1 John 2:28-3:3 Children of God - Destined for Glory (Part 2) (Sermon 14)
Last time, in our Studies in John's First Epistle, we began a New Section.
· The logical place to begin this New Section is at 2:28, where John says:
"And now, dear children, continue in him."
John has just been addressing the threat of False Teachers, in 2:18-27
· He does this by giving the Third Test of Faith -The Three Part Doctrinal Test:
Then the Apostle continues his Epistle by saying:
"And NOW, Dear Children", meaning, "NOW, I am going to teach you something else."
The Key verses in this New Section, which goes on to the end of Chapter 3, are 2:29 & 3:2:
"If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right
has been Born of Him … Dear friends, now we are Children of God, & what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
John's Main Argument can be summarised like this:
"I have told you that you can Possess Assurance because you have Fellowship with God.
I have given Three Tests of Faith - The Obedience; Relationship; & Doctrinal Tests.
NOW, I am going to teach you the Foundation of your Assurance::
'You are Born of God … You are Children of God.' You Belong to God's Family.

John begins this New Section by teaching us What it Means to be Part of God's Family.
· He does this by teaching TWO FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS(in 2:28-3:3).
· He also shows us that True Doctrinal Teaching DEMANDS a RESPONSE.
Last time we looked at the FIRST Foundational Truth, namely: God is Righteous.
· This Truth about God demands a Twofold Response from Believers.
The First Response of God's Children to God's Righteousness is to Practice Righteousness.
The Second Response is to be Grateful to the One who Loves us & Calls us His Children.
Now we come to the SECOND Foundational Truth, namely: Christ is Coming Again
"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears
we may be confident & unashamed before him at his coming" (2:28).
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, & what we will be has not yet been
made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is" (3:2).
John commands Believers to 'Continue in Christ.'
The Question is: Why should John give this Command to God's People?
· From these verses, the answer is obvious:
So that, when he appears, we will be Confident & Unashamed.
So that, when he appears, we Shall be Like Him.
· We are to Continue in the Faith because we must be ready for the Return of our Saviour.
· We are to Continue in the Faith because we are Children of God who are Destined for Glory.

The Apostle Paul speaks of Christians waiting for 'The Blessed Hope' - namely:
"The Glorious Appearing of our Great God & Saviour, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself to Redeem us from All Wickedness" (Titus 2:13).
· In verse 11, Paul tells us that it is the Grace of God which brings the Gospel of Salvation.
This Grace was revealed to mankind during the Earthly Ministry of Christ.
· Paul goes on to show how Grace transforms lives through its Fruit of Godly Living
"Grace teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness & worldly passions, & to live self-controlled, upright & godly lives in the present age" (Titus 2:12).
· The Second Incentive to Godly Living is our Blessed Hope of Christ's Return.
This Vivid Expectation & Glorious Hope provides a Great Incentive to such Godly Living.
Paul leaves us in no doubt that this 'Blessed Hope' is not Wishful Thinking!
· Neither is it a Secret Hope of a Secret Event that will take place in some backwater.
Rather, Paul defines this Blessed Hope as:
"The Glorious (& Visible) Appearing of our Great God & Saviour, Jesus Christ" (v 13).
· Paul mentions Christ's Second Appearing alongside the First Appearing - in order to show that our Saviour's Second Appearing is Just as Certain as his First Appearing.

Look at how Paul uses one Superlative after another to describe this Hope:
· He speaks of the Believer's Blessed Hope - which will be fully realised at the
Glorious Appearing of our Great God & Saviour, Jesus Christ.
· He uses the terms Blessed, Glorious & Great to describe the Hope of Believers.
These are fitting terms to describe the Glorious Appearing of our Glorious Lord & Saviour.
William Hendriksen says:
"This Blessed Hope is the Hope for which Believers are waiting -
It is the Realisation of our Earnest yearning, Confident expectation, & Patient waiting.
This Hope is Blessed because it imparts bliss, happiness, delight, & glory.
Even the Possession of this Hopeful Spirit & the Exercise of this Hope is Blessed - because of this Hope's Immovable Foundation, Glorious Author, Wonderful Object &
its Everlasting Character."

