Opening illustration: Oswald Chambers once wrote: “It is not God’s promises we need, it is [God] Himself.” At Christmastime we often say, “God’s presence is more important than presents.” But the amount of time and effort we spend on shopping for gifts may indicate otherwise. In certain parts of the world, people give gifts on December 6. By doing so, they have the rest of the month to focus on Jesus and the wonder of His birth, God’s perfect gift to us.
When we say we want God’s presence more than presents from others, perhaps we’re being truthful. But how many of us can honestly say that we want God’s presence more than His presents?
Often we want gifts from God more than we want God Himself. We want health, wealth, knowledge, a better job, a better place to live. God may indeed want to give us these things, but we can’t have them apart from Him. As David said, “In Your presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). Presents may make us happy for a time; earthly gifts from God may make us happy temporarily, but fullness of joy comes only when we remain in a right relationship with God.
Let us turn to the first letter of John, chapter two to see what he tells us about God’s presence in our lives.
Introduction: The truth of Christ, abiding in us, is a means to sever from sin, and unites us to the Son of God, John 15:3, John 15:4. What value should we put upon gospel truth! Thereby the promise of eternal life is made sure. The promise God makes, is suitable to his own greatness, power, and goodness; it is eternal life. The Spirit of truth will not lie; and he teaches all things in the present dispensation, all things necessary to our knowledge of God in Christ, and their glory in the gospel. The apostle repeats the kind words, “little children;” which denotes his affection. He would persuade by love. Gospel privileges oblige to gospel duties; and those anointed by the Lord Jesus abide with him. The new spiritual nature is from the Lord Christ. He that is constant to the practice of religion in trying times shows that he is born from above, from the Lord Christ. Then, let us beware of holding the truth in unrighteousness, remembering that those only are born of God, who bear his holy image, and walk in his most righteous ways.
What does God’s Presence do?
1. Creates Godly bonding and Assurance of Eternal life (vs. 24–25)
Remain: Here there is a play on words with the three uses of remain (menw) in 2:24. The first two uses in the verse refer to realities which “reside” in the believer, which in this case refers to the message the readers have heard from the beginning. The third use refers to the permanence of relationship between both God and Jesus with the believer. This is the only instance in the Gospel and Letters of John where the verb remain (menw) refers to the believer residing in both the Father and the Son together, although a similar concept (without using mevnw) is expressed in John 17:21 and 1 John 5:20. Implicit in the use of remain (menw) here is also the situation with the opponents, who did not “remain” in the apostolic teaching (1 John 2:18-19) and thus do not “reside” in the Son and in the Father.
Bonding is the foundation of any relationship, for without it love and closeness don't develop as they should. It seems to work best at the very start of a relationship, such as when a baby is born. But what about when a person is born again but fails to bond with God? Bonding most naturally occurs in the first stages of a relationship, but if it doesn't happen then it can come about later especially during times of affliction. Like the shepherd who breaks the unruly sheep's leg so it learns to trust and depend on the shepherd, sometimes God allows trials to come into our lives to deepen our bonding with Him. A Christian who hasn't bonded with God won't love or obey Him. How about you? Have you bonded with God? Here John is encouraging and exhorting us to bond with Christ and the Father so that we will learn to trust, have faith and grow in intimacy with God, this in effect will results in our eternity with Him forever.
By letting God’s Word live in us, so that we can live in God brings about eternity with Christ. God has promised eternal life to all who believe on Christ Jesus. So they, who receive and continue in communion with the Father and the Son, shall have this eternal life.
Illustration: Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Moses.
2. Helps to Discern the Truth and Keeps Us Anointed (vs. 26–27)
God’s presence protects believers from falling victim to seductive teaching and heresies. We need to check out whether the teachings line up with God’s Word. Even some people will manipulate by turning and twisting God’s Word for their own benefit and to promote their agenda and philosophy. Therefore, God’s presence is needed continually in our lives, which will guide and help us in discerning the truth.
In vs. 20 John has already spoken of the anointing which his people had had from the Holy One, and through which all of them were equipped with knowledge. And here he speaks of the anointing which they have received, and the anointing which teaches them all things.
