WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM
1 JOHN 2:28-3:10
This morning we’ve been singing about the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when He comes again.
What a wonderful time that will be!
But it’s only going to be wonderful FOR US if we’re ready for His coming.
As John addresses the matter of our fellowship with God, he wants us to understand the relationship between abiding in Christ and in being ready for His coming.
The two go together!
Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together unless they agree?”
To enjoy fellowship with God, we must be like Him.
GOD’S HOLINESS 1:5-3:10
Description of God 1:5 “God is Light” => God is HOLY.
Implications for God’s children 1:6-3:10
Need to walk in holiness 1:6-7
To enjoy fellowship with a holy God, we must be holy!
Provision for restoration to holiness 1:8-2:2
Evidence of our fellowship with God 2:3-27
Four evidences we are in fellowship with God:
1. Obeying His commands 2:3-6
2. Loving one another 2:7-14
3. Not loving the world 2:15-17
4. Rejecting false teachers 2:18-27
EXHORTATION FOR US TO DEMONSTRATE GOD’S HOLINESS 2:28-3:10
John concludes this discussion of holiness with an exhortation to apply this truth in our daily lives and demonstrate holiness.
We will live this way as long as we abide in Him.
John addresses these words to all God’s children–to those who are born of God–whatever our maturity level may be.
The word for children John uses repeatedly has nothing to do with age or maturity level.
It’s the word for His descendants.
We who have been born of Him–however mature we may be–still must abide in Him!
The power and ability to walk with Him, flows out of Him.
It’s not OUR efforts.
We abide in Him; HE supplies what we need to live a godly life.
Jesus, John, Paul and Peter, all repeat this theme over and over again.
When are WE going to get it?!!
Yet we keep struggling with frustration because WE can’t make it happen!
It’s not about doing it myself.
It’s about ABIDING IN HIM!
HE is the source of godly living.
We must draw from Him what will sustain our life!
If we abide in Him (or His Word), we’ll be ready for His coming. 2:28-3:3
If we abide in Him, . . .
“We ought to abide in Him continually, so that whenever He comes,...”
We’ll have confidence. 2:28a
Have we learned what great confidence we have before God,
when we try to stand in OUR OWN strength?
We’ll not be ashamed. 2:28b
Have we learned the shame we end up having before God,
when we try to stand in OUR OWN strength?
When we try to stand in our own strength, and we do what comes naturally,
how will we feel if we’re acting that way at the moment Jesus comes?
He’ll catch us unprepared and we won’t be confident
–we’ll be embarrassed before Him!
The way to be ready for His coming isn’t to try harder to do it ourselves!
It’s to be continually abiding in Him!!
We’ll be like Him. 2:29-3:3
Abiding in Him produces Christlike character in us.
Repeated theme: We are “God’s children.”
John wants us to understand what it means to be God’s children!
As God’s children we should resemble our Father–NOT the world!
[ “Living up to the Porter Family Tradition.”
Are we living up to GOD’s family tradition?
We will only do that when we ABIDE IN HIM! ]
Notice what being His children does in us:
Our distinctive character 2:29
He is righteous
Everyone who is characterized by righteous living.
has been born from Him.
That is a sure evidence that we are born of Him.
If righteous living is a characteristic of our life,
we can know we belong to Him.
No one without Him will ever have that kind of lifestyle!
It’s just not in us!
It comes from Him!
Our distinctive relationship 3:1
We are God’s children.
God has declared us His own children–a legal act of adoption for those who weren’t part of His family.[ Jonathan’s story ]
The world doesn’t understand us. (Know us/recognize us)
It doesn’t know/understand us, because it doesn’t know HIM!
It can’t figure us out, because it couldn’t figure HIM out!
Our distinctive appearance 3:2
We already are God’s children.
(Another reminder of our relationship with Him)
It isn’t yet clear what we will look like.
God isn’t finished with any of us yet.
We can’t even imagine what we’re going to be like when He finishes His work in us!
What God will do in us is beyond our expectation.
We will actually BE like Him!
We know we’ll be like Him.
We’ll bear the family likeness.
We’ll see Him as He is.
If we could see Him as He is now,
we’d have some idea of what WE’RE going to become.
We will be LIKE HIM!
God will finish what He started.
We can’t even imagine that–but it will be incredible!
Most people apply this to our glorified body.
That is undoubtedly true also.
That’s not John’s point!
John is talking about totally developed Christlike character!
You mean, I’m going to be like Jesus?!!
Yes! And we can’t even imagine what that will look like!
We get discouraged because we see what we’re like now.
We don’t see ourselves as God sees us: what we will be!
When we’re face-to-face with Him, we’ll be just like Him!
John doesn’t say we’ll be equal to Him; he says we’ll be LIKE Him.
His character will be totally formed in us!
God will never be satisfied with us until we are totally conformed to the image of His Son.
We will never be satisfied with each other until we are totally conformed to the image of His Son.
We will never be satisfied with ourselves until we are totally conformed to the image of His Son.
But the promise is that we SHALL be like Him!
We already ARE God’s children;
but we shall be LIKE HIM!
When we see Him we will be conformed to His image!
That’s what this passage is talking about.
Since we have that hope for the future, we ought to pursue it now!
That leads into his final thought:
Our distinctive lifestyle. 3:3
Everyone who has this hope for the future
wants to do something about it now.
If that’s our hope, . . .
If that’s what we’re living for, . . .
. . . we ought to be motivated to move that direction now.
. . . we ought to desire purity now.
He is committed to purity (holiness)
Because God is pure (holy).
SO WHAT? How should this study affect the way we live?
God wants us to conduct ourselves as His children.
We should bear the family likeness.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the world isn’t impressed!
We ought to demonstrate godly character.
Our life should be characterized by righteousness (now).
Our life should be characterized by holiness/purity (now).
A film of your life–
What if he comes today?
Will we anticipate His coming with confidence?
Will we be ashamed?
Are WE ready for His coming?
Those who look forward to this hope purify themselves. Do we?