Eschatology Is Essential

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

Tit 2:12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

Tit 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

Tit 2:14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Tit 2:15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

The sound doctrines of soteriology, sanctification, and eschatology are inseparably bound to each other and they are bound to God.

Living godly, righteous lives and looking for the return of Christ is to be done now--in this "present age", as well as be taught authoritatively in the context of the local church--again, in this "present age". There are no justifiable excuses of "who's perfect" or "there's no perfect church", in order to justify sin and compromise. The standard on how to live and when to do it is dogmatically taught in Scripture.

As taught at church yesterday on Titus 2:11-5, when leaders do not teach eschatology, they cheat the Christian of his sanctification. To say that eschatology is a lesser doctrine, or as Mark Dever says, to teach on it is a sin, is to violate Scripture AND is to keep the Christian from maturity and sanctification. It also keeps his eyes on the temporal, immediate things around him (such as celebrity false teachers like Dever) instead of Christ.

This came up in my study:

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

1Jn 3:3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

1Jn 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

1Jn 3:5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

1Jn 3:6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.

1Jn 3:7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;

It says the same thing. Also this:

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

2Pe 3:11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

2Pe 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

2Pe 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

2Pe 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,