day, then it ought to be very near today. It is not just POSSIBLE that Jesus will come during our lifetime, but it is very PROBABLE. Therefore, we should keep one eye toward heaven and one ear tuned-up for trumpet music. And even more than ever before we must not lay up our treasures on earth, but rather send them on to Heaven.
One of two common errors about this doctrine says the Saviour will literally come back to earth, but not soon. Some say He will return either seven years from now, or else more than a thousand years from now. I think that not only are these opinions unbiblical, but they create some very serious side effects. And the worst may be that it causes us to take our eye off Heaven and to begin to scour the earth for any kind of joy and hope. But we have enough problems with the world without adding to them by forcing our hearts out of Heaven. Because the Day of Christ may begin this afternoon, Christians should be ten times more interested in evangelism than in changing the wicked government that rules this world. Because of the soon coming of Christ, we should be investing more in missions and souls than in retirement funds or stock-piles of food and water. There may be a day before the return of the Lord, when today’s Christians will be as persecuted as those in the Dark Ages, but we should have our eyes more fixed on Heaven than looking for ISIS, the UN or ATF troops.
The Lord Jesus said something to his disciples years ago, that still needs to be seriously considered. He said, “Be ye also READY, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.” The first step to being ready is the absolute assurance that our sins are under the blood of Christ. If we are TRYING to wash our hands and hearts of the filth of sin, then we’re not ready for Christ. Forgiveness of sin is either a FACT in your life or it is a NEED in your life. Salvation from sin is not a process, or a hope, or a wish. The hope of the saint is the return of the Lord. Our hope is not salvation – because that is something already accomplished. “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sins.” Christ is either your Saviour, or He is not. And you had better find out which is the case in your life. The first step to being ready for the return of Christ, is regeneration and forgiveness of sin.
But then for the Christian, there is the disposal of the baggage of the world and the flesh. A firm grasp of the imminent Second Coming, gives us the power and impetus to slay our love for this sin-dominated world. It gives us incentive to rely upon the Lord for victory over our own personal sins. It causes us to love eternal and spiritual things, and to care less and less about temporal things. Get yourselves ready, Jesus, the Son of Man, the Son of God, is coming again.
These things boil down to DOCTRINAL errors which so many people have.
But they lead right into RELATIONAL errors.
People today appear to be the most selfish in history. I can’t testify to that personally, because I’ve never lived in any other era but this one. But generally speaking, who is the person who matters most in this world today? ME! How many of us govern our relationships purely by what we can get out of those relationships? How many scientists work on projects only because they have a personal stake in the solution. They hope to find an answer to their questions, because it will make them rich or famous. Or perhaps a loved one suffered from some disease, so they heartily pursue a solution to it. How many teachers or police officers would leave the profession if their salaries were not raised on a regular basis. How many people get married for selfish reasons? To them, it’s not a matter of self-sacrifice to marry; Its rather to feast on someone else’s sacrifice. And this selfishness is as true in religion as in anything else. Why do we have to have churches with a 100 different programs, all the way from pre-natal to post-funeral? Why do so many insist on syncopated, base guitar for their music, and un-doctrinal lyrics? Why do we insist on feeling good after coming to church? It is because we are more concerned about our flesh than we are about the Lord.
When we look to Christ, it is the same sort of thing. We look at salvation from sin as a contractual agreement, written for our benefit. Christ was crucified because, since God permitted sin into this world, now He owes us deliverance. For some, a robot could have rusted away there at Calvary as easily as the Son of God. And as a result, many care nothing for the person of the Lord, only taking interest in the gifts which He provided. The Library of Congress’ Rare Book Division has 1,470 Bibles dating from the beginning of printing, including one of three copies of the original 15th Century Gutenburg Bible. Throughout the main reading room are a number of quotes carved into the walls and ceiling. Many of them are King James Version scriptures, such as – “The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth not.” “What doth the lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy god? “The heavens declare the glory of god; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.” Besides quotes from the Bible are other notable statements, including this by Tennyson – “One god, one law, one element, and one far-off divine event, to which the whole creation moves.” What is that event towards which we all move? It is the sacrifice of Christ and His return which completes the work of salvation. Isn’t it strange to think that kind of statement should be found in the nation’s capital? If there is anyplace where Christ and the Second Coming are earnestly ignored, it is in Congress.
