The Love of God Brings Confidence of Right Living
Introduction
The believer reveals his estimate (worth/glory) of Jesus Christ by the degree to which he submits/surrenders to Christ being His life and reproducing His life in them. When one sees the submission of the Lord Jesus to His Father’s will and then rebels, he reveals that he does not think as highly of Christ as He ought. Our commitment to the revealed Love of God brings righteousness in living that produces confidence in the Christ we serve and even in His coming again.
I. THE LOVE OF GOD PRODUCES A GREAT INCENTIVE FOR GODLY LIVING 28
The day of Christ’s return is coming and the Apostle John sees it as an awesome hope for the future and a powerful motivation for the present.
“abide” – to remain in fellowship; to settle down; to dwell in a place where you feel at home and have access to the whole place.
Note 3 Areas:
1. In Area Of Obedience
Obey the truth
2. In Area Of Love
Love other Christians and the lost.
3. In Area of Truth
Believe the truth.
Three Things Will Get You Out Of Fellowship With The Father:
1. If you disobey the Word.
2. A lack of love for a brother.
3. You believe a lie.
Because I am going to be like Him in the future and for all eternity, such a promise has a wonderful transforming power in the present. My future impacts my life today.
“little children” - as a loving spiritual father, John has given several words of challenge and encouragement up to this point in his writings.
1. He has encouraged them to find full joy in fellowship with the Father and the Son (1:1-4).
2. He has called them to walk in the light of God and stay close to Christ (1:5-2:2).
How? By obeying the Lord’s commands and by loving others (2:3-11).
3. Know your spiritual status and not be seduced by the world (2:12-17).
4. Beware of the enemies of the faith who deny Jesus as Messiah (2:18-27).
Now, the exhortation to abide in Christ and pursue a righteous life as they live in hope of His coming. In other words, what we are going to be then will transform the way we live today.
Again, abide (remain) is a command and calls for consistent action.
2:24 says it best
1 John 2:24: “Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
Soak in the Savior and the gospel message that you heard at the start of your journey.
II. THE LOVE OF GOD PICTURES A GLORIOUS INSPIRATION. 28
A. A Claim
“that when He appears” – Christ is coming again; that’s inspiring and imminent. Christ will appear on this earth again officially and in full public display as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
1 John 3:2, “we know that when He is revealed” – The revelation (unveiling) of Jesus Christ.
B. A Confidence
“we may have confidence” (boldness) – abiding brings with it a wonderful companion: assurance
1 John 3:21: “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.”
1 John 4:17: “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”
Freedom (liberty) in speaking, unreservedness in speech, cheerful courage, boldness.
Proverbs 28:1: “The wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion.”
“A guilty conscience imagines accusers everywhere, while a clear conscience has boldness to face everyone.” J. MacArthur
QUESTION: When He returns, will you run toward Him as a child runs to a loving Father, or will you draw back and attempt to hide from His glorious caring?
“ashamed before Him at His coming” – to shrink back.
Two Possibilities:
1. For the Believer
1 Corinthians 3:15: “If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
1 Corinthians 3:12: “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw”
2. For the Lost
Mark 8:38: “”For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.’”
Revelation 6:15-16: “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "’Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!’”
In the Lord’s Supper we are to reflect on His coming.
C. A Continuance
If you abide, His return is only a continuation of the former. John is saying we shall live so close in fellowship that His coming will only be a continuation of this same fellowship begun here.
Great Truth:
No matter in which direction a Christian looks, he finds reasons to openly obey God. If he looks back, he sees Calvary, where Christ died for his sins. If he looks within, he sees the Holy Spirit who lives within and teaches him, directs him, and enables him. If he looks around, he sees his Christian brethren whom he loves, he also sees a world lost in sin, desperately needing his godly witness. And if he looks ahead, he sees the return of Christ.
III. THE LOVE OF GOD PRECEDES GODLY LIVING 29
“Everyone who does what is right has been born of God”
1 John 3:7: “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”
This is the root/fruit argument. The new birth precedes the new behavior. Being born again has definite and abiding results. Our practice is proof of our parentage. The Righteous Savior produces righteous saints.
1 John 2:1: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
V29 is the grounds for living right. Our practice of right living gives evidence that we have truly been born into the family of God. Not your prayer, not baptism, not church membership. I am for all 3 but our change of life to following and practicing Righteousness is the key.
His character governs his conduct.
“Know” – used twice
1. Emphasizing absolute and intuitive knowledge.
2. Knowledge learned by experience (you maybe sure).