Now Psalms 84 verse 11 tells us that the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. In other words, those to whom God gives His saving grace to in Jesus Christ, He also will certainly give eternal glory to them as well. So Paul says that those who have received the grace of God in Christ verse 11, the grace that brings salvation, all men who have trusted in Christ have been saved by his free and sovereign grace. They are also, verse 13 says, looking, looking for something. And as I said in our prayer, our eyes have been turned heavenward. Before we're saved we're like pigs. You know what pigs do? run around in the earth, and they dig, and they find their roots and grubs, and they eat, and they never once look up. They don't acknowledge that all these things they're finding in the ground are coming down to them from heaven, and are God's provision for them. Well, people are that way. We live in this worldly, sensual, earthly life, and we have no eyes for heaven, no eyes for God, because we're without faith. We look at the things that are temporal, not at the things that are eternal. Well, now that God has given us faith, our eyes have been opened to see heavenly and spiritual, eternal things. We're looking unto Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and we're looking for Him. That's our constant attitude. We're looking up. You know, what did Jesus say? Lift up your heads, look up. Why? Because your redemption draweth nigh. And the word looking for here is a present participle. It's talking about the constant attitude of a Christian. We're always in the attitude of expecting or waiting for. We're looking for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now it's interesting, Paul says this was always the hope of God's people. He uses these same two words, looking for and hope, in Acts chapter 24. and verse 15 we have hope toward God which they themselves also allow and that word allow is the same word as looking for they're looking for the hope that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust a single resurrection not two resurrections that will include both the saved and the lost not two separate resurrections for both of those groups Now this looking For Jesus is something that is commanded us by God in Luke chapter 12 and verse 36 Or as if we're not looking for Jesus We're not obeying God In Luke, in chapter 12, verse 36, Jesus says, You yourselves are to be like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. And then verse 43 says, Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Now, also this looking for Christ is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Since we've been regenerated and have come to know Christ, God sheds His love abroad in our hearts. We've come to know Him and love Him, and so we yearn to be with Him. Love is a uniting feeling or affection or grace. In other words, you want to be with the object of your love and be close to them. And that's why we long to be with Jesus. Galatians chapter 5. verse 5 says, for we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. In other words, now that we by faith have been justified, made righteous in the sight of God, now we have the hope of eternal life that we look forward to. And it's by the Spirit we do that. So anyone who's not looking for Jesus does not have the Holy Spirit in them. They're unregenerate. They're still dead in their sins and living sensual earthly lives. What are we looking for? The blessed hope, that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. So this defines for us our longing expectation. What it is we are waiting for. And it also tells us that this is a strong incentive to holy living. What did Paul just say in verse 12? God's grace teaches us that we're to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. And the way that we are helped to do that is by looking for Jesus. If we expect Jesus any time, we're not going to live in a way that we would not want to be found living when He comes. You remember 1 Peter chapter 1 said this? 1 Peter chapter 1. Verse 13 says, 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. As obedient children, here's how you're to hope. Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. Don't live your old unsaved lifestyle like you did before you had this hope. in Christ, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. Or 1 John chapter 3, verse 2 and 3. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. That's our present status through faith in Christ. And it doth not yet appear what we shall be. He has something in store for us, the best is yet to come. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." That's our hope, his appearing. And every man that hath this hope in him, how does he occupy himself in the meanwhile? He purifies himself even as he is pure. So the hope of Christ's return is a sanctifying hope. In Titus, again, Paul has just spoken of this present world as being our training ground. This is the scene of our probation in our state as minors. And the world to come is now shown to be the place of our maturity, when our redemption will be completed and we enter upon our eternal reward. That's why it says we're waiting for the adoption to wit. the redemption of our bodies. That's when we are going to be manifested to be the sons of God and brought into our state of full glorification. Matthew 12 verse 32 talks about two worlds. This present world and then the world that will follow. Matthew chapter 12 And verse 32, Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. And that's how God breaks down time and eternity. This world, this present world, the world to come, the future world. Time and eternity. So we're looking for, or we are expecting, the blessed hope, or the future fulfillment of the promises of God to believers in Jesus Christ, the promises of eternal bliss and glory with God in heaven. That's what Jude 21 says we're waiting for. Now, everything about salvation is grace in Jesus Christ, including when Jesus returns and takes us to heaven and makes us like himself, when our bio-bodies shall be gloriously transformed like unto