In Light of His Return

October 5, 2025|In Light of His Return|1 John 2:28-3:3

John-Daniel Cutler

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This morning we pick up where we left off last week in verse 28 of chapter 2 of the letter of 1st John.

Last week we saw John establish that there were those who went out from them but were not of them, and because they did not continue with them, it became plain that they were not of them. He contrasted these false teachers with the recipients of his letter when he said, But you have been anointed by the Holy One.

In essence, he said, you guys know the truth, which means you can recognize lies. The one who denies that Jesus is the Christ is a liar and an antichrist. Not only have they set themselves against Christ, we can be sure that they do not have the Father either. But whoever, as you have done, confesses the Son has also the Father. There are those who are trying to deceive you, but you need to abide in him, hold on to what the Spirit taught you, which we saw is the gospel truths. That Jesus is the Christ, that you are a sinner who needs saving, that Christ’s atoning sacrifice is sufficient to cover your sins by grace through faith. Hold on to that, abide in him.

I think John now moves to apply what they know, the truth about Jesus to some specifics of what they are hearing from these false teachers and men who are trying to deceive them. From what we can deduce from John’s writing, the church is being assaulted by an early from of gnosticism. We aren’t sure how developed it is in John’s day but we know that it had begun and we know what it developed in to, so we can work out some of the challenges John is responding to.

At it’s core, gnostic teaching was built on salvation being in hidden, mystical knowledge of divine truths reserved for the spiritually elite who rejected the material world as evil and embraced a dualistic view that said the only thing that really mattered was the spiritual world. The true God was unknowable, and according to gnosticism, humanity’s problem was not sin but that this divine spark was trapped in a body made of corrupted matter. Salvation then was seen as escaping the physical world and participating in the spiritual realms through spiritual guides. This of course led to a denial that Jesus was truly physical, that he died a physical death and was raised physically. Jesus was reframed as messenger whose job was to awaken the divine spark in people, whose death and resurrection were reinterpreted spiritually and used as an example for men not as a physical atonement for sin.

What’s crazy is that these teachings are still being shared today. Just this past week I saw two social media reels that were shared. One that said that what Jesus actually came for was to help us discover that God is within us all and that his death was to show us that we are not separated from God and the other was something about awakening to 4D reality and awakening our Christ consciousness. No, I’m not kidding. Gnosticism is alive and well in the world today distorting the message of Christ now just as it was beginning to do in John’s day.

When you understand the backdrop of the letter and the gnostic ideas that were creeping into the church, we can better appreciate the truths John outlines in this letter. Already, as we think back over John’s letter, we can understand why he has stressed the eternal nature of Christ, that he was really manifested in the flesh, that through Christ we can have fellowship with the Father. We can see why John has labored to draw a distinction between claims and actions, the truth and lies, love as being the test of knowing him, not knowledge. The apostle continues in our text today, addressing some of the same things, while shedding more light on why these believers must reject gnosticism and its proponents.

Let’s pick up in verse 28 and read through verse 3 of chapter 3 this morning.

1 John 2:28 - 3:3 (ESV) 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 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. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

From this text we are going to look at three statements we can make in light of John’s teaching here in our verses.

The first statement is…

I. JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS IS COMING BACK.

John bookends this chapter with righteousness.

In 1 John 2:1 “1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

In 1 John 2:29 “29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

Additionally you can see him bookend this chapter with an emphasis on Christ.

First by call him an advocate with the Father, and in verse 28 calling us to abide in Him.

After spending time highlighting the presence of antichrists in the world, he returns to his discussion of Jesus Christ the righteous, the advocate, the propitiation for our sins.

The connecting words from our sermon last week on Guarding Against AntiChrists and our text today is seen in verse 28. Going back to verse 27 last week, John says. 1 John 2:27 “27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” And he begins 28 with “28 And now, little children, abide in him.

We have seen one of John’s primary emphasis in this letter is to differentiate those who belong to Christ and those who do not and although we talked about a third category of people this last week. Believers, those who claim to be believers but are deceived, we saw there are also those actively working against the church. But even with that distinction there are still only two categories of people in the world. Those who belong to Christ and those who do not. John is writing to those who do, and reminds them again that the ongoing evidence that they are in fact those that belong to Christ is their abiding in Him. Immediately after restating to abide in Christ, John gives a reason for the imperative or command to abide.

