[E]veryone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

1 John 2:28-3:3

[E]veryone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:3

I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  This morning, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of 1 John 2:28-3:3. 

Per the commentary for this text:

Main idea: True believers will remain in fellowship with Christ and experience the blessings that come through communion with Him.

Excerpts from commentary introduction:

• "Because I am going to be like Him in the future and for all eternity, such a promise has a wonderful transforming power in the present. My future impacts my life today!"
• "Now in the present text he adds the exhortation to abide in Christ and pursue a righteous life as they live in the hope of His coming (2:28–3:3)."
• "In fact, such a spiritual posture will result in four wonderful blessings—blessings that are promised to everyone who keeps on abiding in Christ."
  

Divisions for this text:

1. You Will Be Confident at His Coming (2:28): With the command to abide in Christ, we are encouraged by John to pursue "consistent action."  Thus we will be prepared for Christ's second coming. The commentary also shares how shame at the second coming may await those who are not really saved - pointing to Mark 8:38, Revelation 6:15-16. We know we are truly saved based on our confidence that Jesus is coming again and that we are abide in Him in preparation.
   
2. You Will Be Certain You Are His Child (2:29–3:1): "[C]hildren of God will grow to look like God their Father. Our practice is proof of our parentage. The righteous Savior produces righteous saints." Children of God receive the blessing of a forever love that never leaves or forsakes us (see also Hebrews 13:5). The privilege of being a child of God means that "[t]here is no place for either an inferiority or a superiority complex. I am who I am by gracious adoption and regeneration. That fosters humility. I am who I am as God’s child." We should also not be surprised when the world does not recognize believers and how we act - see also John 15:18-19.
   
3. You Will Be Conformed to Christ (3:2):We do not fully comprehend or appreciate how our sanctification will result in glorification/perfection and that we will see Jesus face to face but we can be confident in both. We can also be confident that Christ knows us fully. "We don’t know all that being made like Jesus means. What we do know is it will be better than we could ever hope or imagine, and it will be the occasion for an eternal lifetime of praise, worship, and adoration."
   
4. You Will Be Consistent in Your Consecration (3:3): Our hope of glorification and of seeing Jesus face to face one day should motivate us to continue abiding in Christ and pursuing a life of obedience and righteousness.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good - as Your love of me as a Heavenly Father surpasses that of any love any earthly father can provide for me.  And You will never leave or forsake me.  I KNOW that I will be perfected and glorified one day and I will also see You face-to-face - what a glorious day this will be indeed!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

1 John 2:28-3:3

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2

After a relatively short pause, I return to my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  This morning, my focus is an unassisted review of 1 John 2:28-3:3. A striking highlight from the text this morning is the focus on how God cares for us - He addresses us as children (1 John 2:28, 3:1,2) and as children of God - under His care.  

• 2:28 - we are encouraged to remain close to God, to practice the spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, Bible reading/study, etc.; the reason provided by John is that we will be prepared for Jesus' second coming (see also Matthew 24).
• 2:29 - those who mirror or demonstrate attributes of Jesus or are a light (bear fruits of the Spirit) provide a marker or litmus test for those who are children of God (and are prepared)
• 3:1 - God adopts believers as His children; non-believers may not fully know, understand or appreciate believers (and we may be persecuted as a result) because they don't fully know, understand or appreciate God
• 3:2 - Referred to again as God's children, believers have hope that either when we die or when Jesus comes again, we will enter Heaven - our home - be fully glorified, and see Jesus face to face - this will be glorious indeed!  Believers who hope in Him - and who practice the spiritual disciplines, and abide in Him - are sanctified by God.
  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good - I am part of Your family and I gain supernatural peace and comfort from having complete confidence in this.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and care.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 1

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. v12-13

In verses 6-8, John (the apostle) tells us about John the Baptist (John the Baptist is not John the apostle (author of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation) - the messenger sent by God to "prepare the way" for Jesus and His coming ministry (see also Matthew 3, Isaiah 40:3, Mark 1, Luke 3).  

In v9-13, John then shares with us that: Jesus is the light of the world, Jesus came into the world to both be with us (to minister and teach to us, then to die for us), and that many did not recognize or believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  John then gives us this great truth about this "right" that Jesus gave us "to become children of God". 

What an amazing right!  We ALL want to be part of something - something that gives us community, love, etc.  When we believe in and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are grafted into His family.  We must also understand that if we do not believe and receive, we are not His children - listen to John Piper on this.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who Has grafted me into His family!  Thank You Jesus for inviting and receiving me into Your family!  You are a great God - I love You Jesus! I am undeserving of such a God.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

Psalm 147

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. v4

During those times when we doubt God's love for us, we can recall the words of this Psalm and similar scripture.  God loves us because He created us, specifically, and He knows everything about us - even down to the hair on our head.


I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:4-7

To God, we are not faceless - we are known - in fact, fully known and fully loved.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Further, we have been adopted as God's children:

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 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. Romans 8:14-17

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who knows everything about us and who loves us.  Thank You Jesus for Your love for me.  I am not worth such love.  I worry and I am often harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime[.]

Psalm 30

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime[.] v5

We are imperfect and broken - yet He adopted us as His children.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 

And He is slow to anger and abounding in love.

That He will be with us until the end of the age in the context of knowing that for those who believe, we will never lose our salvation = favor.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  John 10:27-29

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who will never leave or forsake us and You have adopted us as Your children and sealed us for eternity - thank You Jesus.  What an amazing gift and act of grace.  Thank You.  I am not deserving.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Please help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.