his glorious body. Jude 21 says we are to keep ourselves in the love of God here and now by obeying his commandments and walking with him in faith and love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, looking for the time when he returns and brings us to heaven and shows that great mercy to us. See, we now possess and hold our salvation in a state of hope. The Bible says we are saved in hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For that which a man hopes for, he does not yet have it. So we have salvation as a present possession, and yet we are still kept in a state of hope because our salvation will not be complete until eternity. It will be fully realized at Christ's return, when eternity will be ushered in. Colossians 1, verse 5. See, there's two ways of looking at hope. Hope is a grace within us. It's that expectancy and anticipation of Christ's return. And hope is also the thing that we are waiting for. It is Christ himself and that which we will receive at his return. In Titus, he's talking about Christ and his coming and what will be given to us at that time. It says we're looking for, not having the hope in our hearts, looking for the blessed hope. And yet, that looking is the grace of hope within us. Colossians 1 verse 5 says, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. And that's talking about our inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for us. It is a normal characteristic and a necessary characteristic of a true Christian to be looking and longing for Christ's return and the desire to be in heaven with Him more than to continue on this earth. That's something that He gives us the moment of our conversion. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Paul talks about the experience of the Thessalonians, and their experience is common to all believers. Verse 9, they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you. He talks about coming and bringing the gospel to them. And how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. In other words, when we believe we were saved from the penalty of sin, the wrath of God that is coming on the unbelievers, through faith in Christ who was crucified for us and rose again, and now we're looking to heaven, waiting for God's Son, our Lord Jesus, to bring us to be with Him forever. That's a Christian's attitude. That's his uplook. That's what he longs for. Anyone who is more interested, more wrapped up in and concerned about this life, to the ignoring and forgetting of eternity, never thinks about Christ coming and just wants to get the here and now, that person proves himself an unbeliever, an unsaved person. That's exactly what the Bible would indicate. Now why does Paul call this a blessed hope? Well, first of all, it's a blessed hope because of the nature of what we're looking for. It's the infinite blessedness of what we will enjoy in eternity. It's a happy or joyous hope because we're going to be entering into the joy of our Lord, and we will have eternal, perfect, infinite bliss. And it's also a blessed hope because of the blessedness we enjoy even now as we contemplate and look forward to Christ's coming back for us. That in itself gives us joy. You know, Jesus left that with us. He said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. Behold, I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." And a little after that, he says, these things have I spoken unto you, that your joy may be full. That's one of the purposes of it. Romans 5, verse 2 says that right now we have a standing in grace of acceptance with God, being justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ, in which grace we rejoice. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We're rejoicing as we look forward to seeing God in His glory and entering into that glory and sharing with God in it. 1 Timothy 1 tells us that Christ is our hope. Verse 1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope. He is our hope, personally. He's the one we're looking for. Even heaven itself would not be heaven if Christ were not there. He's our joy. He's our blessedness. And that's why in verse 11 of 1 Timothy it says, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust, God is blessed, infinitely blessed in himself. And we are blessed in knowing him. And so our blessing will not be complete until we're with Him in His very presence, where there is pleasures forevermore and fullness of joy. Blessed hope. Much better than anything down here. Much better. But, to be blessed, we must live in the light of Christ's return, seeking to please Him. That's how we can be blessed here and now in the prospect of His coming. Paul says, whether present or absent, we labor to be well-pleasing unto Him, because we all have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And we all may receive in our body the things which we have done, whether it be good or evil. And then in Revelation 16, it tells the attitude of Christians as they wait for Christ. In verse 15. talks in verse 14 of the great day of God Almighty, that's the last day, the judgment day. Verse 15, Jesus says, Behold, I come as a thief, suddenly unannounced. Blessed is he that washeth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. I think none of us would like someone to walk in on us when we're undressed. That's a very shameful thing that we try to avoid. But Jesus says, I'm coming. The only way to be blessed is to watch and keep your clothes pure and white, lest you be caught naked at His return, unprepared. All right, now He tells us the nature of this return in Titus 2.13, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, when he says, and the glorious appearing, this is speaking of one and the same event. He's not talking about two things here. The blessed hope is one thing, the glorious appearing another. He's saying the blessed hope, which is the glorious appearing. That is our blessed hope. Now the reason I say this, there is a very prevalent and popular theory about one that was first introduced about the year 1830. And here's how it came about. It was a result of a vision that a charismatic or