The Blessed Hope
The appearing of Christ's glory is the 'blessed hope' that shapes Christian living.
Paul describes the Christian life as 'waiting for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.' This hope is 'blessed' because it is anticipated with joy, not fear. It shapes present behavior—saying 'no' to ungodliness and 'yes' to self-controlled, upright, godly living. Living in light of Christ's return produces urgency and purity. The hope is not escape from this world but the transformation of all things at Christ's appearing. We live between the 'already' of Christ's first coming and the 'not yet' of his return.
While we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
George Eldon Ladd emphasized living between 'already' and 'not yet'—the Kingdom has come but will also come in fullness at Christ's return.
Epistle to Titus
Written about in
- What Christianity says about longing and hope
The Christian life is described here as waiting, and the waiting is called blessed. It is also said to change present conduct, which is the test of whether it is real.