Titus 2 While we wait Part 26


Titus 2:13

“While we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

One of the things that marks a Christian lifestyle is that the Christian knows this life is temporary. Christian living, Paul says, is one of “waiting for the blessed hope”. We know that this mortal life is momentary in God’s eternal plan. We await eagerly, with patient hope, the return of Christ Jesus our Savior. Paul has been teaching Titus, and us, about Christian living and so we know that, while we wait, we are to live a certain way. We live looking forward to an eternity with our God and Savior. We await eternal redemption from our sinful and worldly passions, when death will no longer hold sway over us, and we await the restoration of creation; when we, and this earth, will be restored to its perfect order as God designed. Without Christ, man is enslaved to his passions and desires. We were dead in our sins, but Christ came to give us life, to free us from the power of sin and Satan and, by God’s grace, we are able to live for God’s glory here and now. What this means is that the Christian must do all things to God’s glory, including patiently awaiting the fulfillment of our “blessed hope”. We can have a positive and patient outlook knowing that what happens here and now is not only part of God’s plan, but it is also leading to the return of our Lord and Savior. One of the things this affects is how we grieve. We do not grieve as the world does, without any hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 explains that when He returns, “God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep”. We can have the knowledge and hope of seeing our believing loved ones again, so while it may hurt to lose them now, we know it is only temporary. We can live this life with patient expectation, hope for the future and the knowledge that God’s eternal plan for us is good. He will return as promised and so we know our hope is not in vain. As Carrie Underwood sang, “This is my temporary home, it’s not where we belong, windows in rooms that we’re passing through. This is just a stop, on the way to where we’re going, I’m not afraid because I know this is our temporary home.”

1. Look up 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. What does this passage tell us about how we grieve and why?

2. Look up Hebrews 10:26-27. What does this tell us about the future of those who continue to sin deliberately?

3. How are we to live while we await “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior”?

4. What does this mean for how Christians are to live, give some examples of how this affects our lives.

5. How are we able to live the way Paul tells us to?

Glorious God and Savior, as I come before You now, I humbly ask that You speak to me through Your word and, by Your Spirit, work it in my life that I may apply the wisdom You have given. Fill me with the blessed hope of Your return and when I grieve, help me to grieve, not as the world does, but with patient hope and expectation. Forgive me when and where I fall short and renew me by the working of the Holy Spirit. This I ask, not because I am worthy, but through the blood of Jesus Christ my Savior, Amen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Desiring Children Part 1

Image
Read Genesis 16, and Genesis 18:1-15 The desire for children is something many struggle with. Some struggle to get pregnant, some struggle with the loss of pregnancies, and some struggle with the lack of control over having children. These are not new difficulties but have been the struggles of many women dating all the way back to Biblical times. While I personally never struggled with getting pregnant, I wrestled with the desire for and the loss of children. I know the constant anxiety of wondering if each month was the one I'd get pregnant in; many times, I cried out to God to let me have a child to hold and keep. Nine times I prayed that God would let each child live. Nine times I was denied, and my child was called to our heavenly home. The desire for children is something most people eventually feel at some point but most take for granted that it will all go as they expect. We simply don't think of all that can go wrong, until it does. You're not alone in your strugg...
Read more

Cleanse me, oh God!

Image
As a child, I often liked to play outside. Like many kids, I liked making mud pies and playing with dirt. There's several ways children will play; some get right down on their hands and knees or even sit right in the mud. They're not afraid to get dirty. Some, like me, liked to play with the mud but didn't really want to get filthy. I would crouch down and use sticks and occasionally use my hands. I wanted to have fun but didn't really want to get messy. Then, there are still other children who don't want to play with mud or have anything to do with getting dirty. But you can never truly avoid all puddles, especially when it's raining. In a way, you can compare the mud to sin. Some people wallow in their sin, loving every minute and not caring how dirty they get. Others want to have the fun and pleasure sin can bring but don't want to get too dirty. It's just a little fun. And then there are those who, by God's grace, strive to live a life apart from...
Read more

In the moments of grief

 Moments. Every time I’m confronted with death I think about this word: moments. Moments of joy, moments of sorrow, moments in love or angry or frustrated moments. The moment of birth, the moment of death, and all the moments in between. Death reminds me that all moments are God-given. He gives us moments in time that are unforgettable or that perhaps we’ve lost in the hurry and busyness of life. What do you do with the moments He gives you? Every one of them is important. God wants all our moments. He wants us to live all our moments to His praise and glory. Whether rejoicing in the good times or crying in the sad. Because even in the sad moments we have reason to rejoice. Christ gave us moments to remember and be thankful for. The moment He was born into this sinful world, the moments He healed the sick, walked with sinners, wept for His friends, prayed to the Father, bore our cross and sin, and the moments He, in love, hung on a cross and died for us. But we also remember the mo...
Read more