The Apostle Peter speaks of Christians possessing the New Birth into a 'Living Hope'.
We possess this Hope: "through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead."
It is the Hope of an: "Inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade" (1 Peter 1:3-4).
It is a Hope which is "Kept in Heaven & Ready to be Revealed at the Last Time" (v4-5).
It is a Hope that will be Fully Realised when Christ Returns Again in Glorious Splendour. It is described as a Living Hope - because it is a Realistic Expectation for All Believers.
Jay Adams says:
"It is a Living Hope because it is a Hope which has
an Impact upon Daily Living because of its Certainty."

The Source of this Living Hope & Inheritance is Christ's Resurrection from the Dead:
· Christ's Second Coming & the Believer's Hope of receiving an Eternal Inheritance are
Just as Certain as Christ's Death & Resurrection - which, by now, were Facts of History.
· We have entered into this Inheritance because we are Fellow-Heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17).
We will Share in His Suffering (here on Earth) &
we will Share in His Glory (at his Second Coming).

The Characteristics of this Inheritance are of Great Importance to these Homeless Refugees,
who have Lost all their Earthly Possessions for Christ's Sake:
· They had a Great Vision set before them,
to which they Looked Forward with Joyful Expectation.
Unlike an Earthly Inheritance, this Heavenly Inheritance is ENDURING.
· An Earthly Inheritance is Transient & it will certainly pass away.
BUT the Heavenly Inheritance is Glorious & Eternal & it will Never pass away.
This Heavenly Inheritance is also INDESTRUCTIBLE - It can never perish, spoil or fade.
· It is incorruptible, unspotted & unfading.
Furthermore, this Heavenly Inheritance is ABSOLUTELY SECURE.
· It is being Kept in Heaven - It is Ready & Waiting for them.
It is in a Place where No Thief can steal it, & No Robber can break in & take it away.

Note how this Living & Glorious Hope is Firmly Founded upon a Future Fact of History.
· Peter says that it will be Fully Revealed at the Last Time (1 Peter 1:5).
· It will be Fully Revealed at the Second Coming of Christ - when this Earth will Pass Away.
Everything Hinges upon this Certain Hope of the Second Coming of our Lord & Saviour.
· Without a Belief in the Resurrection & Second Coming of Christ - we have No Future Hope.

The Apostle John says:
"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears
we may be confident & unashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28).
"Dear friends … We know that when he appears, we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2).
John leaves us in doubt whatsoever concerning the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
· Twice he uses this phrase 'When he Appears' -
· John is saying: "I have this Confident Hope & Absolute Assurance that 'He WILL Appear'.
My hope is that I shall be: "Unashamed at his Coming."
John says that the Christian has this Double Assurance:
Firstly - We can be absolutely certain that our Saviour WILL Come Again.
Secondly - We can be absolutely certain that, when he comes we WILL be Like Him.
John is saying: "It is absolutely certain that Christ will Appear for a Second Time."

John is So Sure of the Second Coming of Christ that he Does NOT even Try to Prove it.
· He speaks to these Believers as though they already understood that Christ will Appear.
Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, preaching on this passage, says:
"The Second Coming is a FACT. The Lord Jesus Christ IS Coming Again, &
there will be a Judgement. He will come again as King of kings & Lord of lords, &
he will wind up the affairs of this Universe of time. I KNOW that it is certain."

Have you ever Meditated upon this Amazing FACT that Christ will Return Again?
· The Baby of Bethlehem will Return as the Lord of Glory!
· Jesus of Nazareth, will come back into this world & Prove that he is
the Son of the Living & Eternal God, will come back into this world.
He will NOT come as a helpless baby - BUT as the King of kings & Lord of lords.
· He will come riding on the clouds of heaven & surrounded by a Host of Angels.
· It is an Integral Part of God's Great Plan of Salvation.
It is an Essential Aspect of the Christian Faith.
· Without the Doctrine of the Second Coming we have No Hope of Salvation.
Without the Doctrine of the Second Coming we have No Hope of Heaven.

