The Gospel Fruit of True Faith

Christlikeness

(1 John 2:28-29, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 31, 2016)

[28] And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. [29] If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

When He appears

In the last few verses, John encouraged his readers to do something that he mentions one more time in this morning's text: “Abide in Him.” The “Him” here is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Messiah who is at the center of human history. We have also understood from John that the church is to let the Word of God abide in us. These two instructions must be considered as one directive. We cannot claim to have Jesus if we will not receive His Word. The command to “abide in Him” is an instruction to obey Christ and His Word, including His understanding of the correct interpretation of the Old Testament.

In today's text this directive is reinforced with a fact about the future that is an essential element of a Christian view of time. Jesus will again appear. He is coming again. There can be no doubt that the New Testament expectation included the imminent return of Christ. Though some view His return as 2000 years late, we would contend that throughout the entire New Testament era, the return of Jesus has always been imminent. We are told plainly that we will not know the precise timing of His return, but that we are to be ready for this culmination of all history.

One passage that states this well is 1 Peter 4:7-11

[7] The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. [8] Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. [9] Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. [10] As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: [11] whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The truth is that our lives here below are very brief. Either Christ will soon come here with the fulfillment of the resurrection kingdom, or we will soon go to be with Him. Either way, it has always been and remains today a very imminent happening with ethical implications. Each of us will soon see Him. Any view of time without this fact is deficient.

Confidence or shame

But how will it be for us and for the church when we see Him. Will we be ashamed, or will we have the boldness of Christian confidence?

God has given to each of us a conscience. We do not want to be paralyzed by guilt or shame, but we cannot get to that inner peace of true integrity without being straightforward with the Lord. We need to take His Word seriously, be willing to be changed by Him, and seek His power in our lives.

We want to be able to have a plain life—honest before Him. All of this will eventually come to head when we go to be with the Lord or when He comes here to be with us. A plain life has benefits now. Others can sense the integrity and peace of an honest Christian life and can benefit from friendship with someone who is able to live simply and boldly. We also can sense the tortured life of someone who is not at peace.

We want confidence before God now and confidence before God at the day when we are with the Lord face to face. This word which is translated “confidence” in verse 28 has to do with plain living and speaking, the kind of life where a person is not trying to hide secret facts that would bring him shame if they were found out.

This word is used three other times in 1 John.

3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

4:16-19 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

We want confidence before Him and not shame. The key to understanding this confidence is the position of God in our life as the real God, the author of Law and grace, and Jesus Christ His Son as the appointed Redeemer and Judge of all humanity. The standards that would bring us either confidence or shame are God's standards. We want plain living and speaking in the light of God's standards. As we consider our own goodness according to God's Ten Commandments every Sunday, we know that we need a Redeemer. And we have One. Jesus has kept the Law of God's goodness perfectly and has taken our shame on the cross. We know God's love for us. This takes away our fear of torment. Our hearts do not condemn us. We do not treasure sin in our hearts, we treasure Christ. And we come to God in prayer with confidence.

The habits of Christian righteousness

But we must be committed to plain living according to God's commandments now. We must be committed to humility before God, confessing our sins and receiving His forgiveness. We must find the strength in the Almighty to pursue new habits of holiness. As those who have been born of him, it is a good day for us to pursue the good life of righteousness.

We are the Lord's dwelling place and we also abide in Him. We have the best gift of all—the Lord Himself. This is the privilege of the church. Throughout the centuries we have heard the call of Jesus saying, “Follow Me.” We have heard the Word of the Apostle Paul explaining his ministry in Corinth saying, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” We have heard Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount telling us the true meaning of the Ten Commandments? We have heard the Lord's calling to His church to make disciples, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Jesus is Lord. It is His and not any antichrist's Word that we must follow if we want confidence. We will see the Lord very soon, whether we go to Him, or He comes to us. We do not want to be ashamed when we meet. We should order our lives according to the habits of Christlikeness.

Old Testament Reading—Ezekiel 37:15-28 – My dwelling place shall be with them

Gospel Reading—Luke 8:16-18 – The one who has and the one who has not