Pentecostal girl in Scotland had, and which was picked up, adopted and spread by the Irvingites, which were neo-Pentecostalists, a form of Pentecostalism back in the 1830s, and the Darbyites, which we know as the Plymouth Brethren, followers of John Darby. Now this theory says that Christ's return will be in two stages. First, for his saints, and then with his saints. Now the first person who introduced any idea that there was any time or events after Christ's return on this earth was Jewish, or I'm sorry, a Jesuit priest who claimed to be a Jewish convert, Emanuel La Kunza, in the late 1700s he wrote a book about the return of Christ, and he gave the idea that there was going to be some kind of judgments after Christ's return. No one else had ever taught anything like that prior to that. Everyone had always understood that when Christ came that was the end of the world, and there was no more judgments, or opportunities for salvation upon this earth. Of course, the purpose for this book was to try to remove from the Pope the stigma of being the Antichrist. He wanted to give the idea that the Antichrist would come after Christ's return, so it couldn't be the Pope. Well, the Pope is the Antichrist, and it's not someone that's going to come after Christ's return. It's someone that's present with us here and now. Now, let me say this. So there was that idea. Now this woman, she was involved with a group that had read this book and had some of its teachings given to them, and that may have been in her mind when she had this supposed prophecy, but she had the idea that Christ was not going to come for everybody, but only for those who were spiritually prepared. In other words, it was a partial rapture theory, the idea that Only those saints who were living holy lives would be taken. Everyone else would be left behind to be purged, including believers. And that, of course, became developed until what we got today was the present pre-tribulational rapture theory, which says that Christ is going to come back secretly and take the church out of the world, and then send a seven-year judgment on the earth, and convert the Jews, and then inaugurate a 1,000-year earthly Jewish divinic kingdom. Now, the only reason they have two comings of Christ is because the basic premise of dispensationalism is this. God has two separate, distinct peoples. Now, that's a terrible teaching, because they say that the Jewish nation is God's people and the church is God's people. And that is not true at all. God has one people, his elect, those for whom Christ died. And there's only one people of God, one church of God, one true Israel, God's elect, who are believers in Christ. Now, because they have two peoples, they have to have two ways of salvation. The Jews by keeping the law, the saints by grace. This is the age of grace they say. Very false. God only saves by grace through faith in Christ. Old Testament and New Testament. The other thing they have to have is two different destinies. The church in heaven, the Jews on earth. And so Christ has to come twice now. First to take the church to heaven, and then to bring the Jews their kingdom on earth. It's a terrible teaching. It's a heresy. It's a serious heresy. And it confounds the plan of salvation, who the people of God are, God's purpose for the world, and everything becomes completely messed up. But here, See, they would teach that the day of Christ and the day of the Lord are two different things. You have the parousia, or Christ's presence, and then you have the revelation, or Christ's coming in glory. And that's two separate, distinct events. And that's a terrible thing, because that would have to say the Lord's coming back three times, not twice. And the Bible's very clear that Christ is coming twice. Twice, not three times. We're waiting for his second coming. There is no third coming. There is no hope of salvation after he comes. He has no intention of setting up the Old Testament again. That was done away with forever by his death. And the Jews either have to believe in Christ or they're going to be in hell. They're not going to have a kingdom on earth. And that's their only hope. Any Jews that don't believe in Christ now will perish in eternity. And this is something that they have completely perverted. Now, not only do they say the day of Christ, the day of the Lord are two different things, that His coming will be first, and then after a period of seven years, His appearing will take place, and all these other kind of things, but also that His first coming is secret and invisible, and His second coming is public and visible. They call one the rapture, and the other the revelation. Of course, the word rapture is not a biblical word. That's a word from the Latin. Vulgate which means to be caught up or Removed so what they would say is the blessed hope is the rapture and the glorious appearing is the revelation That's how they explain this verse. That's how I was taught it, but that's a complete misunderstanding of how this verse is Interpreted and how it it is written that is not what this verse is teaching in this verse the word and and That little copulative is an explanatory word. It defines for us what it is we are hoping for. In other words, the phrase, the glorious appearing, is an apposition to the blessed hope. I don't know if you know what the word apposition means. It means the second predicate is exactly the same as the first. And it's just another way of saying it. So it reads, the blessed hope even the glorious appearing, or the blessed hope which is the glorious appearing. That's how the verse is written in the Greek. So the verse is actually saying that our blessed hope as Christians now is the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. In other words, to a dispensationalist We're not hoping for his revelation, we're hoping for his coming, which is secret. But this verse says, our hope is the revelation. The word revelation, the word coming, the word epiphany are all used interchangeably for the same event. The single, second return of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1.7 is an example