For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 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.
Titus 2:11-14
In our last post, we considered how our once “friendly to Christianity” nation has been gradually turning hostile to those who are faithful to Scripture. The degenerating conditions for Christians in America have been accelerating exponentially in the past decade. Christians in the US are no longer respected as in the past.
We should not be surprised when the world expresses hatred for God’s people. Jesus warned us that the world may hate us for they hated Him (John 15:18). We must remember that, while we are in the world, we are not of the world (John 17:15-16). What’s more, just because Christians in America have been spared persecution for a couple of centuries does not mean the world’s attitude toward the church has ever been anything but hostile, if not outwardly, certainly in heart. When the hostilities intensify and begin manifesting in adverse words and actions, we would do well to remember how Scripture calls us to live as God’s sojourning people. Having a biblical understanding of life in this world will keep us firmly rooted in reality.
First of all, we should remember that this life is but a breath, a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). As Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, everyone has an inescapable appointment with physical death. However, for the Christian, that appointment is no longer a moment to be feared. Christ has snatched victory from the clutches of the grave (cf. 1 Corinthians 15). Our Savior has removed death’s painful sting. Death is now an enemy subdued for all who are in Christ. Passing from this life marks the certain transition from this present evil age to the age to come. Having this hope of future glory should have a profound impact on how live in the present.
The world lives only in the context of this present evil age. They live only for the moment as if this world is all there is. However, as Christians, we are called to live our lives in light of eternity. Why? We have a hope that transcends this brief, transitory time. Who we are and where we are headed should have a profound impact on how we conduct ourselves in the present.
The prosperity and relative ease with which generations of American Christians have been able to live has given rise to an unbiblical theology of triumphalism and prosperity with false teachers promising your best life now. This has fostered a false hope anchored in this temporal world, corrupted by sin. It is true that Christ came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10), but life as Christ defines it does not consist in the abundance of our possessions (Luke 12:15). Abundant life is eternal life in a transformed, incorruptible, glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:42-56) with a permanent home in the Father’s house (John 14:2). Christ did not come to make life more pleasant in this kingdom of darkness. He came to rescue us from this world and make us citizens of heaven. For the moment, we remain in this world, but we are here to represent our homeland – our heavenly homeland. We are Christ’s ambassadors, commissioned to proclaim liberty to the captives of this world. . For the moment, we remain in this world, but we are here to represent our homeland – our heavenly homeland. We are Christ’s ambassadors, commissioned to proclaim liberty to the captives of this world.
Christ did not come to make life more pleasant in this kingdom of darkness
We do not know what is in store for us in this new year, but our hope must never be in a return to some “golden age of America.” While we pray for a recovery of sanity in this nation, our hope must not rest with the events that transpire in the present. Our hope must be anchored in the promise of Christ’s return. That is our blessed hope. It’s a hope that transcends our temporal experiences here and now. It’s the hope shared by our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are being ostracized for the faith. It’s the hope shared by those imprisoned for the Gospel. It’s the hope shared by those who are dying for their faithfulness to Christ. Our hope is not in this world; our hope is in the Lord (Psalm 39:7). May the Lord grant us strength and courage as we wait patiently for His appearing!
