A PASTORAL LETTER
Dearest family,
The majority of references to hope in the New Testament refer to one supreme thing: what is termed the second coming of Jesus Christ, though this is in fact a little mentioned phrase in the NT. From the moment that the angels told the disciples at Jesus’ ascension that he would return in the same way they had seen him go into heaven, it dominates the thinking and the teaching of the early church, most particularly that of Paul who writes about it all the time in his epistles. It is at the heart of all communication and is the source of the gospel appeal in so many ways. All life is lived and understood in the light of this reality. Jesus is coming back. This is our hope. Just listen to the ways it is described throughout the NT. It is “our joyous hope” (Rom.5:2;12:12); a non-disappointing hope (Rom.5:5); “our comforting hope” (Rom.15:4); “a righteous hope” (Gal.5:5); “our glorious hope” (Col.1:27); “our good hope” (2 Thess.2:16) It is “our hope” (1 Tim.1:1); it is “our blessed hope” (Tit.2:13); “our eternal hope” (Tit.3:7); “our assured hope” (Hebr.6:11); “our sure and steadfast hope” (Hebr.6:19); “our better hope” (Hebr.7:19); “our living hope” (1 Pet.1:3); “our gracious hope” (1 Pet.1:13); “our defensible hope” (1 Pet.3:15) Just a study of all those adjectives will tell you all the fruits you can experience in your present life as you anticipate that future coming: joy, confidence, righteousness, glory, goodness, assurance, comfort, steadfastness, grace, protection and on and on.
Let’s make the foundational point. It is impossible to be a Christian without a conviction and passion for this hope of Christ’s return. Why? Well, you have to understand the nature of our salvation. The scriptures say that “in hope we are saved” (Rom.8:24). From the moment we were saved it was unto this hope. This is not an additive, it is not just something for the keen types. Future hope is what our salvation is all about. How is it that it so easily slips off the radar? How can anyone live a Christian life without being aware of this future, and being aware of this future, not be changed by it?
If you like, we are experiencing Salvation Part One. Now Part One is glorious enough, but there is so much more. By faith we have indeed been justified, we enjoy the forgiveness of our sins, and revel in the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the evidence of all his fruits and gifts and transforming works. We have already obtained so much but there is also much that is yet to be attained. There are two particular areas of incompletion.
i. The first has to do with our continuing tendency to sin, and our longing to be free of our sin in every possible way.
ii. The second has to do with the nature of our physical bodies. Paul says we groan in these tabernacles, and of course, some groan more than others!
So there are two things we long for, and these two things will be realized when our salvation is complete. When we see him we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is. We will experience the glorious liberty of the children of God and with the freedom we have longed for, render God our perfect service in whatever has been prepared for us to contribute in a new creation. Our mortal bodies will be quickened by his spirit, we will be raised a spiritual body: in other words, our bodies will be the perfect match for our spirits.
When you read Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, they sound like us, dealing with a flood of gnostic false teaching, contending with lack of unity among believers, huge cultural challenges to sexual purity and lots of disdain and opposition. As a pastor, faced with the threats of temptations and sin, the presence of fear, the erosion of boldness and conviction in witness, Paul asserts the return of Christ, the hope of our calling. Why?
These Thessalonians were the folk who were grieving as if they had no hope. In the opening of the first epistle, Paul highlights their “endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1:3) In the second letter, he talks of their “perseverance and faith in all the persecution and trials you are enduring.” (1:4) They were identified by Paul as those who “wait for His son from heaven whom he raised from the dead – Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (1 Thess.1:10) They are those in whom he will glory “in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes” (1 Thess. 2:19) Paul’s understanding of why they need to be strengthened in their hearts is so that they will be “blameless and holy in the presence of God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” (1 Thess. 3:13) In chapter 4 Paul teaches about the second coming: “The Lord himself will come down from heaven…” (1 Thess.4:16) In chapter 5 he reminds them that the day of the Lord “will come like a thief” (1 Thess.5:2) and in case they’ve missed all of that, his closing benediction begins: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess.5:23-24) He doesn’t let up in the second epistle. In the first chapter he’s talking about God’s judgment that will happen “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.” (2 Thess.1:7) Chapter 2 begins: “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (2 Thess.2:1) And what is the point Paul of all that God is doing in them? “That you might share in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess.2:14) So why are we surprised by the following benediction? “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope…” (2 Thess.2:16)
Paul doesn’t respond first to their present needs but to their future hope. The revival of their life in the present is first related to the recovery of their hope for their life in the future. It has been observed that Paul’s teaching to them, and praying for them, is eschatological more than ethical. Why? Because eschatology leads to ethics. Truth about what is going to happen in the future on God’s terms, on what will happen then, will motivate you to get your life in order now. Any treatment of the future coming of Christ also includes the fact of judgment, which is the great incentive to holiness. Why are we then surprised that there is so little talk about our future hope? Because it is not kosher to speak about judgment. Peter is no different. “Since everything will be destroyed, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming…So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation.” (2 Pet.3:11-15)
So what’s the point? The blessed hope is the greatest motivation for living a holy life now and having an expectation of the continuing meaning and purpose of our life in the future. For Peter, the bottom line of eschatology is to provoke and promote holiness here and now. And not only a personal understanding of holiness but also a commitment to the application of God’s truth and character in all arenas of life, including the public and social and societal and civic dimensions of it. Even delay of this coming is a motivation for holiness, providing further opportunity for repentance. The apostolic desire is that people face the glorious prospect of the second coming at peace: peace with God, peace with others and peace with themselves. It will not do to always be on good terms with ourselves and thus cultivate a false sense of peace:
i. Always accusing others
ii. Always excusing ourselves
The apostles are not trying to scare people but secure them. Paul’s teaching is that we need to know that God not only saves us and sanctifies us, but secures us for what he has prepared for us. He really does want us with him forever! He is the God who keeps his promises but keeps and preserves us so that we can enjoy those promises. So back to my question. Why should we focus on the second coming, the blessed hope? As I suggested on Sunday, you will need to do your own study as soon as you can of every outcome, every effect, every product, every fruit, every result of an awareness and conviction about the second coming. You will be amazed at the list you construct. You will not need to be convinced about the operations of hope in his coming.
