Gospel Reflections #399: There is a Blessed Hope

Titus 2:13 "He also teaches us to look forward to a blessed hope, the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, the great God and our Savior."

This word is preceded by "the grace of God that saves all men has appeared." This refers to Jesus.

Then it goes on to say that Jesus led us and that He lived in the world modestly, righteously, and piously, forsaking unbelief and the passions of the world.

He also shows us the "blessed hope" of today's words, that is, to look forward to the glorious appearing of Jesus.

This refers to the second coming of Jesus, and the second coming is a "blessed hope" for us.

Hope is essential to life, like water and air.

Without it, we cannot look forward to the Second Coming, wait for Jesus, or persevere in the persecutions of the world.

We sometimes squash the joy and hope of the Second Coming by fearing, worrying, and rushing to the time of judgment before the Second Coming.

God is not working to evaluate our purity, but to save all people.

We simply receive each grace He offers us.

Receiving means that we "have a relationship with God," which allows us to "connect with Him" and grow by receiving His "necessary nourishment" - love, forgiveness, mercy, healing, encouragement, peace, joy, gratitude, and hope.

Where we should look is not at "our stage of growth," but at "looking forward to Jesus' return as a blessed hope.

We have this promise from a God who will never fail us.

All we can do is share and rejoice in the blessed hope that Jesus' promise is absolute and complete and that he is already fulfilling it. That joy will spread throughout the world, and then Jesus will receive us.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.