THE BLESSED HOPE by Tuese Ahkiong

THE BLESSED HOPE

by Tuese Ahkiong

I had another brother in Christ mock me for believing that Christ returned already.  I asked him to provide me with just one verse that Christ will return in our future.  He said he had 20 verses.  I asked him to give me just one and got a long pause.  He then somewhat changed the subject by saying that I'm robbing people of "the blessed HOPE."  My Jedi senses picked up on the BLESSED HOPE from Titus, the only place in Scripture where this phrase is.

2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives IN THE PRESENT AGE, 13 WAITING FOR OUR BLESSED HOPE, THE APPEARING OF THE GLORY OF OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, 14 who gave himself for us TO REDEEM US FROM ALL LAWLESSNESS AND TO PURIFY FOR HIMSELF A PEOPLE for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

The present age that Paul and Titus were in was The Old Covenant Age.  It came to an end when Christ returned as He promised to that generation to destroy Jerusalem, the symbol of the Old Covenant Age, The old heavens and earth-Matt 24:34-35. 

The appearing of Christ in GLORY was Christ’s coming in THE GLORY of The Father and NOT physically, to judge Jerusalem.  Please see my article “The Son of Man coming on clouds of heaven took place in 70A.D” where YHWH comes in glory clouds to judge nations.  http://tueseahkiong.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-son-of-man-coming-on-clouds-of.html

The Old & New Covenants overlapped between 30 and 70 A.D.  While the Old Covenant was on its way out, The New was coming in with power.  Saints were being brought out of the old covenant body of death to the law and into the new covenant body of life in Christ by grace.

Many Christians assume the blessed HOPE is Christ physically returning but is this what Scripture teaches?  No.  This is just being misled by Creeds, Confessions, Church traditions.  Some believe the blessed hope is "the rapture."  I'm like where is that in the Bible?  The bible uses the phrase "blessed hope" just once and how does it define "blessed hope?"

THE BLESSED HOPE IS CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.  

God now dwells in His people.  See my article “God dwells and indwells His People Now.”  http://tueseahkiong.blogspot.com/2014/09/god-indwells-and-dwells-in-his-n-e-w.html

The blessed hope is no longer being separated from God because of sin, death through the covenant of death, the law, the O.T. but being IN Christ and Christ being IN His people.

   

Colossians 1:27  To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.

Hebrews 3:6  but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And WE ARE HIS HOUSE if indeed we hold fast our confidence and OUR BOASTING IN OUR HOPE.

**Christians are the house of God NOW in which The Father, Son and Spirit abide and dwell in.  This is what the saints between 30-70AD were waiting for.

1 Peter 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, HE HAS CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN TO A LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

**It is a Sovereign act of God by which one is made a Christians and brought INTO Christ.  1 Cor 1:24,30 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God… 30 IT IS BECAUSE OF HIM THAT YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

1 Peter 1:13  Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, SET YOUR HOPE FULLY ON THE GRACE THAT WILL BE BROUGHT TO YOU AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.

**Peter is addressing 1^st century saints and stating that at the revelation of Jesus Chris which would be in their lifetime, they would receive grace.  The grace of being fully brought into the new covenant body of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:19  FOR WHAT IS OUR HOPE OR JOY OR CROWN OF BOASTING BEFORE OUR LORD JESUS AT HIS COMING? IS IT NOT YOU?

**Paul, too, states that the return of Christ would be in his and the Thessalonians’ lifetime.  See my article “Time statements in 1 & 2Thessalonians sticks all the prophetic events within the lifetime of the 1st century saints.”  http://tueseahkiong.blogspot.com/2014/09/time-statements-in-1-2thessalonians.html