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The Gospel Changes How We Wait

The Gospel Changes How We WAIT

So much of our life is spent in waiting. Waiting to graduate. Waiting to find a job. Waiting for a spouse. Waiting for a child. Waiting for resolution in some situation. Waiting for something we hope will finally take place.

What we wait for surely reveals our heart. What we wait MOST for can be a good indication of what we are setting our hearts upon. As I preach through Titus at Cross of Christ Fellowship, this reality has struck me. Paul describes Christians as a “waiting” people. We are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

A Christian is someone who is eagerly waiting for the physical and visible return of Jesus, who is coming back to bring in and consummate his kingdom reign. Jesus really is coming back (Col 3:4; 1 Thess 4:16; 2 Thess 2:8)! Now, as Christians, we are instructed to set our hearts on the grace we’ll experience at his return (1 Peter 1:13).

As I have thought about this, I’m saddened by how little I see this posture of waiting for Christ in my heart. We are taught in Scripture to view ourselves in this world as pilgrims, sojourners, and exiles (1 Peter 2:11; Heb 11:13-16)—this world is not our ultimate home, rather we await the new Earth and new heavens. How easy it is to let the comforts and conveniences fill up our hearts, schedules, and minds and steal our affections. How easy it is to set our hearts on things that won’t ultimately satisfy us. Only Christ can satisfy the human heart.

The gospel reshapes what we WAIT for. Instead of setting our ultimate hopes on the things of this world, we long for and wait for our blessed God and Savior Jesus to come and consummate his kingdom reign. We long to be close to Christ, to be forever and fully freed from sin, to be with God and His people forever.

The gospel also tempers our earthly longings. There is nothing wrong with waiting for a spouse, or a job, or some desires to be fulfilled. But Christ shows us that those things are not ultimate, HE IS. So, if we NEVER get the things of this world that our hearts are waiting for, it is ok, because we have Christ.

By Tom Schmidt

Christian, husband of Rach, Church Planter,musician,

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