of that. 1 Corinthians 1.7 So that you've come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that word coming there is the word revelation, which they would say can never refer to the rapture. And yet, Corinthians says that's exactly what we're waiting for as Christians. And so this is why I'm making this point. In interpreting the Bible, we are to distinguish the things that differ, but we're not to divide the things that are identical. And that's where dispensationalism makes all its mistakes. They say we're rightly dividing the Word of Truth, and they divide one and the same thing into four or five different segments, and make it four or five different things. And so their interpretation becomes very, very incorrect. And this is where the danger comes in. When he says we're looking for the blessed hope, which is the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, he's referring there to the end of the world, what the Bible calls the last day, or the day of resurrection, when Jesus Christ shall return in glory, or it's the day of the judgment of all men. That's one and the same day. Let me show you where this verse, or this word, appearing is used. In the rest of the New Testament, first of all, 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 8, Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. That word there, coming, is the same word. In other words, we're looking for the time when Christ comes and destroys the Antichrist. That's what we Christians are looking for. We're not going to be taken out and avoid a tribulation and never see the Antichrist. That's not what it's saying. You have to go now to 1 Timothy 6, verse 14. Paul's giving Timothy a charge for his ministry. that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." Timothy, you obey right till Christ's appearing. In other words, He could appear while you're in the process of doing this. And of course, Timothy was never going to be alive at Christ's appearing, but this verse is for God's people of all times. And then you go over to 2 Timothy, chapter 4, Verse 1, again a charge, I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick, or the living and the dead, at his appearing and his kingdom. In other words, the judgment of all men will be at the point of his appearing, which is what we're looking for. Verse 8, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Do you love the day of Christ's return to judge the world? Then you will receive a crown of righteousness from Him in that day. So how can I love that day if I'm not even supposed to look for it because I'll be gone seven years before it happens? It can't happen that way. It just doesn't fit. So this is what the Bible sets before us as the grand consummation of this age. Christ coming in glory and raising all the dead and also judging all men. That is what our blessed hope is. 2 Peter chapter 3, here's another thing they say. The day of Christ is the rapture. The day of the Lord is the revelation. The day of God is after all this when he burns up the heaven and earth. and creates new heaven and new earth. Well, if that's so, you're talking 1,007 plus years later than our blessed hope. But what's Peter say we're looking for as Christians right now? Beginning at verse 10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise. And the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?" The world's going to burn up right from under our feet. We better live holy lives and be ready for that day. Looking for and hasting. Who's looking for this? Beloved, chapter 3, verse 1, Those who were believers that Peter wrote to, we are looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heaven being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. I'm looking for Christ to come back and burn up the heavens and earth and create new heavens and earth that I will live on for all eternity. I'm not looking for a rapture and a thousand year millennial kingdom. That's not what I'm taught in the scripture as my hope. So the grace of God was manifested in the first coming of Christ to earth for our salvation. He's coming twice. First, when he came as a man, born of a baby, in Bethlehem in order to give up his life for us. That's what Titus 2.11 said, the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. That word appeared is a verb form of the same word we're talking about in verse 13, his appearance. And then in 2 Timothy chapter 1 talks about his first appearing in verse 10. but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. What did he do when he came the first time? Who has abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. He died to put away our sins and to destroy the devil and to conquer death and the grave and to bring us life and heaven by the preaching of the gospel. That's what he did when he came the first time. So that's when the grace of God was manifested. Now the glory of God will be manifested in Christ's second coming to the earth. And again, He's only coming twice, or a second time, not a third time. Hebrews 9, 28 says there, So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him, who's that? Believers, shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation or is he coming a second time and that's the last time not a third or fourth time and how why is he coming the second time not to put away sin he did that when he died but to bring us to the full enjoyment of the salvation he purchased for us on the cross to bring us to be with him in heaven then in that day the dead will be raised the final judgment will take place and eternity will be ushered in. It's the glorious appearing, and that means the manifestation of the glory. When Jesus comes back, he will be seen in all his glory. Right now he's in heaven, and his glory is hidden, obscured, where it's beyond our sight. But one day that heaven will be opened, that veil will be rent, and Christ will come forth and will be seen in His glory. Matthew 16, verse 27. Now the world scoffs and laughs. Who is this Christ? We don't need to believe in Him. He died 2,000 years ago if He even ever existed. What a shock when He comes forth