God’s Love is Unmatched
1 John Bible Study, Part 6
1 John 2:28-3:3
Introduction
- Last time, John gave us tremendous insight into living fully for Christ
- We are challenged to hold true to what we know; to the truth of God
-- We shouldn’t worry about losing salvation; which is already assured if it’s yours
-- APP: False teaching makes us question our salvation and question if it’s real
-- True biblical teaching reminds us of God’s promises, and strengthens our faith
- Tonight, John continues to encourage us by furthering his explanations
-- It is when we see why he says what he does, that our encouragement is found
- We already have the teachings of truth; they’re placed in our hearts from God
-- Our battle is with religion that seeks to control through doubt/fear/lies
- Read 1 John 2:28-3:3 / Pray
∆ Point 1 – We must remain in Fellowship
- While the biblical publishers place these two verses in ch2, they are new thoughts
-- “And now, dear children” is really the intro statement to a new major section
- We are called to believe in Christ; to trust Him; to turn to Him for everything
-- Once we do that … the most logical question is: “Then what?”
-- John uses word “continue” here (GR: paramenó); literally means “abide with”
-- We are to abide in Him so when He returns we are confident and unashamed
- Story (Tony Evans): A dinner plate left out overnight will be hard to clean in the morning. An alternative to scrubbing is soaking the dish in hot water and dishwashing liquid. Letting a dish abide in the solution will allow a hard cleaning job to become a lot easier. This is what abiding does for Christians. We are much easier to clean up when we’ve been hanging out in the right environment. Religion says “Scrape off the dirt.” It tells us to apply elbow grease to fix a problem. Relationship says “Soak.”
Just sit in the hot water for a while. Abiding will set you free!
- What John says here actually gives us some insight to living for Christ
- First, he uses the word ashamed: this is a reference to those who are unsaved
-- They will be ashamed of their deeds, their lives; it’s when Christ denies them
-- John’s implication is that if we are living for Him … we will not ashamed
- Second, we are to remain in fellowship with the Lord
-- At the judgment seat of Christ, our works and life will be measured out
-- IMP: There will always be a reckoning to God; he is the ultimate ledger keeper
∆ SLIDE
- Several other scriptures direct us to this conclusion as well:
-- 1 Cor 3:10-15, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
-- 1 Cor 4:5, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”
-- 2 Cor 5:9-10, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive wh at is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
- These passages tell us something very critical that John is also hitting on
-- The judgment of Christ will be more than a “routine VBS awards ceremony”
-- We see in v28 that those living obediently for Him will not face this
-- But, those who continue to live in sin will have to deal with their sin and Christ
- Even though Rev 21:4 promises that, “God will wipe away every tear”
-- There is still a reckoning with God and the life that we have or haven’t lived
-- IMP: For the Christian, our mission is clear: Live for Christ and this is avoided!
- TRANS: Speaking of v28, we are presented with an interesting challenge here
∆ Point 2 – Checking your Pulse
- “Everyone who does what is right has been born of him”
-- Does this mean that everyone who does good things must be born of God?
-- It would be easy to think that … but scripture tells us just the opposite
- RE: Scripture is used to point us to the Christ; not to glorify/honor ourselves
- Take a man like Ghandi for example …
-- He was extremely giving, generous, and willing to sacrifice all that he had
-- Surely, this must mean that he lived for God because of his traits, right?
- Well, we see in Scripture that the salvation we require comes only from Christ
-- John 14:6, “I am the way … No one comes to the Father but through Me”
-- Scripture also shows us that a correct understanding & belief in Jesus is required
-- See above verses: 1 John 2:22-23
- APP: Therefore, a man like Ghandi, who rejected Christ, could not be of God
-- Remember the context of this letter: John is writing to church that’s infiltrated
-- The Gnostics had come to deceive and teach things that were not Godly
-- They believed you could openly sin without remorse of consequences (today)
-- APP: John is writing against this and for us to know and learn from today
- Sadly, churches all over the world are doing this right now as we study
-- I call them “self-help churches” – say they love a god, but deny Christ as Lord
- Today, we should be doing what is right to validate we are a Christian, BUT,
-- If we claim to be a Christian but do not do what is right; then we aren’t one!
- TRANS: Ouch … John does something actually marvelous as we lean into Ch. 3
∆ Point 3 – The Wonder of God
- He breaks out into praise of how amazing His God is!
-- John does something in this section that to me … is really encouraging!
- He refers to the world suddenly not knowing who we are anymore
-- Well, this is actually NOT the first time that this happened in scripture
-- John 1:10-11, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”
- The word know/recognize is really the word “dechomai”; means to receive
-- Why is this important? They didn’t recognize because they didn’t accept Him
-- Therefore, if they reject Him, why would they not reject … HIS CHILDREN!
- In the midst of John’s praise of God, he gives us a morsel to really chew on
-- We are children of God; even though we do not know everything about God
- “But we know that when Christ appears …” when He appears we will know
∆ SLIDE
- 2 Cor 3:18, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
- Once we begin to really live with this as truth, our path becomes even clearer
-- If the best really is YET to come, why won’t I live right for Him today?
∆ Big Ideas
- A poor commitment to holiness stems from one thing:
-- We do not fully comprehend all that we have become in Christ when we are His
- Romans 8:17 says, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
- One day we shall be made totally complete in Him
-- How will we live now to look forward to that day and praise Him even more?
- Pray
