The blessed hope is the eager expectation of the soon appearing of Jesus Christ, not merely the hope of going to heaven at death.
Les Feldick teaches that the blessed hope is the constant, joyful anticipation of the return and glorious appearing of the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. This hope is rooted in the resurrection and motivates believers to live godly lives while they wait. It is distinguished from simply looking forward to death, as it centers on Christ's personal coming for His people.
Titus 2:13 — This verse directly names the 'blessed hope' as the appearing of Jesus Christ, which is the core of the question.
The Bible teaches that the 'blessed hope' is the appearing of Jesus Christ. In Titus 2:13, Paul writes, 'Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.' This verse connects the hope with Christ's return, not merely with death or heaven. Scripture also shows that this hope encourages believers to live righteously. First John 3:3 states, 'And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.' The hope of Christ's return is a purifying motivation in the believer's life. Furthermore, the resurrection is the foundation of this hope. Romans 8:24-25 explains that hope involves waiting patiently for something not yet seen: 'For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.'
Les Feldick teaches that the blessed hope is not simply the hope of going to heaven when you die; it is the blessed hope of the soon appearing of Jesus Christ. In Clip 2, he explains that the believer's hope is in resurrection—that we will be like Him and be with Him forever. This hope is not about escaping life or death but about the transformation that comes at Christ's return. In Clip 3, Les describes the blessed hope as the sudden translation of believers into new bodies to be with the Lord, happening in an instant. He emphasizes that it could happen at any moment, and believers should live in constant anticipation. Clip 1 ties this hope to daily living: the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, all while 'looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing.' Les stresses that the blessed hope is not the Second Coming but the 'glorious appearing' of Jesus Christ, which is the next event for the Church. In Clip 6, Les uses the analogy of a housewife cleaning her house because company is coming: every believer should keep their spiritual house in order because any moment the Lord may appear. This practical application shows that the blessed hope should affect how we live today.
No. Les Feldick makes a clear distinction. The blessed hope is not simply the hope of heaven at death; it is the hope of Christ's glorious appearing. He explains that when God's grace appears, it teaches us to live godly lives while looking for that blessed hope—the appearing of Jesus Christ (Clip 1). The believer's hope is in resurrection and the sudden, instant transformation to be with the Lord (Clip 3).
Because it causes believers to live in a state of readiness. Les uses the analogy of a housewife cleaning her house before a guest arrives. Knowing that the Lord may come at any moment motivates believers to keep their spiritual lives clean and pure (Clip 6). This aligns with 1 John 3:3, which says everyone who has this hope purifies himself.
It could happen at any time. Les emphasizes that believers do not know the day or the hour, and we are not to set dates. The hope is that it may take place today, tomorrow, or some time later—but it is imminent (Clip 3). This expectation is part of the hope itself.
Grace vs. Mercy: What's the Real Difference? (Bible Explained)
Oh, I'll never forget. Years and years ago a fellow came out to our little country church up in Iowa, and for a whole week during which the temperature never got above 30, below zero, even in the daytime, that poor fellow was faithful, and he taught us every night from Titus, chapter 2, verses 11 through 15. Found out just a while back that he's now gone to be with the Lord.
Looking for the Glorious Appearing
Les connects the grace of God with living godly lives and explains that the 'blessed hope' is the 'glorious appearing' of Jesus Christ, not the Second Coming.
Resurrection as Our Blessed Hope
Les teaches that the blessed hope is not just living and dying like a dog, but the prospect of resurrection with Christ, making the best yet to come.
Instant Translation at the Blessed Hope
Les describes the blessed hope as the sudden, instant translation of believers into new bodies to be with the Lord forever, a hope that could happen any day.
Romans 8:24-29 — Does God Choose You or Do You Choose Him?
So faith and hope then are so intricately intertwined, and I'll come back to Romans 8. So if a man sees something, then there's no need to hope for it. I've given the expression that I've learned over the years, that anticipation is far more exciting than realization. When you look forward to something, and you look forward to it, that's a lot more exciting than when it finally gets there.
What Triggers the Rapture? Romans 11:25 Explained Verse by Verse
I'll then come back to I Corinthians chapter 15 for just a moment, and so we will be raised incorruptible, and changed into a glorious body like His resurrected body. And then this corruptible, verse 53, must put on incorruption, and this immortal puts on immortality, and so on and so forth.
Purifying Hope
Les uses the analogy of preparing for a visitor to illustrate that the blessed hope should motivate believers to keep their spiritual lives pure and ready.
No Condemnation: What It Really Means to Be "In Christ"
Here we have the full ramifications that if we have entered into this salvation experience, and we're going to be looking at it more in depth as we go through Romans 8. If we have truly entered into it by faith without any merit of our own, then we can stand on this promise that indeed we're dead to the old Adam, and Christ, who is now our whole life, verse 4, and when He shall appear, and He's go…
Titus 2:13: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
This is the key verse that directly names the 'blessed hope' as the appearing of Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:3: And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Shows that the hope of Christ's return has a purifying effect on the believer's life.
Romans 8:24-25: For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Explains that hope involves waiting patiently for something not yet seen, which applies to the blessed hope.
The blessed hope is the eager expectation of the soon appearing of Jesus Christ, as described in Titus 2:13. It is not merely the hope of heaven at death but the personal, glorious coming of Christ for His church.
No. Les Feldick teaches that while going to heaven is a glorious hope, the blessed hope specifically refers to the return of Christ and the resurrection that accompanies it. It is the hope of being transformed and caught up to meet the Lord.
The blessed hope should motivate believers to live godly lives, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to purify themselves as 1 John 3:3 teaches. It encourages a readiness and an eagerness for Christ's return.
Watch the Teaching: Grace vs. Mercy: What's the Real Difference? (Bible Explained)