How often do we hear people rail against God? I was talking to a man about the things of the Lord while back, and he attempted a very common defense. Apparently his grandmother was a sweet little old, beer-drinking, camel-smoking, curse-spuing sinner. But this little woman loved her family and treated her grandchildren like as if they were diamonds. When she died, it was in her sins and without Christ as her hope and Saviour. When this acquaintance his mother about her mother, he was told that she wasn’t in Heaven because she loved sin and not the Lord. Now this man says that he hates God, simply because he was told the truth.
The Son of God took upon him human flesh in a most miraculous way, that he might become the Saviour. He lived a sinless life, teaching righteousness, and exposing the sins of the world. He was delivered by the Jews to the Roman government, forcing them to crucify him. And Christ Jesus permitted that travesty in order to become a blood-covered substitute for sinners. This is the reason John cried out at the end of the Revelation: “Even so come Lord Jesus.” John loved Christ Jesus even more after He was crucified than he did before. Prior to that he knew the Lord in a personal and earthly way – which has not been our privilege to share. Was that personal relationship to Christ the basis for his desire to see the Saviour again? No, it had taken on a higher, great meaning at the cross and the ascension.
Turning that around, the reason that the blessed hope is a dying hope for so many, is due to our cold hearts toward Christ. We are selfishly glad that He has redeemed us from sin – but after that we don’t care that much. We look forward to the return of Christ in the same way that we look forward to a visit from our wealthy aunt and uncle: Maybe they will bring us something really nice and expensive. It has nothing to do with our longing to simply to enjoy their company.
Do you love the Lord “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind?” Remember that the Lord said to one church which didn’t love Him as they should, that He was willing to spit it out of his mouth. Do you love Christ? No? Then how can you possibly be a child of God?
Another reason that the blessed hope is a dying hope is due to an error in LOCATION.
Have you ever heard that Christianity is designed to help us cope with the world? Nothing could be farther from the truth. One of our greatest problems is that we are coping with the world far too much.
The reason why there is little yearning for the glorious coming of blessed God is that we too comfortable. Why desire streets of gold when we have so much gold here on earth? Why yearn for the tree of life when each of us have our own fig tree in the back yard, and an apple tree, a cherry tree and a walnut tree? When people got into trouble in days gone by, they used to pray. Now they just turn on their IPODS, TVs, CD players and portable DVD players. Or they fill themselves with drugs and psychiatry. There is little interest in the Second Coming of Christ, because we have too many diversions in the world Lord, help us to “not love the world, neither the things that are in the world.”
Christianity has become fun, and the fear of God has been removed. We have a new kind of cross today. The old one was ugly, with bloody stains, rough to the hands and bad for the sight. But the new one has a mahogany veneer with a foot pad, and hollow core for easy carrying. Every other filth spewing rapper is wearing a cross of some kind these days. We aren’t being told that there is a cost to be a Christian, we are told that it pays earthly dividends. Immediately after Christ’s coming for the Saints, will come the judgment of those saints. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” If we are not ready for that judgment, we are not going to be looking for the coming which precedes it.
Today’s Christians could use a little persecution and opposition. Suffering saints are more apt to look up. But we have not yet shed blood for our Saviour. Why? Because we not opposed to sin in the same way that forefathers were. Because we are ashamed to criticize sinful leaders. Because we don’t fight the sins that have influence in our own lives. Because we love the world. We have no opposition against us; we have become naturalized citizens of the world. There is no need to look for the returning Christ, because we think that we have it all right here.
Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Christians need to present their bodies and hearts to Christ, and then to set their eyes toward Heaven. This is a command for all the “brethren” – our subject for this afternoon. But it’s a command which is completely out of place for those who are still in their sins. Are you yearning for the Lord’s return? Measure your love for Him; compare it to your love for some of the vain and sinful pleasures of earth. Are you sure that you are a child of God?