REAL CHRISTIANITY

1 John 2:28-3:3

TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

Real Christianity #10 in 1 John

There are things we shouldn’t take too seriously, but there are also things that we should take seriously.

When it comes to what we read in the Bible, we should not just gloss over what we are told, but we are to take it seriously.

One of the recurring themes of Scripture is the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are again confronted with this theme in 1 John 2:28-3:3. John is talking about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and he wants his readers to take it seriously!

PRACTICAL ADVICE - Vss. 28-29

John has just talked about false teachers, antichrists that were in the world. These antichrists are opposed to Christ and are often imitation Christs.

In 1 John 2:27 John assured his readers that they had an anointing that came from God that would allow them to discern truth from error.

I think John’s point is that you and I have a defense against false teachers. It is the teaching work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will use God’s Word, His own personal insights, and the teaching of Godly teachers to keep us on the straight and narrow.

So now, John continues on in verse 28 with some practical advice. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

See that word “now”? I am reminded of the urgency of doing what I am told. I am told to abide in Him now! I am not to wait. I am not to put it off. I’m not to say, “When I get older,” or “When I retire, then I’ll walk close to God and abide in Him. We are told to do it now!

Let me tell you, if you don’t abide in Christ now, you will regret it later.

· To abide in Christ is to learn from and about Him. 2 Peter 3:18

· To abide in Christ is to think of Him. Philippians 4:8

Jesus Christ is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, the good report, virtuous, and worthy of praise. We should think on Him!

· To abide in Christ is to let His words abide in us so that we will be able to pray effectively.

John 15:7

· To abide in Christ is to be controlled by His Holy Spirit. Ephesians 3:16-17a

· To abide in Christ is to be fruitful. John 15:4-5

Why will we regret it if we don’t abide in Christ now?

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Jesus will appear suddenly and if we are Christians, we are God’s “little children”. When the Lord Jesus appears to us and we appear before Him as God’s little children we want to have confidence. The word confidence means “freedom of speech”. Although we will be kneeling before Him, there will be a freedom to commune with Him in person, because we have already been communing with Him while we were in this earthly body. If we have already been abiding in Christ, we will have confident freedom of speech at his coming.

If we have not been abiding in Christ, we will be ashamed at His coming. To be ashamed is to want to shrink away. There is nothing you can say.

1 John 2:29 - If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

You have heard the saying, “Like father, like son”. It is amazing how many similar characteristics we have with our parents and our kids have with us.

If you are saved, you are what the Bible, calls “born again”. John 3:3, 6-7, John 1:12-13

Verse 29 is telling us that God is righteous. We know that.

The person who habitually practices righteousness is born of God. We are just like our Heavenly Father. We have His nature inside of us.

This means, that if I am truly born of God, my desire and my practice will be to live righteously. I won’t be perfect, but one will be able to discern that I am a righteous individual.

Practical Advice – If you are God’s child, abide in Christ, thus showing that you are God’s kid by your righteous living.

PROFOUND LOVE – Vs. 1

1 John 3:1 - Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

We were sinners.

We were God’s enemies.

We had gone astray.

God, in His love sent His Son to die for us.

God, in His love rose His Son from the dead.

God, in His love offered us eternal life through faith.

God in His love has made us His own children!

It’s actually unthinkable that you and I would ever hear God call us His child. We sinned against Him so.

But it’s true.

And as we said earlier, because we are His children we are to be practicing righteousness. And when we practice righteousness and live as God’s children, those who are not God’s children will not understand.

therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Don’t expect the world in general to understand your Christianity or the fact that you are a child of God. Because they don’t have God, they can’t understand.

PROPHETIC INSIGHT – Vs. 2

1 John 3:2 - Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Psalm 103:13 - Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

Now, we are the children of God.

And when Jesus appears it is going to get even better! John 14:1-2

also.

We honestly can’t know what it will be like to see Jesus face to face. This hasn’t been revealed to us.

But we do know that we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

We will be like Him in that we will have new resurrection bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:52-53

We will have incorruptible and immortal bodies like Jesus.

We will no longer have the sin nature.

We will be sinless as He is.

And best of all we will be in the very presence of God.

PERSONAL APPLICATION – Vs. 3

1 John 3:3 - And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Hope here is an the anxious anticipation of a sure thing.

The hope here is a solid one.

It will happen. It will take place.

Because I have the certain hope of seeing Jesus face to face, I am to purify myself as He is pure.

When I see Him face to face I will be pure!

Sin will no longer be like an albatross around my neck.

That is my destiny. That is my fate. That is my future.

That is my eternal state. PURE!

Because my eternal state will be pure in Jesus, I am to strive for purity now. I will not be totally pure. But that should be my goal, constantly examining my life for impurities, and allowing Jesus to deal with them now.

· Jesus had pure motives. My motives are to be pure.

· Jesus had pure thoughts. My thoughts are to be pure.

· Jesus had a pure attitude towards others. My attitude should be pure, without suspicion.

· Jesus had pure behavior, without sin. My behavior is to be pure.

We purify ourselves as He is pure when we abide in Him, allowing the Spirit to guide and control us.

When sin is revealed to us, we confess and forsake it.

1 John 2:6 - He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

PRACTICAL ADVICE - Vss. 28-29

PROFOUND LOVE – Vs. 1

PROPHETIC INSIGHT – Vs. 2

PERSONAL APPLICATION – Vs. 3

Some things need to be taken seriously.

Jesus is coming back. Perhaps He is coming back soon.

How seriously are you taking it?