I only had time to mention three outcomes for us of this hope, in the way it affects our present lives.
I. The hope of his coming…cleansed: “so that you will be holy and blameless in the presence of God… when our Lord Jesus comes…” (3:13) This hope about “then”, is about holiness “now”. Where there is a complacency about sin, an insensitivity to the pride of the heart, an unrepentant spirit, there is little to no hope. If our future expectation is to be with Christ there will be a motivation to be like him now. This hope becomes one of the great spiritual motivators, a great stimulus for an expectation of healing and deliverance now. This is confirmed by the apostle of love, John: “When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. And every one that has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure.” (1 Jn.3:2-3) The modern church must have lost its grip on that anchor of hope that relates us to the realities of a holy heaven. Immediately before that, John writes: “And now dear children, continue in Him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 2:28) The continuance of our holy convictions in the present, will ensure the confidence of our hopeful convictions for the future. Our hope in the return of Christ is both sustained and secured by abiding in Christ, in other words, remaining faithful. Hebrews 3:12 warns of the danger of an unbelieving heart that will fall way from the living God. To be a partaker of Christ is to hold fast to our assurance, our hope “firm to the end.” Yes, it is a blessed hope but it is a holy hope. The blessed hope of his coming keeps us cleansed.
II. The hope of his coming…comforted: “We will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words… eternal encouragement and good hope… encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God who calls you into…his glory.” (1-4:17-18; 2-2:16; 1-2:12) Yes, there is much about the blessed hope that involves confronting, but it is also hugely about comforting. This is the same comfort that we saw in Hebrews 6, the “strong consolation” that is ours through this anchor of hope. The idea of comfort here is not about a depressed and low-key exchange of best-wishes for a besieged and beleaguered bunch. It is massively strong and powerful, pouring in consolation like pouring in concrete. It’s all about pro-actively encouraging faith and hope, not about containing fears. Mind you, there are plenty of grounds for fear given what Paul describes to the Thessalonians as “the rebellion…the secret power of lawlessness…the coming of the lawless one…the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders…a powerful delusion…” (2-2:1-12) So what is the comfort amidst all the catastrophe, and confusion? “…the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.” (2-2:8) The coming of the lawless one, everything that is coming upon the earth, everything that’s coming up or coming down, runs into the splendor of his coming. The blessed hope of his coming keeps us comforted.
III. The hope of his coming…committed: “so then stand firm and hold to the teachings…never tire of doing what is right…we urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more…we urge you to increase more and more…” Those who have this blessed hope are living on a different time line, an eternal one, compared to those who don’t have it. Those who hope are on “sons of the light” time (5:5) not night-time. There are two experiences of time. One is defined by sleep, the other by awakening. It is the blessed hope that determines the difference. Jesus himself spoke about the need to labor while it is still day because the night comes when no one can work. Do you remember his words in Lk.12:35-48: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning like men waiting for their master to return…It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns…You also must be ready because the Son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” This is precisely what Paul is repeating to the Thessalonians in those two images: his coming will be like a thief in the night, or like labor pains upon a pregnant woman. In other words, the hope of his coming settles the issues about the nature, the necessity, the manner and the mode of our commitment. Now it will make sense to you why the appeals for diligence or the warnings against laziness occur in contexts when our hope is being discussed. Remember Hebrews 6:11-12: “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the end…We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” So patience has nothing to do with passivity, with just sitting around and waiting. Our waiting is active and urgent and fervent and productive, because any day is possible and no day is impossible for his coming. The fact that we will give an account of our stewardship and service at the judgment seat of Christ further encourages our responsibility as we anticipate his rewards. The blessedness of our hope keeps us committed.
So we are still all here post-May 21st. But the scriptural exhortations remain true: be right, and be ready.
Pastorally yours,
Stuart
http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download MP3 audio of sermon)