In the New Testament there are 260 chapters;
· The Return of Christ is so important it is mentioned no fewer than 318 times.
One of the Tragedies in the Church of Christ today is that
Christians speak very little about the Second Coming of Christ.
· The vast majority of Christians carry on as though it will never happen.
· Another Tragedy is that Christians get Bogged Down with their Theories about
the Second Coming - & miss out on meditating upon the Glorious Hope of Christ's Return.
· When a Group of Believers discuss the Second Coming they tend to get bogged down in
the Arguments For & Against - 'Pre'; 'Post'; & 'A' Millennialism -
to the exclusion of Glorying in the FACT of Christ's Return.

The Lord Jesus himself left us in doubt concerning the FACT that he WILL Come Again:
· When he Ascended to Heaven, Two Angels appeared to the Disciples, & said:
"This SAME Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, WILL come back
in the same way you have seen him go to Heaven" (Acts 1:11).
· The Scriptures make it clear that no one can determine the exact time of his Coming.
Not even the Angels, nor the Son of Man himself, know when Christ will Return (Mtt 24:36).
· Nevertheless, we are to Live Expectantly, as though the Coming of Christ is Always Near.

Remember the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25.1-13).
· The Bridegroom was a Long Time in Coming (Mtt 25:5).
The Wise Virgins were Ready & Fully Prepared, with Oil in their lamps & some to spare;
Lamentably, the Foolish Virgins were so tired of waiting they didn't bother to prepare.
· When the Bridegroom came unexpectedly, the Foolish Virgins tried to prepare quickly,
but they were TOO LATE - They were SHUT OUT of the Celebration Banquet.

Jesus says - the Warning is Clear:
"Keep Watch, because you do Not Know the day or the hour" (Mtt 25:13).
· The idea of Keeping Watch means to the Constantly on the Alert -
like a Soldier on Sentry Duty.
To be Watchful means to be Spiritually Awake.
· Spiritual Forethought is required - There must be a Determination to be On the Alert.
· The Watchful Person has his Loins Girded & Lamps Burning (Luke 12:35).
· The Watchful Person is Always At the Ready & Always Fully Prepared.
He is Always Looking Out for the Return of the Bridegroom.
The Apostle Paul says to the Corinthians:
"Be On your Guard (be Watchful); Stand Firm in the Faith" (1 Corinthians 16:13).
· We must be On our Guard - so that we will Always be Waiting for Christ's Return.
· We must Stand Firm - so that we will Always be Ready for Christ's Return.

In Matthew 24, Jesus gives the Signs of his Second Coming:
· However, he also Gives a Warning NOT to get involved in Idle Speculation.
At that time, if someone says 'Here he is', or 'There he is', don't believe them (24:23).
Again, Jesus makes his Message very Clear:
"Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come … You must
be ready, because the Son of Man will come in an hour you do not expect" (24:42 & 44).
Furthermore, the Scriptures say that Jesus will come Visibly & in Great Glory:
· All the Nations will see him coming on the Clouds, with Power & Great Glory (Mtt 24:30).
Paul tells the Thessalonians:
"Jesus will be revealed from heaven in Blazing Fire with his Powerful Angels (2 Thess 1:7).
"The Lord Jesus will come down from heaven, with a Loud Command,
with the voice of the archangel & with the trumpet call of God" (1 Thess 4:16).
· These Christians were Eagerly Expecting Christ's Return, & so they stopped working.
Paul rebukes them for their idleness & exhorts them to work hard (2 Thess 3:6-10).
Yet again, the central message is clear:
· Jesus Christ will come like a Thief in the Night! So Be Alert! Be Ready! (1 Thess 5:1 & 7).