in all His eternal power and glory. The Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father, verse 27 says, with His angels, and then shall He reward every man according to his works. Or as He says in another place, He will come in His own glory. And His glory and the Father's glory are one and the same because He's God. And so He's talking about the glory of God. Matthew 25, verse 31, When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations. And He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats." Or as we read in Colossians 3, not only will Christ come in glory, but He will confer upon us that glory, at least the glory of His glorified humanity. We'll share it with Him in eternity. verse three in Colossians 3, For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. That's our hope. He's going to come in glory. We will share in that glory. I want to show you something about Christ's return. Revelation 11 verse 15 Does the Bible say it's a single return? It says, The seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. Verse 18 says, The nations were angry, and thy wrath is come in the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants, the prophets, and to the saints. and them that fear thy name small and great, and should destroy them that destroy the earth." Jesus is coming at the seventh trumpet to reward his servants and judge the wicked. At this one and the same time. And when is this second trumpet? Or this seventh trumpet? 1 Corinthians 15 says it's the last trumpet. It's the seventh of a series. The last of that series. 1 Corinthians 15 51 says, behold, I show you a mystery, talking of the resurrection. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, when the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, we shall be changed. The last trump is the seventh trumpet of Revelation, chapter 11. Isn't that what 1 Thessalonians 4 said? How is Jesus coming? It says, the Lord himself, verse 16, shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. That's the last trump. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. And there Paul is focusing on the resurrection of the saints. But the wicked will be raised at the same time. Look at Matthew 24. What do you have? Clouds? Trumpets the angel. Well, what's Matthew 24 say? Verse 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn. And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet." Clouds, angels, trumpet. And what do they do? They shall gather together as elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. The dead in Christ shall be raised. We that remain alive shall be caught up with them. The elect. Believers. See, the Bible doesn't tell everything about it in any one place. Matthew 24 doesn't talk about the resurrection. First Thessalonians 4 doesn't talk about the wicked. Revelation never mentions the rapture. These are all things that you have to find in their own particular places. Is this a secret coming? Trumpet sounds? Clouds? Shouting? What does Revelation chapter 1 verse 7 say about His coming? Only the saints will see Him or only those who are spiritually prepared? No. John writing to the believer says, behold, he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him. Only the ones who are alive now? No. They also which pierced him. The ones who put him on the cross are going to see him when he comes, because they're going to be raised at that time. And all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, amen. Every eye will see him. Who? The great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. And again, this phrase, great God and our Savior, is not speaking of two distinct separate persons. One God, the Father, and the other, our Savior, Jesus Christ. It means the great God, even our Savior. The great God, who is our Savior? It's the same thing. The words are in apposition. The word and means even, saying that they are one and the same. You see the same kind of a phrase in 1 Corinthians 15, 24. It says, Then comes the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father. That's God and the Father. You think he's saying that God is one person, the Father is someone else? No, God who is the Father. The great God, even our Savior, the Lord Jesus. The great God who is our Savior. Our God and Savior. Jesus Christ. So here again, and means even. Our Savior Jesus Christ being in apposition with God so that the phrase reads, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. So it's a very clear and strong statement of Christ's deity. It's referring to one person. Jesus Christ, our Savior, is God. The glory of God is seen in the person of His co-equal Son. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God. And it says, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The glories of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And it says, no man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Or as 2 Corinthians 4-6 says, the glory of God is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. So the one who came the first time in humility to die for us on a cross is coming again in glory to judge the world and to take us to heaven. And that one is God. As Paul said, of whom, speaking of the Jews, came Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. So when Jesus returns in His glory, He's going to be seen by all to be who He truly is, the mighty God, and also our merciful Savior. A merciful Savior to those who believed on Him, but a sin-avenging judge to those who rejected Him in unbelief. And that's really the question. When Jesus comes in glory, will I meet Him as my Savior? And may it be a blessed event for me, or will I see him as an angry judge? And will it mean my eternal destruction in hell when he casts me from his presence forever? Because he's not only mighty to save those who believe, but he's also mighty to condemn and destroy those who do not believe. And that is why we need to be sure that we have believed. Because Jesus is coming on the last day to raise the dead and to judge all men, and those who are not in Christ in that day will perish forever. Let's close in prayer.