Living Righteously—Preparing to See Jesus

Living Righteously—Preparing to See Jesus 

1 John 3:1: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 

·       It’s not just that God loves us; it’s how He loves us.

·       We were once “enemies of God” in our rebellion and sin, but He desires to make His enemies His children! How amazing is that?

·       Our evidence is this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8).

·       The world did not know Jesus. He was God acting as God veiled in flesh, perfectly righteous and standing right in front of them.

·       Many saw Him as a lowly carpenter’s son. Others saw Him as “a problem” and they wanted to kill Him.

·       Paul tells us that, “If they had known Him they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.” (1 Cor.2:8). Therefore, is it any wonder that they do not know us?

·       Jesus acted perfectly, but we do not always act perfectly. Therefore, God wants His children to become more like Jesus—and this process is by the Holy Spirit.

1 John 3:2: Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 

·       The important word here is: NOW!

·       NOW we are children of God.

·       Eternal life belongs to us NOW. We are not waiting to die to get it!

·       We have the life of Christ in us NOW.

·       We are the inheritors of all of Gods promises NOW!

·       Although all of these things are true, and we are different from the others—but we don’t look any different from them.

·       Today, as in the days of our Lord, God’s life is veiled in our flesh and it is not always revealed in us. Paul speaks of this:

Romans 8:18-19: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 

·        The creation waits with “eager” expectation of the day when “the great secret” which is now hidden among mankind will be revealed--and the sons of God will be manifest so that all can see!

·        We know that planet earth is “groaning” under sin and darkness of this present age. And we know from prophecy that the conditions in this age will get much worse.

·        But prophecy tells us these conditions will bring about something so glorious… the return of Jesus!

·        This is the hope of the believer, because he knows that the world is not headed towards an unknown end; but it is headed towards a known appointment with our Creator… and it is right on schedule.

·        Until then “great difficulty” is a process--determined by God--to prepare the world to see Jesus.

·        If it takes the world’s difficulties for them to see Jesus—it is also true in the believer’s experience. Why? Perhaps we’re not looking for Jesus in easy times.

·        Let’s go back to our text:

1 John 3:2: Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 

·        John says the world does not know who we are now-- and we do not know what we will be!

·        So what is it going to be like when Christ returns?

·        We have some general answers to these questions in scripture, but not much in details.

·        First we know from the prophets… there will be great destruction, suffering, and pain on this planet on a grand scale. There will be wars, there will be earthquakes, and there will be evil and violence.

·        But Bible also says that after His return there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more suffering, no separation, no pain, etc. However, there is much that is unclear to us.

·        Okay, but what are we supposed to do now, in the meantime? Become more like Jesus!   Paul gives us some info:

2 Corinthians 4:17-18:  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

·        Paul was stoned, beaten, whipped, shipwrecked, hungry, thirsty, and more.

·        Paul calls these things “light affliction” because it’s temporary and it’s working for us a “weight of glory.”

·        Many of us question God about what is “happening to us” when difficulty, or pain and suffering strikes.

·        But it is what we do in the middle of a difficulty that determines whether it will work for our good or not.

·        Many of us say, “Lord, teach me a lesson in this,” but the pain goes on and on… and finally we cry out, “Why Lord?” And our faith is tested by the suffering.

·        We are always faced with a choice in the middle of suffering—whether it be in mental anguish or physical pain; we can either use it for our good or allow it to defeat us in disappointment.

·        Suffering will work for us or against us--depending on if we “turn to Him” or to “something else”.

·        We must know that the difficulties we face are “exceeded by the power at work within us.”

·        The Spirit is “working within us” to turn everything that to our good when we cooperate with Him. Something good is being produced in us in this process.

·        It is all producing something that will not be fully manifest now--in this life… but later. We must take an eternal view in that which is temporary is doing in our lives.  It’s making us more like Jesus!

1 John 3:2: Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 

·        There is much uncertainty for us, but there are things we can be certain of:

·        Certainty number one: We know that He will appear. This is an absolute fact. He appeared once and will come again. All of history is moving towards that fact.

·        There is much confusion over this regarding the rapture and other doctrines, but remember this: as far as our experience is concerned--in rapture or in death, we will meet Him soon.

·        Certainty number two: We know that when we see Him we shall be like Him.

·        It does not say we will “become” like Him. Our new bodies will be like His then. That which was sown in corruption will be raised incorruptible. What that body will be like… we will not know until then-- but it will be like His!

·        But our bodies are only shells for the life inside us, so there is another aspect of our being like Him.

·        John is saying, what we have been “becoming” over the years will be revealed.

·        Therefore, the “light affliction” that Paul says is a process working for us and producing a likeness of Jesus.

