Knowing the Truth Part 4

Knowing the Truth Part 4 

1 John 2:28-29:  And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

·        This is one of the great truths in the New Testament…Jesus is coming back again! This is the “hope of believers” of every age and has kept them through great difficulties.

·        John ends this section of his letter with a central truth about standing face to face with Jesus. He uses the terms “when He appears,” and “at his coming.”

·        John says that “abiding in Him” is a key in being prepared for His coming.

·        Abiding is “sharing” life with Him; it’s sharing “His life” in fellowship.

·        In this fellowship… Jesus teaches us how this life operates in us so that we may fully partake of it. Therefore, when Jesus comes again it will be a joyous experience for the believer!  Let’s look at what Paul says:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 

·        We will all step out of time and step into eternity; we will either be caught up at the rapture or rise at our death.

·        Here’s kind of a grim thought; we are all standing at the edge of the grave….

·        But it is true and it is comforting to know that we will always be with the Lord, in life and in death—never separated, never forsaken! Let that sink in.

·        Let’s see another verse that confirms this:

2 Corinthians 5:8: We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

·        To summarize-- whether in the rapture or in death, ever believer has an “appointment or meeting” with the Lord at “an unknown moment in time.”

·        This event is no further away than the day of our death—and it may be closer than that. Jesus will no longer be hidden from our eyes…but be openly manifest and visible face-to-face.

·        What a wonderful day that will be! Let’s make sure it is!! Right?

·        Let’s go back to our text:

1 John 2:28-29:  And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

·        According to John there are only two outcomes for the believer on that day: “confidence before Him” or “ashamed before Him.”

·        John says another key is to know that He is righteous.

·        Do you know that Jesus is righteous?

·        Whatever God does is right. He does everything perfectly.

·        And behaving as God behaves… is behaving right.

·        It takes God’s life in us to behave like God, therefore whoever behaves as God is born of God and bears the family resemblance.

·        Jesus manifested the Father so we would know how God acts and how God behaves. If we know how God behaves then we will know “righteousness” when we see it.

·        And anyone who behaves righteously in righteousness…is pleasing to God.

·        We are to be like Christ, we are to act like Christ, we are to speak like Christ, and we are to love like Christ.

·        The world may not know us, but our God knows us.

·        And we are to know each other; we are to recognize each other because we bear the family resemblance.

·        In other words, we are to be salt and light in our society… just like Jesus-- or we have lost our savor.

·        We are called to demonstrate righteousness in the middle of the darkness—or we are useless to our God. Paul tells us more:

2 Corinthians 5:9-10: Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

·        Two possibilities: good or bad; one producing confidence and boldness, the other producing a sense of shame and loss.

·        That is the day that our reality will be made evident, when things are seen as they really are.

·        There’s a false teaching in Christianity, that our appearing before the Lord, for the believer, will only be a day for rewards, nothing negative, all sweetness and light. Let’s see what Jesus says:

Luke 8:17: For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”

·        Jesus says that there will be a time when everything is revealed and it will be a time of receiving or a time of great loss. Everything will be laid bare, nothing hidden anymore.

·        Someone once said, “What we weave in time, we will wear throughout eternity.”

·        Here’s the question; will you be bold and confident, or shrink in shame? It will be one or the other, not both.

Genesis 3:9-11: Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

·        Adam was ashamed before God, he was unfruitful, he was disobedient, and therefore he wanted to hide from God. He was naked. Everything was laid bare. He was not bold and confident before the Lord God.

·        We have a choice in how we will appear before God… and it will be a result of all of the choices we’ve made whether we are confident or ashamed.

·        Therefore, we should live our lives with that perspective.

·        This message is not to make you fearful or feel condemned… but it is to prepare you to walk in victory on that day and hear those words, “Good job, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.”

·        The question therefore is: “what is it that will make you ashamed then?” These would be “areas of unrighteousness” in our lives that we are protecting now.

Ø So, therefore, what makes you ashamed “now?”

Ø Are there things in your life “right now” that you keep secret?

Ø Are there attitudes that you have “right now” that you have towards others?

Ø Are there things “right now” that the Lord is calling you to that you are not obeying?

·        We all know what the “if only I had done that” are like. The “if onlies.”

