1 John 2:28 - 3:3 - TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

1 JOHN 2:28-3:3

TAKE IT SERIOUSLY

Real Christianity #10

I was once on a first date with a girl in my freshman year of college. Trying to make conversation, I said, “Did you notice when the sun goes down it tends to get dark?”

On my first day of visitation as a new pastor I visited an elderly lady who stayed with her daughter. The daughter was probably about the age I am now. As we talked the daughter said to me, “Why you’re just a boy!” Before I left she noticed my glasses were dirty and gave me an eye glass cleaner. I started to clean, them, but evidently not well enough. So the daughter grabbed the glasses out of my hand and started to clean them. As she cleaned she said, “There’s something about you that brings out the mother in me!”

At my first wedding the bride was 68 and the groom was 72. It was a full church wedding. I didn’t think I was nervous, but I discovered after the wedding that instead of saying, “Don’t let the sun go down upon your wrath,” I said “Don’t end the day without a fight.”

And of course you are familiar with the time that instead of saying, “the fruit of the womb is his reward”, I said, “and the fruit of the loom is his reward”.

I share these to remind us that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. If we can’t laugh at our mistakes and some of the things people have or said or done to us, we will be miserable indeed.

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

· If we are taking exams, we should take that seriously.

· If a person is sick, we should take that seriously.

· If we have bills to pay, we should take it seriously.

· If our children misbehave badly we should take that 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.

As we have studied the Scriptures together recently, one of the recurring themes has been the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again this morning we are confronted with this theme as we continue in our study of Real Christianity in the Book of 1 John. John is talking about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and he wants his readers to take it seriously!

In 1 John 2:28-3:3 we find:

PRACTICAL ADVICE - Vss. 28-29

PROFOUND LOVE – Vs. 1

PROPHETIC INSIGHT – Vs. 2

PERSONAL APPLICATION – Vs. 3

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.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

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!

I am embarrassed to tell you that when I was pastoring in New Jersey I knew the local high school principal through the Kiwanis Club and the high school Key Club sponsored by Kiwanis. The principal got sick, and eventually died. I did not go see him, which, as you know is uncharacteristic of me. At the funeral his widow made a comment that indicated that he would have liked to have seen me. I didn’t do it “now”, and regret it.

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 - But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

· To abide in Christ is to think of Him.

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

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 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

· To abide in Christ is to be controlled by His Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16-17a - That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; [17] That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…

· To abide in Christ is to be fruitful.

John 15:4-5 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

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.

A few weeks ago we saw that Jesus could come at any time and that we should be watching for him.

Mark 13:35-37 - Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: [36] Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. [37] And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

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.

It is like the Southwest Airline Commercials where someone does something to embarrass themselves and the announcer asks “Want to get away?” and then offers cheap airfares.

However in the presence of Jesus, that embarrassment will be no laughing matter. Oh to be sure, as a child of God, you will be forgiven, but oh the embarrassment of failing our Lord!

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 - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:6-7 - That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

John 1:12-13 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

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.

PRACTICAL ADVICE - Vss. 28-29

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.

J. Allen Blair told of an incident in the Korean War. "…a south Korean Christian civilian was arrested by the communists and ordered shot. But when a young communist leader learned that the prisoner was in charge of an orphanage caring for small children, he decided to spare him and kill his son instead. So they shot the nineteen-year-old boy in the presence of his father. Later the fortunes of war changed and the young communist leader was captured by the United Nations forces, tried, and condemned to death.

But before the sentence could be carried out, the Christian whose boy had been killed pleaded for the life of the killer. He declared he was young, that he really did not know what he was doing.

"'Give him to me,' said the father, ' and I will train him.' The United Nations forces granted his request and the father took the murderer of his own son into his home and cared for him." The young communist became a Christian pastor. (J. Allen Blair, Living Wisely, (Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers Inc, 1969 ) p. 271

This is the closest illustration I can find to demonstrating the great love God has shown to us.

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.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

This is such a tremendous truth.

Let us appreciate our sonship.

Let is appreciate God’s love.

Let’s never get over the depths of that love.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

PROFOUND LOVE

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.

Here is that word, “now” again. One of my favorite times is “now”. I don’t like to wait for things. I want things to happen now. So it is with great joy that I read that NOW I am a child of God.

This is not something that I have to wait for.

It is my privilege now!

God is my Father now!

God cares for me now!

God is responsible for me as a parent now!

God loves me now!

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 14:2-3 - In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be 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 - In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. [53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

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.

There is coming a day when no heartaches shall come -

No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye.

All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore.

What a day, glorious day that will be.

They'll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear,

No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there.

And forever I will be with the One who died for me.

What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon His face - the One who saved me by His grace.

When He takes me by the hand

and leads me through the Promised Land,

What a day, glorious day that will be!

PRACTICAL ADVICE

PROFOUND LOVE

PROPHETIC INSIGHT

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?