Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20041114.htm

1 JOHN: DEFEATING MISLEADING SPIRITUAL ERROR TRULY TO COMMUNE WITH GOD
Part VI: Blessings The Mature "Father" Has In His Walk With God
A. The Blessing Of Confidence In Anticipating Christ's Return Due To Righteous Living
(1 John 2:28-3:3)
  1. Introduction
    1. True fellowship with God produces a tremendous, multifaceted, spiritually fulfilling lifestyle even on this earth, something John briefly stated in 1 John 1:3-4.
    2. So, having laid out the three basic levels of spiritual maturity, John supplied insight into the blessings that spiritual "fathers" have as a result of overcoming a dependence on others as a "little child" and the world's lusts as a "young man", and the first blessing is great confidence in anticipating the return and Judgment Seat of Christ as a believer for living a righteous life as detailed in 1 John 2:28 with 2:29-3:3 as follows:
  2. The Blessing Of Confidence In Anticipating Christ's Return Due To Righteous Living, 1 Jn. 2:28-3:3.
    1. Having finished his second couplet regarding the three major levels of spiritual Christian maturity, John turned to address God's spiritual offspring in general, using the general word, tekna for "offspring" instead of paidia for "immature little children" at 1 John 2:28, cf. U. B. S. Greek N. T., p. 817; Arndt & Ging., Greek-Eng lish Lexicon of the N. T., p. 815-816, 609.
    2. Accordingly, John began an extensive section in his epistle that reveals blessings known by those who fellowship with Christ as a motivation for believers to mature and stay in fellowship with Christ, 2:28a.
    3. The first blessing John mentions for such maturity and sustained fellowship with God is the present assurance that we will have confidence in facing Christ at His appearing for us, 1 John 2:29-3:3:
      1. John states that we believers should continue to "abide" in Christ, i.e., keep heeding His word and thus remain in practical spiritual fellowship with Him, 1 John 2:28a with 1 John 2:4-6 with John 15:7.
      2. If we do this, we will have confidence and not be ashamed when Christ returns to take us to be with Him [and we undergo Christ's Judgment Seat evaluation, 2 Cor. 5:10-11; 1 Cor. 3:13-15], 1 Jn. 2:28b!
      3. This confidence is built out of the truth that those who heed God's Word by God's power, thus living righteously, give evidence they are born of God and act like God would have them act, 1 John 2:29.
      4. Such evidence as witnessed by the believer in his own life gives him great encouragement and boldness in his relationship with God as well as confidence in what will occur when he meets God, 1 John 3:1-2:
        1. When the believer lives as His heavenly Father would have him live in heeding Christ's Word, he gives evidence that he is an object of God's grace, for God has made him His spiritual offspring as an act of His infinite love for and His acceptance of him (tekna, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.), 3:1a.
        2. Accordingly, the believer who is in such righteous fellowship with God finds the world is out of fellowship with himself just as the world is out of fellowship with his righteous Lord, 1 John 3:1b.
        3. However, since the believer who lives in practical righteousness by God's power recognizes by the evidence of his upright life that he is God's spiritual offspring (tekna , Ibid.), he is assured he will be glorified with God's glory as is His Savior Jesus Christ at Christ's appearing for him, 1 John 3:2.
      5. Armed with this joyful hope and assurance, a believer maintains practical righteousness by immediately confessing his practical sins if and when he sins so as to maintain fellowship with God Who is perfectly righteous, a step John calls "purifying" himself, 1 John 3:3 with 1 John 1:9.
Lesson: (1) If a believer overcomes the "little child" challenge of leaning on others to rely on the Holy Spirit and God's Word for insight, if he also overcomes the "young man" challenge of the world in not gratifying the lusts of the eyes, the flesh and earthly pride so as to lean on fellowship with Christ for true happiness, then, providing he MAINTAINS that FELLOWSHIP, he will enjoy in his CURRENT, EARTHLY life GREAT CONFIDENCE that he will not be ashamed, but BOLD in Christ's appearing! This blessing grows out of an awareness that his RIGHTEOUS LIFE, being outside the world's realm and like His heavenly Father's realm gives EVIDENCE he is LIVING like GOD wants him to live! (2) Thus, he is motivated to PURIFY himself QUICKLY if he sins to sustain this practical confidence!

Application: To enjoy BLESSED PRACTICAL CONFIDENCE that we are ABLE to be BOLD at Christ's coming, may we MATURE as stated in part "(1)" above and STAY PURIFIED in our walk!