·        If there are wrong things right now, if there are bad attitudes right now, if there is disobedience right now, then it is time to fix those things right now!

·        Unfortunately, it is very possible to fill our days with activities that keep us from facing these things right now.

Revelation 3:17-18: Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

·        Jesus is calling the Church of Laodicea to repent while they can.

·        This is not negative but incredibly positive. His clear intention is to make us bold on that day by seeing things clearly today.

·        This is not about your past; what is done is done.

·        This is about your present, right now, and your eternal future so that you can be “unashamed” on that day. How can I be bold on that day?

Ø Therefore, what are the things that make you bold right now?

Ø I find that I am bold when I am on familiar ground, I understand the process. For instance, when I first learned to drive, I was not bold, I was very tentative until I learned how the car works and responds to me. Now I am bold driving.

Ø I also discovered that I am bold when I already know the outcome, when I know everything is going to work out alright. It’s almost like flying in an airplane—I don’t have to be afraid of flying—the plane will land, and I will reach my destination. I can trust the pilot behind the controls.

Ø I’m also bold when I know that I’ve got resources that are working for my good--it’s like having “an ace up my sleeve.”

1 John 2:28: And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

·        Here’s how John tells us we can be confident in that day, “abide in Him.”

·        Three simple words, but so many Christians are lacking understanding on what this means!

·        It begins with learning to wait on Him, and refusing to act in your own power in your own self-effort.

·        It means to step out in dependence on Him who dwells “within you” for everything you do and everything you say-- all the time.

·        Therefore your actions are not a result of you and your personal resources-- but it is Him and His resources doing everything through you.

·        Abiding in Him means “sharing life” with Him. Sharing His life with Him.

·        Sharing His power, sharing His love, and sharing His purposes…this is pleasing to the Father…and you will be rewarded on that day! Paul gives us a different perspective of the same thing:

Galatians 2:19-20: For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

·        Paul tells us something very important; he died to the law that he might live to God. The law is always requires “self-effort.”

·        God demanded righteousness (right living) from sinful men, but they didn’t have the “right equipment” (Holy Spirit) to live that out, therefore, the law was there to show man his inability live righteously before God without a Savior.

·        Under the law, man worked and worked to satisfy the righteous requirements of the law, but in his self-effort--- usually experienced the “curse of the law” as the consequence of his failures.

·        Paul discovered the key; he died to all his self-effort, he crucified his old self with its dependency on its own weak resources, he abandoned all confidence that he had in the strength his flesh.

·        Instead, he put all of his confidence in this Christ-life that now dwelt within Him because he knew he could trust this new life because of the reality that Christ loved him and died for him. That was his evidence.

·        The life Paul lives NOW was the “new life” he shared with Christ because it was “more than sufficient” in any circumstances that Paul faced. The grace that was available was beyond whatever he could hope, ask, or imagine for.

·        What’s the point of having the Christ-life dwelling within us if we fail to use it?

v All he had to do was keep his old self weak, so Christ could be strong.

v All he had to do was wait on the Lord before acting in His own strength!

v All he had to do was refuse to use his own strength just like Jesus did!!!!!!

·        “When I am weak, I am strong.”

·        Paul did this by “abiding in Jesus.” Therefore, Paul’s works were God’s works. He will never do in you anything that is unacceptable to Him.

·        All of the shame and wastefulness of the past and present are based on the things we do in our own power and will be judged before Christ as such.

·        (Wood, hay, and stubble)

·        But everything that is done through His power is pleasing to God and will be rewarded.

·        (Gold, silver, and precious stones)

·        Think of it this way, He wants to reward you for everything you will let Him do through you, and He will give you all the credit just for submitting to letting Him do His works through you.

Philippians 4:13:  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

·        Paul understood that everything that the Lord calls us to do, He gives us the strength to do it.

·        Therefore, I never need to rely on my own strength. Look at what Jude—half-brother of Jesus—said about this.

Jude 1:24: Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

·        Abide in Him so that when appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming.

·        It may be that you need to settle some things with the Lord right at this moment.

·        Think of the things that currently make you ashamed, the attitudes that you have towards others, or some of the habits you cling to, or the long term disagreements you have with others which make you avoid them.

·        These things need to be settled now. Abide in Him now, time is short.