Abiding in Christ as We Watch for His Return
Truth Taught- As sons and daughters of God, abide in Christ and become more and more like Him.
Pastoral Prayer
We can so easily get sidetracked by petty things. We are often attracted to the things of this world. Money, status, fame, stuff and we can forget about what really matters. Beloved set your goals, focus, sense of worth on and only on Jesus Christ. He is the only thing that really matters in this life.
As we approach the new year this is a very good reminder for us.
The Apostle John has shown us that we have been anointed with the Spirit of Christ whereby we have received spiritual insight and godly discernment as we read His Word. We have been given right thinking and logic by His Spirit.
By this anointing we understand just how important it is to fix our minds on Jesus Christ and let the world go its own way.
John wants to make sure that those he is writing to have their minds fixed of Jesus. If we have our focus truly on Jesus Christ then…
-we will have true and lasting hope in this life. Our faith will increase and we will be growing as believers.
-we will also be living for Jesus Christ and not for other lesser things.
How does John do this? How does he help us keep our focus on Jesus? How does he motivate the Church to stay steadfast in the faith and not chase other things? John calls us to abide in Christ.
To “abide” is to live, continue, or remain; so, to abide in Christ is to live in Him or remain in Him. When a person is saved, he or she is described as being “in Christ” (Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17), held secure in a permanent relationship (John 10:28–29). Therefore, abiding in Christ is not a special level of Christian experience, rather, it is the position of all true believers. The difference between those abiding in Christ and those not abiding in Christ is the difference between the saved and the unsaved.
Hebrews 3:14 (ESV)
14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
He teaches them about the hope of the coming of Jesus Christ. I pray you are confident that Jesus Christ is returning. As a Christian it is a fundamental doctrine that the return of Christ is getting closer and closer. Because the return of Christ is a fact, John shows us how that truth can help us abide in Christ.
Please Stand…
1 John 2:28–3:3 (ESV)
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.
3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
1. When Christ Appears, Will You Have Confidence or Shrink Back? (2:28-29)
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.
Are you convinced Jesus is returning? Is this doctrine absolutely set in your mind? I pray it is. So, John is not saying if but when He returns. When Jesus returns what will your response be?
First, there are those who will be confident at Jesus’ return. We see here, the motivation for godliness that the Bible gives us here is Jesus is returning and those who are abiding in Christ will be confident at His return.
Understand beloved, He is returning and you will either be confident or you will shrink back.
Listen, do not get the wrong idea here. This is not talking about working this is abiding. It’s not talking about being busy but about sitting at the feet of Jesus. Abiding is not doing it is resting and responding in love to Christ. It’s focusing on Him through His Word. It’s praying and fellowshipping with Jesus. It’s not task oriented but adoring Christ oriented.
The second group is the group who, at Jesus’ return will shrink back in fear and shame.
When Jesus appears, and your relationship with Him is strong then you will not be ashamed and shrink back.
Genesis 3:8–10 (ESV)
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Adam and Eve were ashamed when God came because they were not abiding in Him. They had sinned and did something God warned them about. Their efforts were not obedience but disobedience. They did not abide but sought to be like God. God desired fellowship with them and their trust and obedience. Their sin had separated them from God. They were not abiding but hiding.
There is the response of the great people of this world at the return of Jesus…
Revelation 6:15–17 (ESV)
15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
These great men of the earth are also great sinners. They don’t care about what they do now. They think that they can go on and sin greatly against God and they will not be held accountable. One day when Jesus returns, they will have such fear of His wrath that they will try to hide themselves even in the mountains and when it’s evident there is no escape their cries will be for the mountains to fall in on them to hide them and give them some relief from the true Lord of the world and the world to come.
Greatly afraid, alarmed and in despair, they shrink from Him and cower in fear at His coming.
John tells us why there is this potential for great shame and fear at our Lord’s return…
29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
There is great fear because Jesus has great righteousness.
For those who are abiding in Christ, our Lord’s righteousness draws us even closer to Him. For those who do not abide in Christ, His righteousness causes them to fear and flee.
We are to fear God. And we are to flee to God. And while those two things — fearing God and fleeing to him, seem opposed, for God’s people they work together.
When mankind is in the presence of the holy God he is in fear because while God is holy and perfect in righteousness, mankind is not righteous within himself.
Isaiah 6…I am undone
The Apostles in the ship…They feared Christ
Moses on the mountain…God had to shield him literally from His righteousness.
If we are in Christ and belong to Him and seeking to abide with Him then His perfect righteousness works for us and not against us. By faith His righteousness becomes ours as well.
All who are born again have the family resemblance. We too begin to live our righteousness. Of course, not perfect like Jesus but we are different and that difference is noticeable. Here again, it’s more who we are than what we do. It’s who we are now on the inside. We are more and more like Jesus and are being conformed to His image.
2. When Christ Appears, God’s Great Love Will be Seen (3:1-2)
3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
John shows us that because we are born again, we will abide in Christ and we will be made righteous with the righteousness of Jesus. This is the love of God that is beyond all comprehension. Then he takes things even further—we are now children of God.
Everything we need as God’s children we possess in Jesus Christ.
God’s wonderful provision in Christ awakens John’s wonder and he begins to assess God’s great love for His children.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
Listen, Church…there is no greater love than what we have been shown in Christ…God calls us His children.
Think of it…The lost and guilty who in our sin have forfeited any claim and any hope of ever being anything except children of wrath have been brought into God’s family at the great cost of His only Son. The fact that we are now, sons and daughters of God through the death of His Son is the greatest love ever shown.
How are we now called His sons and daughters? Only through Jesus Christ.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us…
We are God’s children now! I want to make sure we see this…Now!! Not someday, not even at our Lord’s return. We do not have to wait to be God’s children we are His children now.
This is the parable of the prodigal son.
Luke 15:17–20 (ESV)
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Beloved, God the Father in all His greatness and dignity runs to us and embraces and kisses us. That’s what it means to be a son or daughter of God. Behold what manner of love has God bestowed upon us that we might be called sons of God.
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now…
That’s not all.
what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
We can know for sure and these things will give us hope for the future…
While we currently are sons of God by faith in Christ, there is much more coming. We are children of God now and we are fallen but being sanctified by His Spirit. Listen, beloved, we know, John tells us…we know that when Jesus appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
We will be like Jesus when He appears. We are not going to become gods but we will share in His nature as glorified people. We will receive a glorified body like Jesus. When we are glorified, we will be able to see Him as He is.
Matthew 5:8 (ESV)
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
3. Anointed Thinking Produces Purification in This Life (3.3)
3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
1 John 2:27 (ESV)
27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
I pray we see how this works. As we look to the Scriptures and believe what we are taught by the Holy Spirit our thinking begins to be aligned more and more with Christ’s.
As we abide in Christ we will not shrink back when He comes but we will be confident because our lives are aligned with His.
We are now God’s children.
We are becoming more and more like Christ now and at His return we will be made even more like Him at our glorification.
As we believe and abide our hope is made even more solid. We are purified even as He is pure. Right thinking produces godliness.
Hope in Christ and you will be made like Christ even right now.
This coming year I’d like to challenge you to slow down and fix your gaze on Jesus Christ through His Word. Be very careful with your busyness and make sure to allow adequate time every day to abide in Christ so that at His appearing you will not shrink back but will have confidence that you are a son or daughter of God…
1 Thessalonians 5:1–6 (ESV)
5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
Resources Used:
1 John by Candlish
Words of Blessing
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