The Nature of Hope
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My assignment this week was on the nature of our hope. The believers hope is described as both blessed and better.
The term better comes from Hebrews 7:19
19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
I am only going to touch on this idea briefly this morning. Partly because the author of Hebrews talks about Melchizedek in Hebrews chapter 7 (and who in the world understands that guy?), and partly due to time restrains. Those who endure my preaching know that I am not know for my speedy exposition!
One of the major points of why our hope is a better hope, is that Jesus is an infinitely better priest. One of the reasons that Jesus is a better priest is the permanency of His office. Our hope is sure because of the indestructible life of our Great Priest!
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
So our hope is better because our eternal priest is able to save us all the way to the end because he always lives to make intercession for us!
The second term that describes the nature of our hope is found in Titus 2:13- there our hope is described as blessed.
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
In what way is our hope blessed? And how does this blessed hope impact our lives today?
To answer these questions I want to briefly review the letter of Titus leading up to 2:13 so that we might attempt to understand our blessed hope in the overall context of what Paul is trying to say to Titus.
How do you take a local church that is incomplete or is lacking in some area, and because of that lack the church is floundering or it is slowly dying- how do you take that kind of church and revitalize it?
The letter to Titus is the Biblical manual for how church revitalization is accomplished. And how interdependent church revitalization is accomplished.
5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,
*5 Τούτου χάριν ⸀ἀπέλιπόν σε ἐν Κρήτῃ,*
For this reason, I left you behind in Crete,
ἵνα τὰ λείποντα ⸁ἐπιδιορθώσῃ
so that you might set right / set straight the things that are lacking[1]
[1] to be deficient in someth. that ought to be present for whatever reason. (cp. B-D-F §393, 4) λείπει τῷ πύργῳ ἔτι μικρὸν οἰκοδομηθῆναι the tower still lacks a little of being finished, is still not quite finished)
Significance- what is the question that Titus directly seeks to answer? How to set straight whatever ought to be present in a local church that it is currently lacking.
God has already told us exactly what we need to do in order to establish a healthy church- we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, nor do we have the authority to do so. We simply put into practice the commands that God has given us- we must obey God’s mandate.
In other words we don’t get to turn the church into a rock concert, or a drama program, or a coffee shop, or social hang out place- we don’t get to define how to make a healthy church- God does that! It is right here in the letter to Titus.
1. The first thing you need in order to have a healthy church is a pastor(s) soundly disciplined in godliness
1. The first thing you need in order to have a healthy church is a pastor(s) soundly disciplined in godliness
5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
The church must call the proper man (pastor) in order to establish healthy churches (1:5b-9)
The church must call the proper man (pastor) in order to establish healthy churches (1:5b-9)
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
The church must be calmed and corrected in order to establish a healthy church (1:10-16)
The church must be calmed and corrected in order to establish a healthy church (1:10-16)
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
2. The second thing you need in order to have a healthy church is life on life teaching of sound doctrine
2. The second thing you need in order to have a healthy church is life on life teaching of sound doctrine
We must establish a culture in the church where mature saints teach less-mature saints what it means to be godly (2:1-6)
We must establish a culture in the church where mature saints teach less-mature saints what it means to be godly (2:1-6)
1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
All saints in the church must grow to become a model of good works so that their lives are an indisputable beacon of the hope of the gospel (vv. 7-8)
All saints in the church must grow to become a model of good works so that their lives are an indisputable beacon of the hope of the gospel (vv. 7-8)
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
One another ministry where older mature saints teach younger saints and the expectation is that it isn’t just book learning- the expectation is that the sound doctrine so thoroughly impacts our hearts that all of us become a pattern or a model of good works.
Why is that important? Well so far we have been dealing with setting things in order inside the church. But we were never ment to stay inside the walls of this church- now there is a transition where we take sound doctrine outside the church and impact the community in which we live.
And they way we become healthy, they way we actually reach people is that sound doctrine changes us through teaching it to each other, so that we become more and more like Jesus Christ and then we become a pattern or a model for lost people all around us (this assumes by the way that we make sure we are surrounding ourselves with unsaved people).
And God’s word must impact us so deeply and practically that we live with integrity and dignity and sound speech and the change in our lives is so genuine and real that anyone who tries to oppose us doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
We can’t fake that. We cannot go out into our community with a legalistic self-righteousness. There is nothing more repulsive than that kind of religion. We actually have to work together and teach one another and encourage one another so that men we become genuinely serious minded and dignified and self-controlled and sound in faith and in love and in patience. And ladies you whole heatedly ARE (because God’s grace did it in you) reverent in your behavior and you don’t slander other people and your not addicted to much wine and you love your husbands and children and your are self-controlled and you love to work at home and your kind and submissive to your husbands. And when we become enthusiast of good works and lost people get around us what effect is that going to have?
And then we don’t need all the all the entertainment and the programs and the worldliness to attract people to our church. Because nothing is more attractive than a life transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ! And you don’t become that until you become a model of good works.
And then you are well on your way to setting in order the things that are wanting in the church. And Jesus will build His church- all we have to do is obey what God tells us to do. It is not rocket science. God’s Word works.
3. The third thing you need in order to have a healthy church is the entire local body of believers devoted to good works and determined to display them to the lost (2:9-3:15)
3. The third thing you need in order to have a healthy church is the entire local body of believers devoted to good works and determined to display them to the lost (2:9-3:15)
Sound doctrine must be displayed before unbelievers (2:9-10)
Sound doctrine must be displayed before unbelievers (2:9-10)
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Now we finally get to our text! In the middle of the conversation about strengthening and revitalizing the church, in the middle of the pressing need for Christlikeness and growing in practical holiness and putting on good works- is this beautiful glorious passage about God’s grace!
Why should we take such care to revitalize churches? Why should we be careful to appoint pastors in every church? Why should we put such a high emphasis on teaching sound doctrine? Why should we create a culture in our churches where mature believers instruct less mature believers in order to grow into Christlikeness? Why should we then display good works in the midst of the lost?
Because that is what God’s grace is ment to accomplish!
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
11Ἐπεφάνη[1]γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ
For the saving grace of God has appeared
σωτήριος[2]πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις
(saving) to all people.
Appeared- Shinned like a sunrise: c.f. Luke 1:76-79
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Bring Salvation- The instrument or means that brings delivering, preserving- pertaining to divine salvation. C.f. Luke 2:29-32; 3:4-6!
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
The saving grace of God that has appeared for all people is the appearing of our dear Savior Jesus- who was in-fleshed and added to His nature that of a human, and because a slave. He humbled Himself by being obedient to the Father, all the way to death- even the death of a cross.
Like no other time in human history the unmerited kindness of God appeared- it became most visible when Jesus became our substitute and fully exhausted the wrath of God for our sins and satisfied the justice of an infinitely holy God for us.
This wonderful saving grace of God that has appeared for all people is at the very heart our obedience to the truth. It is at the very heart of our outworking of practical holiness.