The Message of the Apostle John is absolutely certain:
· Christ IS Coming Back Again. He WILL Appear & we WILL see him, in his Great Glory.
· John's message does NOT Promote Idle Speculation.
· Instead, his message DEMANDS a Twofold RESPONSE.
There is No Doubt whatsoever that Jesus Christ is Coming Back Again.
The FIRST RESPONSE of God's Children to this truth is this:
We can be Sustained by our Future Hope.
· We can Keep this Vision of Christ's Return Set Before Us all our days.
· We can be Sustained in your Christian Life & continue in our Assurance of Salvation,
by spending much time in Meditating upon 1 John 3v2:
"We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
This is what Isaac Watts did. So he could say, in his Hymn, Behold the Amazing Gift of Love:
"Our souls, we know, when He appears, Shall bear His image bright;
For all His Glory, full disclosed, Shall open to our sight.
A Hope so Great & so Divine May trials well endure,
And purge the soul from sense & sin, As Christ Himself is pure."

John's Vision of Heaven is Focused Firmly upon the Person of Jesus Christ.
· It is Focused upon the Fact that: "We shall see him as he is."
The Apostle Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 13:12:
"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall See him Face to Face."
· Believer - Do you Know for a certain fact that you are Destined for this Glorious Vision?
· What a Truly Magnificent & Glorious Vision - to see the Son of God in All His Glory!
You will spend Eternity looking at him Face to Face.
You will Keep On Looking at Him & Enjoying Him Forever & ever.
It is only then we will understand What He Did for us!
· Only then will we fully understand the Price he had to Pay for our Salvation.
Only then will we fully understand the True Cost of our Redemption.
My heartfelt desire is that we will Hold on to this Vision of our Saviour & Never Let it Go!
· Shame on us for grumbling & complaining about our sad circumstances this life.
Shame on us for complaining about the Hardships & Disappointments in the Christian Life.
Shame on us for objecting to the Demands of Taking Up our Cross & Following Christ.
Shame on us for sometimes being Half-hearted in the Worship of our Saviour.
We are not Destined to Live like that.
· We are Destined to see that Glorious Vision of Christ's Glory & Majesty.
· We are Destined to See our Saviour Face to Face & to Worship Him Forever.

We can be also be Sustained by a Vision of Something Even More Amazing:
"We shall Be LIKE Him!"
Notice that John's emphasis is NOT on What HEAVEN is Like,
But, rather, his emphasis is on What the CHRISTIAN will be Like IN Heaven.
· John is saying: "Now, you are Children of God. But, when Christ Returns -
You will SEE Him Face to Face, AND you will Be LIKE Him!

What is the Hope of the People of this World?
· They want to Make it to the Top of their Profession.
They want to make it to Make a Name for themselves.
· They want to Become Wealthy.
They want to have a Large House, with all the latest mod cons.
They want the latest Hi-Fi & TV - the latest Computer & DVD & the latest Fast Car & so on.
But, the Christian's Hope is Very Different:
· We want to SEE Jesus Face to Face;
We want to Be LIKE our Saviour;
We have a Burning Ambition to Share in the Glory of Christ & to be with him forever.
The Apostle Paul makes a Comparison between the Hope of the Unbeliever & the Believer:
"Their mind is on earthly things. But Our Citizenship is in Heaven. And
we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who … will transform our
lowly bodies so that they shall be Like his Glorious Body" (Philippians 3:19-21).
· NOW, we are living in a Body of Death - with all its aches & pains & illnesses.
BUT, we have this Hope of a Transformed & Glorious Body.
Therefore, we Eagerly Await the Coming of our Saviour.
Paul says that this is why we have been brought to Salvation:
"We are to be Conformed to the Likeness (or the Image) of God's Son" (Romans 8:29)
Our Glorification is the Ultimate Goal of the Unbroken Chain of Salvation:
"Those whom God Predestined, he also Called; those he Called, he also Justified;
those he Justified, he also Glorified" (Romans 8:30).

In this Life we are already being transformed from One Degree of Glory to another (2 Cor 3:18).
"We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's Glory, are being Transformed into His Likeness with Ever-increasing Glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
BUT, in Heaven, we shall be Completely Transformed into his Image.
· In Heaven, we shall be Full of Glory. We shall reach our Final Goal of Glorification!
In Heaven, we could NOT be any More Glorious!