In OT times the anointing was connected to the: (a) Priests, (b) Kings and (c) Prophets. It was a privilege of the chosen few, but now in the post NT times the anointing (being empowered by the Holy Spirit) is something which is the privilege of every Christian in Christ Jesus.
This anointing is spoken of because it furnishes them a means of guarding against the false teachers and seducers. The passage does not teach a continuous revelation, or that we are to be led by the inner light, but that God has given us means of knowing whether men speak the truth. The anointing of the Holy Spirit, whose illuminating power will enable them to distinguish truth from error. To receive spiritual knowledge under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is to know truth in a way that human instruction cannot provide.
Therefore, if a man abides in God’s presence and in the truth (God’s Word) he has been taught, and if he brings the test of the Holy Spirit to all truth, he will then be enabled to accept only the truth, and to reject every lie, and so for ever to abide in Christ.
Illustration: Samuel, David, Elijah and Elisha.
3. Produces Boldness and Righteousness [faith & deeds] (vs. 28–29)
This introduces the Lord in the full revelation of His character, and gives rise to the scrutiny of the pretensions of those who called themselves by His name. There are two proofs which belong essentially to the divine life, and a third which is accessory as privilege: righteousness or obedience, and love, and the presence of the Holy Ghost. You are given the boldness or freedom, as now at the throne of grace, so then at the throne of judgment; where the saints will stand with courage and intrepidity, when the wicked will flee to the rocks and mountains, being filled with amazement, terror, and trembling: they will not be put to shame by him; nor will they be ashamed of their confidence, faith, hope, and expectation; their hope will not make them ashamed, for they will now enjoy what they hoped for; and, notwithstanding all their sins and infirmities, they will not be ashamed, for they will have on the wedding garment, the righteousness of Christ, and will stand before the throne without fault, spot, or blemish; nor will Christ be ashamed of them who have not been ashamed of him and his words, but have confessed him, and have been faithful unto death, and have cleaved to him and his cause with full purpose of heart to the end.
Here it means the kind of boldness, or calm assurance, which arises from evidence of piety, and of preparation for heaven. It means that they would not be overwhelmed and confounded at the coming of the Savior, by its being then found that all their hopes were fallacious. Some think ministers of the Gospel are here meant, who, when those that are under their care abide faithful, and persevere to the end, will give up their account with joy; and will have what they have expressed confidence in, and will have their expectations answered, and not disappointed, by having such souls as their joy and crown of rejoicing.
In 2 Timothy 1: 7 it says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
It is not producing merely works of righteousness, especially in order to justify him before God; for such an one is so far from being born of God, or born again, that he is manifestly in a state of nature, and of opposition to, and enmity against God; he is not subject to him, he does not submit to the righteousness of God, but goes about to establish his own and betrays his ignorance and want grace; but it intends such an one who with the heart believes unto righteousness, and lays hold by faith, and lives upon the righteousness of Christ for justification; and who performs, good, works in faith, and from a principle of love, not to obtain a justifying righteousness, but because he is justified by the righteousness of Christ: and: such an one either of God, or rather, of Christ; being regenerated by his Spirit, having his, grace implanted in him, as appears by his faith in his righteousness and by his works of righteousness, as fruits of faith; and having his image stamped on him, and he himself formed in him, and so made like unto him; by all which it is evident he is one of his spiritual seed and offspring. Sometimes doing right will cost you your freedom and even your life. Will we still pursue it?
Righteousness is not in the flesh. If therefore it is really found in any one, he is born of Him, he derives his nature from and in Christ. We may remark, that it is righteousness as it was manifested in Jesus; for it is because we know that He is righteous, that we know that "he who doeth righteousness is born of him." It is the same nature demonstrated by the same fruits.
Illustration: Disciples (persecuted and killed), Paul, Richard Wurmbrand and the Christian martyrs.
Application: So, what would Christmas be like if we truly celebrated God’s presence?
Have we thought of bonding with God, getting intimate with Him and desiring His Presence more than anything else in life?
God’s presence with us is one of His greatest presents to us.