·        As we learn to stop complaining in our circumstances, and learn to lean on His power within us-- we are becoming like Him…because this is also what He did.

·        All these things God uses to mold us and shape us into His likeness.

·        But when we try to resist “the instrument” (whatever that may be) that God uses to make us more like Him-- we face the possibility of not becoming as much like Him as we could be.

·        Certainty number three: We shall see Him as He is. Some think that this is “how” we become like Him by “seeing Him” as He is.

·        But we are becoming like He is now-- even though we see Him through a glass darkly as Paul says.

·        It does not take a full view of Christ to make us like Him. We are being transformed to be like Him now, in order for us to “see” Him--as He is then.

1 John 3:3: And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

·        What a powerful motivator we have to become like Him now.

·        Therefore, if everything that God sends your way, or allows to come your way, now, is to make you more like Him.

·        Therefore, we can give thanks for our difficulties and the “storms of life” instead of complaining and trying “in our own strength” to fix it.

·        Like James says, “Count it all joy!” Bring it on!

·        Remember--Jesus sent His disciples out onto the Sea of Galilee when He knew there was a storm coming.

·        Because it is in the storms that we can find Him in the middle of it coming to us on the wind and the waves.

·        It’s in the storms of life that we are prepared for the next one coming our way.

·        It’s in the storms of life that we learn to rely on the “power within us.”

·        It’s in the storms of life that we are becoming more like Him—purifying ourselves.

Romans 5:3-4: And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation (suffering) produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope makes us not ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

·        Suffering and tribulation produces endurance—it makes you wait, watch and pray for God to work things out. And endurance produces character as you see God work things out.

·        Again and again you see God work things for your good and you learn to patiently wait for God and this strengthens your character (who you are when nobody is looking).

·        And character produces hope. Not hope in the worldly sense, but in the biblical sense—which is absolute certainty because time after time you see that He is able to work things out.

·        And this hope makes us not “ashamed” (Romans 5:5) because it gives us complete confidence, instead of complaining under circumstances and lacking of faith (ashamed).

·        Many Christians today try to avoid suffering at any cost.

·        We put our emphasis on comfort and avoid being “uncomfortable” and therefore, miss much of the transforming process, and as a result—we may lack character and hope.

·        We must stand on His love for us, regardless our outside pressures.

·        Paul says that knowing we are loved is the key in the midst—it’s a heart issue.

·        In all of these things-- the Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ—because He loves us.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18: Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

·        Moses wore a veil over his face “to hide” that fact that the glory of the law was fading away.

·        The law was bondage to “self-effort.”

·        We were required to work at changing our nature in our own strength—but the law could not help us, it could only condemn us in our failures!

·        Relying on the “strength of our flesh” is “its own veil.”

·        Paul invites us to drop our veils—He invites us to drop all of our pretensions and just rely on the Lord.

·        Your trying to be strong in your trials does not “impress the Lord!”

·        It’s only there that the Spirit can transform us—It’s a grace process, not a law process--all true change is effortless change on our part.

·        It’s a transforming process and it happens from glory to glory--not pit to pit (not from backsliding to backsliding). It can be a continual progression

·        We have the glory of the Lord in the “liberty” of the Holy Spirit—this is a special, glorious intimacy with God in His grace—not in His law. This fellowship with Him has transforming power.

·        Mirrors in their time were usually polished metal, and gave a clouded, fuzzy, somewhat distorted image—we see Him now through a glass darkly—but not with our eyes---but with our heart. (We will find Him when we seek Him with all of our heart) (Jer.29-11).

·        As we behold Him with our heart, we will be transformed effortlessly.

·        God will change our lives and change us from the inside out—without our effort. It’s supernatural.

·        How do we behold Him now? We must behold Him or look for Him in the middle of our circumstances.

·        We behold Him in the word.

·        We behold Him in worship.

·        We behold Him in prayer.

·        We behold Him in the fellowship of His Presence.

1 John 3:3: And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

·        All of that begins here and now as God as God works through our circumstances to make us more like Him. So John says that everyone who has this kind of hope purifies himself.

·        But you say, “I can’t purify myself!” God knows that, so what does He mean? Well, you purify yourself by the means that He has provided to purify yourself.

·        Your mothers knew this, she says, “Go wash your hands before dinner.” As many boys do, he sticks his hands under the water and wipes them off with a towel, and she says, “Your hands aren’t clean, did you use soap?”

·        What is soap? It’s a cleansing agent, it will do its job when it is used.

·        The boy doesn’t clean himself, the soap cleans him.

·         The cleansing that has been provided for us is the Word of God and the Spirit of God.