How can we be Assured of this Certain Hope in Christ?
"The Holy Spirit is a Deposit Guaranteeing our Inheritance" (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Such a Hope ought to Sustain us in Times of Trial & give us a Genuine Joy:
It is to Suffering Saints that 1 Peter 1:8 gives the Hope of: "Joy unspeakable & Full of Glory"
John expresses this Joy in the Book of Revelation (19:6-7):
"Hallelujah! For the Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice & be glad & give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, & his bride has made herself ready."
That verse in Revelation gives us a clue about the next Response
To the Truth of Christ's Return - "The Bride has Made herself Ready!"

The SECOND RESPONSE of God's Children to this truth is-
To Purify ourselves in Readiness for Christ's Coming (1 John 3:3):
"Everyone who has this Hope in Him Purifies himself, just as He is Pure."
When Christ Comes Again, 'We will be Like Him.'
BUT, our Preparation for That Day begins in the here & now:
"Purify yourself, just as your Saviour is Pure."
In John's Vision of Christ's Bride in Heaven, the Bride was Ready for the Wedding Feast:
· Look at what she was wearing! She was wearing::
"Fine linen, bright & clean" (Revelation 19:8). The Bride was Prepared for the Feast!

This word 'Pure' was used in the context of Ceremonial Purification,
to denote the Outward Spotlessness of objects or persons involved in worship.
For example, John 11:55, refers to the Jewish People going up to Jerusalem
(before Passover) for their Ceremonial Cleansing.
· In a Christian context this word obviously refers to Moral & Spiritual Purity.
James tells us that this second meaning is far more important:
"Come near to God & he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners,
& purify your hearts, you double minded" (James 4:8).

The Apostle Peter tells us that God's Children must possess this Earnest Desire:
"You have purified yourselves by obeying the truth" (1 Peter 1:22)
· This must be the aim of those who:
"Have been Born Again … through the living & enduring Word of God" (1 Pet 1:23).
· Peter says that we Purify ourselves by Obeying the Truth -
In other words, by Living in Obedience to the Commands of the Living God.
Peter is talking about an Inward Purity of Heart, which manifests itself in Outward Conduct.
· The Basis for Christian Conduct is the Inner Life of the Heart, which is Lived before God.
Elsewhere, Peter says this must be the Aim of People who Look Forward to Christ's Coming
"Dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to
be found spotless, blameless & at peace with him" (2 Peter 3:14).
Make every effort to be Inwardly 'Spotless (Pure)' & Outwardly 'Blameless'.

Our Sanctification is just as much a part of the Chain of Salvation as our Glorification.
· We cannot be Glorified without being Sanctified.
· And we cannot be Sanctified without being Justified.
The Apostle Paul says:
"It is the will of God that you should be Sanctified" (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
Listen to Paul's Prayer for the Thessalonians:
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through & through.
May your whole spirit, soul & body be kept blameless at the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful & he will do it" (1Thessalonians 5:23-24).
· Do you see the Unbroken Chain again -
God Calls you; Then he Sanctifies you through & through;
Then he will Glorify you at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle John is saying:
"When you are Born Again of the Spirit of God you are given this
Burning Desire for Purity of Heart & Holiness of Living.
When you Look Forward to the Second Coming of Christ, this Burning Desire should increase more & more, until you become Absolutely Pure, in Readiness for his Coming."
We know that Believers will certainly Commit Sin,
· But, we must never give up in the Battle to Strive after Purity of Heart & Holiness of Living.

Remember the Prayer of King David, after he sinned with Bathsheba (Psalm 51:10):
"Wash away all my iniquity & Cleanse me from my sin …
Create in me a Pure Heart, O God, & renew a steadfast (or right) spirit within me."
· David had a desire for Forgiveness & Cleansing.
But, his Greatest Desire was that God would Re-create his Heart & make it a Pure Heart.
Test yourself once again:
· Do you possess this Burning Desire to make every effort to
be Inwardly 'Spotless (Pure)' & Outwardly 'Blameless'?
· Do you possess this Burning Desire to possess a Inner Purity of Heart
which manifests itself in Outward Holiness of Living?
· When you meditate upon your Future Hope & the Second Coming of Christ;
Does it increase this Burning Desire more & more?