THE BLESSED HOPE

                       What Is The Blessed Hope?

> Titus 2:11-14
***Blessed > To Pronounce Happy > Eulogeo In The Greek > To Invoke Blessings > Ephesians 1:3

***Hope > Something In The Future For Sure >

***Blessed Hope > What God Says About You And Your Future > What The Future Holds For The Believer >

> Ephesians 1:16-18 > The Hope Of His Calling > Calling???
> 1 Thessalonians 2:12 > Called To His Kingdom And Glory
> Hebrews 3:1 > Heavenly Calling
> 2 Thessalonians 2:14 > Called To Obtain Glory
> Philippians 3:13,14 > The High Calling To Obtain The Prize

***The Mystery Revealed
> Ephesians 1:3-14 > God's Future Plan Revealed
> Ephesians 2:7-18 > God's Plan For A Body, The Church
> Ephesians 3:8-11,21 > God's Eternal Purposes

            The Hope Of The Redemption Of Our Bodies

> 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
***At The Coming Of The Lord (verse 15) ie. Christ's Second Coming.

> 1 Corinthians 15:19,20,41-54
***The Physical Body Is Raised. "...The Resurrection Body Is Said To Be A Spiritual Body. This Does Not Mean That At The Resurrection Our Bodies Will Be Somehow Dematerialized; But We Are To Remember That Matter As We Know It In This Fallen World, With All Its Inertness And Opacity, Does Not At All Correspond To Matter As God Intended It To Be. Freed From The Grossness Of The Fallen Flesh, The Resurrection Body Will Share In The Qualities Of Christ's Human Body At The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8) And After The Resurrection (John 20:26-29). But, Although Transformed, Our Resurrection Body Will Be In A Recognizable Way The Same Body As That Which We Now Have: There Will Be Continuity Between The Two." (Bishop Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Way, P. 136)

In The Words Of St Cyril Of Jerusalem:

    It is this selfsame body that is raised, although not in its present state of weakness; for it will  "put on incorruption" (1 Corinthians 15:53) and so be transformed...It will no longer need the foods which we now eat to keep alive, nor stairs for its ascent; for it will be made spiritual and will become something marvellous, such as we cannot properly descibe.

And St Irenaeus:

Neither the structure nor the substance of creation is destroyed. It is only "the outward form of this world" (1 Corinthians 7:31) that passes away -- that is to say, the conditions produced by the fall. And when this "outward form" has passed away, man will be renewed and will flourish in a prime of life that is incorruptible, so that it is no longer possible for him to grow old any more. There will be "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:3); and in this new heaven and new earth man shall abide, for ever new and for ever conversing with God.



> Romans 8:16-25
 ***We Are Saved By Hope!!! The Firstfruits Of The Spirit Groans Within Us/Yearns Within Us, For The Redemption Of Our Bodies. *** Adoption Is When We Become The Full-Blown Children Of God And That Takes Place At Christ's Second Coming. *** All Of Creation Groans And Is Waiting For The Manifestation Of The Sons Of God (King James Vesion).

>1 John 3:2,3
*** When Christ Apears We Shall Be Like Him***We Shall See Him As He Is***This Hope Should Inspire Us To Purify Ourselves.

> Philippins 3:20,21
***We Shall Be Changed***Our Vile Body Will Be Fashioned Like Unto His Glorious Body (King James)***"Vile Body" Is Better Translated As "Lowly Body" Or "Body Of Our Humiliation" (Vines Expository Dictionary, Pages 238,239). Our Physical Bodies Are Not Vile As In Evil Or Bad. It Is Our Fallen Nature Which Is Bad/Sinful. Our Bodies Are Good, They Are Temples Of The Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 6:19,20).

> Colossians 3:1-4
***When Christ Appears We Shall Appear With Him In Glory. ***"Appears" In Greek Is "Phaneroo", And The Deeper Meaning Is "To Be Manifested", "To Be Brought Forth Into Light", "A Revelation Of The True Light".

> 1 Corinthians 13:12
***We Shall See Christ Jesus Face To Face***

             LIVING BY FAITH IN THE BLESSED HOPE

***How Believing In God's Future Promises Will Effect/Transform The Way You Live***

> 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:16
***Eternal Judgment***Eternal Rewards***

> 1 Peter 1:3-9,13-17
***This Glorious Truth Leads To "Joy Unspeakable"***

> Hebrews 10:31-11:3,8-16
***Eternal Values***2 Timothy 2:3,9,10***Mark 4:14-20***
1 Timothy 6:6-19***