Keypoints
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Judging by newspaper headlines, the hope of the Christian gospel for a perfect world has yet to happen. |
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But world events show that God's plan is still 'on track' and Christians should prepare now for Christ to come. |
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Jesus told his followers to believe what he said, to be baptised and to wait for him to come back to set up God's kingdom on earth. |
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Jesus also left on record his commandments about the sort of life Christians should lead while they waited for him to return. |
- TWO TEENAGE SISTERS BEAT 87-YEAR-OLD WIDOW TO DEATH
- DRUG ADDICTS COMMIT HALF OF ALL CRIMES
- EX-PRIEST GUILTY OF SEX ATTACKS
- STABBED BOY DIES
- BRITISH TROOPS STONED BY SERB MOB
- ISRAEL AND ARABS IN LAST DITCH PEACE BID
- RAIL BOMB KILLS SEVEN
These recent headlines from ‘The Times' newspaper prompt the question ‘What is happening to the world?’ Quite apart from international problems, wars, terrorism, political unrest and civil strife on an unprecedented scale, social conditions seem to be worsening. It is more difficult than ever before to bring up a family, moral standards seem to be getting lower and lower and we wonder in what kind of a world will our children grow up.
Nearly two thousand years ago, the teaching of Jesus started a movement that was to have a profound effect on world history. Yet now looking round the world, you might very well ask - ‘has Christianity failed?’
 The Christian Hope
There is no doubt that Jesus, the founder of Christianity, looked forward to a better world. The prophets in the Old Testament foretold a time that would come when world problems would be solved and when all that is wrong with the world would be put right. The early followers of Jesus prayed for the coming kingdom of God when there would be no more wars and when all nations would be at peace.
Here are some examples of verses from various parts of the Bible which outline this hope:
‘...all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.’ [Numbers 14.21]
‘...they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.’ [Isaiah 2.4]
‘...in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.’ [Daniel 2.44]
‘...The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.’ [Revelation 11.15]
‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever...’ [Isaiah 9.6,7]
‘Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained...’ [Acts 17.31]
The Hope guaranteed
There is no doubt about the confidence of the inspired writers of the Bible. They were absolutely sure that their hope would be realised. Some of the verses quoted above are coupled with an assurance or a guarantee. For example, the verse from Numbers chapter 14 begins, ‘But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.’ The very existence of God confirms the hope.
In the verse quoted from Daniel chapter 2 above, when the prophet Daniel was speaking to the Babylonian, king Nebuchadnezzar, about the future of the world, he told him that the kingdoms of this world would be replaced by a divine kingdom. He then said, ‘the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.'
The prophet Isaiah in chapter 9, foretold the coming of Christ in the words: ‘unto us a child is born.’ After speaking of his future work to rule over a kingdom that would never end, he declared: ‘The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.’
Very telling too are the words of the Apostle Paul when addressing the Greeks on Mars Hill outside the city of Athens. He said that our hopes do not depend on gods made of wood and stone or silver and gold. Our God lives. He has a purpose with the earth. God has fixed a day when He will rule the world in justice. He has chosen the king ‘whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.’ [Acts 17.31]
There is no doubt about the reality of the true ‘Christian’ hope. Where people have made a mistake, is in thinking that the kingdom of God will be established by preaching the Gospel. The Kingdom will be set up when Jesus returns to the earth, as the angels promised when Jesus ascended to heaven:
‘...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.’ [Acts 1.11]
Jesus promised to come again. He taught this in plain statements:
‘...if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again.’ [John 14.3]
He also confirmed this teaching in his parables:
‘... A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.’ [Luke 19.12]
Christians must be ready
A realisation of the true Christian hope puts so much of the teaching of Jesus into context. His followers must be ready for his coming. He told the story of ten bridesmaids who were waiting for the coming of the bridegroom. Five were wise - they were ready for his coming - and five were not. Jesus explained that following him might lead to trouble. Father might be set against son and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law. Neither Jesus nor the apostles ever gave the impression that following Christ would be easy. The reward promised would be enjoyed when the Kingdom was established, at his coming. At that time his promise in the Sermon on the Mount would be fulfilled:
‘Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.’ [Matthew 5.5]
Meanwhile the followers of Jesus have to try to live their lives in ways that will please him and this underlines the importance of his teaching.
Christianity has not failed
The teaching of Jesus was to be put into practice by his followers while they were waiting for his coming. The spread of Christianity was never intended in itself to reform the world. The world will be reformed, regenerated and restored at the return of Christ. Peter said that God would send Jesus Christ, ‘…which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began,’ [Acts 3. 20,21]
Meanwhile his urgent message to his hearers was:
‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out...’ [Acts 3.19]
The reorganisation of the world will take place at the coming of Christ.
The teaching of Christianity is for the followers of Jesus now. The time to repent is now - the word repent means to turn round - to try to change our lives with God’s help. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, ‘whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard..?’ [Romans 10.13,14]
Belief first
So, first comes belief as we learn from the letter to the Hebrews:
‘….he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ [Hebrews 11.6]
The jailer who was converted at Philippi said to Paul and Silas, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ Their reply was: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.’ [Acts 16.30,31] The chapter then goes on to record his baptism.
Baptism is the next step
Shortly before Jesus was taken up to heaven he told his disciples to go and preach the gospel in all the world. Jesus then said, ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.’[Mark 16.16] Baptism has always followed conversion. It was a public testimony that the new believer wanted to make a fresh start. Because true Christian baptism is a complete immersion in water, it represents a complete washing away of the past and a new beginning.
Belief...baptism..and then?
There are many verses in the New Testament which describe the Christian way of life following baptism, with phrases such as:
‘Make your calling and election sure’
‘Continue in the faith’
‘Continue in well doing’
An excellent example of the order - Belief, Baptism and Continuing - is the description of the conversion of a huge crowd on the day of Pentecost when Peter spoke about the resurrection of Jesus and of the time when he would come again and his enemies would be made his footstool. We read:
‘Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.’ [Acts 2.41,42]
Note the order - belief first, then obedience to that belief in the witness of baptism, then continuing to try to apply the teaching of Jesus in our lives. This order is emphasised so many times in the Bible that it is hard to understand why so many get things the wrong way round.
'First things first'
This is a common expression; yet so many ignore the logical steps as far as Christ's teaching is concerned. For athletes, the London Marathon is a race that has increased in popularity tremendously since it began. Thousands of competitors send in their applications to run in the race. All agree that it would be useless running the course, obeying the rules, completing the race - unless the runner had first been accepted as an official competitor. Paul argues in exactly the same way as far as our life in Christ is concerned:
‘...if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.’ [2 Timothy 2.5 NIV]
Living the 'Christian life'
The Bible is full of instruction about various aspects of the believer’s life and what his or her attitude should be to the various problems of living today. The Bible tells us that whatever we do - we do it to the Lord. The life of the true Christian is not a ‘Sunday only’ affair but it requires, in a very real sense, giving our life to God.
‘...whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.’ [Colossians 3.23]
This verse is in Paul’s letter to the Christians in the first century who lived at Colosse. Paul writes in this letter about the significance of baptism, which is a symbolic dying to sin and a resurrection with Christ. [Colossians 2.12] Paul continues, ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.’ [Colossians 3.1] This is where our hopes are centred - in the person of Christ who is in heaven, from whence we look for his return, because as Paul wrote:
‘When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.’ [Colossians 3. 4]
Then follows some practical teaching that we would do well to read very carefully.
However, the apostle then penned the words which we have already quoted, but he added a reference to his readers’ hope - the hope which is part of being a Christian:
‘...whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ [Colossians 3. 23,24]
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