Living in the Light of his Coming (1 John 2:28-29)

In life, most people generally want two important benefits: first, they want information on how to prepare for the future and, second, they want to be able to trust those around them. Such desires are not confined to the secular world, but are also found within the church of Christ. John was aware that the needs of his readers had increased because of wrong teachings that had infiltrated the congregations and caused some to leave and follow false teachers. Trust in one another was affected, and that would mean that fellowship between Christians would be undermined. It made the future a bit uncertain and church life uncomfortable. 

Preparing for the coming of Jesus 

If we knew that an important person was coming to our location we would make appropriate preparations. We would adjust our living in light of how we would want that person to see us. Further, those who would be taking part in any events would rehearse their parts and ensure that all was as it should be. We all know that it would be too late to begin preparations once the individual had arrived. 

The New Testament reveals that Jesus Christ is coming back to our world. It says some will be glad to see him and others will not. Those who will not want to see him will be terrified by his appearing and will call on the rocks and mountains to hide them from his wrath. Therefore, we need to know which group we are in. This necessity is enhanced when we recall that Jesus said that there will be a third group present when he returns – those who thought they were serving him, but whom he will deny (Matt. 7:21-23). 

To begin with, we should note John’s loving pastoral concern expressed in the intimate way he addresses those who have remained faithful so far to the cause of Jesus. The apostle speaks tenderly to them, addressing them as ‘little children’. He uses this title several times in this letter and it reveals an essential mark of true leadership. A Christlike leader will always be gentle in the way he speaks, even when he is going to deal with difficult matters. John is going to mention a serious requirement, an essential Christian response, but he demands it with a heart full of love to Christ’s flock. So the first aspect of preparation for the second coming of Jesus is actually addressed to the leaders of the church. Be gentle and tender with the flock. 

The necessary preparation for the second coming of Jesus is the maintaining of a living relationship with Jesus. We may ask ourselves why John makes this demand. Is it not the case that every believer will continue to abide in Jesus? The answer to the question is ‘no’. After all, those who had gone off and joined the false teachers had once professed to be believers who accepted the teachings of the apostles. 

Or maybe the question can be rephrased: Is it not the case that every true believer will abide in Jesus? Again the answer to the question is ‘no’.  Some true believers will backslide and fall into sin. Therefore we can say that within a Christian church there will be three types of professing Christians: (a) there will be those who always ‘abide in him’; (b) there will be those who will backslide for a certain period of time; and (c) there will be those who will give up the faith because they were never genuine disciples in the first place (as Jesus himself made clear many times, and we can recall for example the responses to the gospel described in the parable of the sower. 

How do we know that we are abiding in Christ? The illustration of abiding points to persons who live together in the same house. So when we abide in Christ, it means that we are living with him. Here are four evidences of abiding in Christ. 

First, a person who is abiding in Christ will love God’s Word (Jesus stated this in John 15:7: ‘If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you’). An abider in Christ will enjoy reading the Bible, meditating on the Bible, searching the Bible. If a person does not feed his soul on the Bible, he is not abiding in Christ. In contrast, the spiritually healthy will always want to know the wishes of the Master of the house in which they dwell. 

Second, the same verse from John 15 gives another evidence of abiding in Christ and that is regular prayer. Prayer has many forms. Sometimes it can be short, at other times it can be longer; sometimes it can be individual, at other times it is corporate; sometimes it is specific – focusing on one issue, at other times it is general. True prayer usually involves the mind, although at times Christians can be perplexed. Real prayer always involves the heart because it is an expression of love to Jesus, of an ongoing desire to speak with him. 

Third, those who abide in Christ will love other believers. John mentions this aspect in 1 John 4:12: ‘No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.’ He also says in that chapter that this brotherly love has its practical aspects: ‘But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?’ (1 John 3:17). If we don’t love other Christians we are not abiding in Jesus. 

Fourth, those who abide in Christ will want others to begin abiding in Christ. They will realise that it is possible for an innumerable number to abide in Jesus simultaneously. So they will tell others of the pleasures and benefits of abiding in Jesus, such as pardon for sin, peace in the soul, power for living, and promises of heaven.  

These are four marks of abiding in Christ – love of God’s Word, love of prayer, love for Christians, and love for the lost – and they must be present in some degree in order for this relationship to be maintained. Their presence will give us the confidence John mentions in verse 27, which is not merely confidence before Jesus returns, but confidence when he returns. This is a reminder that when we see Jesus we will not regret anything we have done for him. At that moment we will not regard as pointless the times we read the Bible, prayed to God, performed acts of love for other Christians, and told unconverted people about the gospel. 

But what about those who do not abide in Jesus as they should? John says that they will be ashamed before Jesus when he comes. 

Assessment at his coming 

John says that Christians will be individually assessed by Jesus. Elsewhere we are told that Jesus will say to each of his dedicated followers, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’ Obviously such persons will not be ashamed on that occasion.  

Earlier we thought of two other groups of people in addition to those who abide in Christ. One of those groups is composed of those who abandon the faith. Perhaps we have never met one, but they are there. The other group is composed of backsliders. Usually the departure from Jesus in both groups is gradual – they stop having fellowship with Jesus in their hearts and then they cease to have fellowship with his people in spiritual things.  

The first group fails to repent and eventually ends up in the world, and remains there. We can read about them in the warning passages in the Book of Hebrews. Such will be very ashamed when they stand before Jesus at the end, and they will be condemned by him. The other group is composed of persons who have backslidden in one way or another. In a sense, every Christian could be in this group because they all fail in many ways. Yet every failure is not a backslider. A backslider is a Christian who refuses to confess a particular sin, or set of sins, and to cease from doing them.  

But let us think about the appearance of Christians before the presence of Christ when he returns. They are all going to stand there and be assessed by regarding their spiritual service. He will have noted every thought, word, action, and motive. There will be no secrets or excuses. 

The first point to mention is that all that will be revealed on that day will be forgiven sin. A person who has repented of his sin and trusted in Jesus will not face the possibility of hell. Yet that does not mean that his or her wrongdoings will not be dealt with. Further, it is also important to note that whatever the conclusion the outcome will be that Jesus will be glorified for his knowledge, wisdom, justice and grace. He will know all the details, he will know what to do, he will act fairly, and he will respond graciously. 

On that occasion, the true level of one’s Christian service will be revealed. My service will be shown (James 3:1: ‘Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness’). Your service will be shown (Hebrews 13:17: ‘Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you’). 

At that time, many reputations will be restored. There are thousands of Christians whose reputations have been destroyed by false rumours spread, not by the world, but by other Christians. False motives have been suggested, wrong interpretations have been made. Such will be corrected on that Day, and the ones wronged will be vindicated publicly by Jesus. The prospect of this embarrassment should make us very careful about what we say about another believer. We cannot read their hearts and unless we have definite proof we should keep quiet. In any case, true brotherly love will hide faults in other Christians and not magnify them. 

At that time, rewards will be given by Jesus to all who served him in any capacity. In this life we cannot even imagine the rewards because they are connected to the environment of glory. Jesus likens them to ruling over cities. Yet they are promised to us now because they should stimulate us to serve Jesus wholeheartedly. 

It was inevitable in a time of doctrinal confusion and disloyal converts many Christians would want to know how they could tell the genuine from the false. John gives a very clear description in verse 29 of those who are real disciples: ‘If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.’ In other words, they will be those who show they are Christlike in their daily living. So holiness will not only give humble confidence at the return of Jesus, it will also provide true companions on the journey to that great event.