Christmas and the Blessed Hope

Jesus Christ is the alpha and omega, the first and the last, the author and finisher of our faith. These expressions foreswear the inevitability of his return. God's people should not only be anticipating his return, but they should also be looking for the blessed hope. “Looking for that blessed hope, ‘and’ the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).”

The mystery of the blessed hope was prophesied by the apostle Paul (Colossians 1:23). “We are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? (Romans 8:24).” One clue into the mystery of our blessed hope, is that believers are to be hoping for something that they haven’t seen. “If we hope for that we see not, then we do with patience wait of it (Romans 8:25).” Our blessed hope is for the redemption of the body. “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28).” If you think redemption is passé, think again.

Christ is our redeemer, but the redemption hasn’t happened. “You were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of your inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession (Ephesians 1:13-14).” Redemption happens when the Islamic, Jewish and Christian faiths, unite their understandings and their hopes together as one. Paul put it this way, “Not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23).” Redemption is about Christ claiming his bride, and all believers are to be hoping for that day. "We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness that is by faith (Galatians 5:5)."

Jesus' death was not only for Christianity, but his death was for the iniquities and the transgressions of all of Abraham's seed. “That by means of his death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15).” Christians are fellow-heirs with Jewish and Islamic believers (Ephesians 3:6). The Islamic and Jewish faiths are receiving their inheritance by promise, while Jesus' followers are receiving their inheritance by hope. “Ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:12-13).” The blood of Jesus' sufferings, cleanses Christianity. “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).” Jews and Muslims are cleansed by the blood of Christ's death. “Christ hath made of one blood all nations (Acts 17:26).” “He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace (Ephesians 2:14-16).” Jesus' second coming will forever abolish the laws of every religion, and it will unite believers together in one understanding, thus making peace within the elect.

There is one hope of the believer's calling. “There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in the one hope of your calling (Ephesians 4:4).” Paul prophesied details of the believer's calling, and prayed that men everywhere might know the hope of their calling (Ephesians 1:18): “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ (Acts 26:18).” In other words, when believers are hoping for the redemption of the body, what is really hoping for is the salvation of religion's deceived people. There are believers within every religion that did believe God, and that have kept his ways, therefore God is fulfilling his promise to bring redemption. Redemption is about knowing how to lead others in truth, and the new covenant will cause believers to know how to acurately tell others how that they too can receive salvation, and inherit God's blessings. Receiving eternal life is marked by evidence: believers are to inherit a quickened spirit, which is the gift of God.“That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father (Romans 15:6).”


Teaching the covenant message before the day of salvation will take patience, because God is changing something that everyone deems unchangeable. “The servant of the Lord must be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil (from 2Timothy 2:24-26)." Insulting and accusing one another, displeases God.  "If a man strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully (2Timothy 2:5)." Share the mystery of salvation boldly and without fear (Romans 12:1). “You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God… joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be glorified together (Romans 8:15-17).” The sufferings that believers suffer as they promote the covenant message will turn into blessings, because of their love for the Lord. "For as the sufferings of Christ abounded in us, so our consolation also abounded by Christ... As ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation (2Corinthians 1:7)."

The hope of our calling will overturn religion, and it will change the world. Fear not, consult the scriptures: every time that God moved to do a new thing, his followers were called to fearlessly go from faith, to faith, and their acts were recorded for our edification. The difference between their decisions and those of end times, is that end time conversions are not going to be optional. God prophesied promises of reward to strengthen believers, and just as his promises stood firm through the challenges of our forefathers, so they shall stand firm through the challenges of end times.  

“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Ephesians 5:14).” Help promote the covenant message and teach others how to receive the Holy Spirit. “So is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption… It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body (1Corinthians 15:42;15:44).” Then all God's people can receive God's gift of new life. “Neither can they die anymore: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being children of the resurrection (Luke 20:36).” “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God (1Peter 1:23).”

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me... even the messenger of the covenant (Malachi 3:1)." The covenant message is the truth: Don't take it lightly. “It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they had known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them (2Peter 2:21).” “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done dispite to the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29).”

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1Peter 1:13).”