What is interesting is John uses abide in Him both as an indicative and an imperative. You both abide in him and you need to abide in him. It is both a reality and a command. This I think is the tension present within all of the commands to abide in him or remain him in the new testament. There is a sense in which those who belong to Christ are already in Christ, blessed with all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, but there is also a sense in which we are commanded to abide in him. That is I think that we can either foster that reality or we can stifle it. We can nourish it or neglect it.

There is a sense in which those who belong to Christ are already in Christ, blessed with all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, but there is also a sense in which we are commanded to abide in him.

But here is the question, what does it matter?

If we cannot be any more in Christ why should we care if we abide in Him?

Because John says, our Lord, the righteous one, is coming back for his people.

Have you truly thought about that day, not in the ‘one day, far off sense’, but in the sense that ‘in the blink of an eye we will one day be in the presence of Jesus?’

The one we have sang to, the one we have worshipped, the one we have known in part, because our knowledge is in part, but we shall know fully, we see in a mirror dimly but one day face to face as Paul says in 1 Corinthians.

The Bible tells us it will happen suddenly, it will be like a thief in the night, that is, we know that he is coming back, but we do not know when.

Here is what I think John is getting at, friends, how will your relationship with Christ be found when he suddenly appears?

What is translated as when he appears in the ESV is actually the word normally translated ‘if’, here used in the sense of ‘whenever’. We know he will appear, but we do not know when. The two words John uses concerning the second coming of Christ is when ‘he appears’ and ‘at his coming’.

appears- to be made manifested coming- parousia (par-oo-see'-ah)  the arrival

The word appears, or is made manifest reminds us that Jesus is with us now in Spirit. Jesus promised in the Great Commission that he will be with us always, even until the end of the age. But one day that which is hidden from us physically will be made manifest in his coming, and parousia (par-oo-see'-ah). A word which means presence, and is used in the NT to point to the future, visible, return from heaven of Jesus, the Messiah, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God. When that happens, when Jesus Christ the Righteous returns, John says it you will have one of two reactions.

You will have confidence or you will shrink from him in shame.

Let’s look at those contrasting reactions John describes.

confidence-free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage

shrink from him in shame- separate from shame

Anyone grow up with the saying ‘Is that what you want to be doing when Jesus comes back?’ or ‘Is this where you wanna be when Jesus comes back?’ something similar?

I’m not sure if it is a southern grandmother thing, but I can remember hearing it.

I can also remember, as a child rolling my eyes. That wisdom was wasted on me as a child, but how often I need to hear it now! How often we would benefit if that thought regularly appeared in our minds and hearts?!

Jesus Christ the Righteous is returning, how do you want to be found?

We can either live in such a way that we are constantly aware of his presence and living for him so that when he appears the only thing that would change would be our ability to see him. What a joy, how cheerful that day when our faith becomes sight, when what we have felt and known we will see clearly. When we declare, I knew you were there, but how wonderful that I can see you with my eyes.

Or we can live in such a way that his presence seems distant, our lives lived for ourselves, so that when he appears we recoil from his glorious presence ashamed. Ashamed that we are not living like light and salt in the world, ashamed that we are not bringing our children up in the admonition of the Lord, loving our wives as Christ loved the church, submitting to our husbands as the church submits to Christ, working as unto the Lord, proclaiming the gospel to a lost world. Ashamed that the time is up, the things left undone will now never be done.

 Jesus Christ the Righteous is returning, how do you want to be found?

Imagine if you will, and I pray you will pardon the simple analogy, older children left at home for a time when they see the lights in the windows and hear the car doors indicating their parents are home. If they have obeyed their parents, if the house is in order and the tasks taken care of, what a joy to welcome their parents into their shared home. If they have not, if the house is in disorder and the tasks undone, what shame and panic grips them as they realize they have squandered their time.

After John reminds them that Jesus is returning and we will either cheerfully and confidently welcome the moment or shrink back in shame, John reminds them of what the evidence is for those who will be confident at his return. Vs 29- If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

John says since you know that he is righteous- you understand that God is righteous, that Christ is righteous. Since you know that, you should perceive then that those who have been born of him will practice righteousness. That which is righteous will produce righteous offspring. Not as some think that doing righteousness will make us born of him, but rather those born of Him will practice righteousness. The word practice is the idea of doing, acting rightly. Acting in such a way that God is pleased.

Can you say that overall, knowing that none of us are perfect, that God is pleased with your life?

Can you say that more often than not, if Christ returned you would be happy to see him or ashamed at his presence?

These are questions we need to wrestle with, questions that John will continue diving into as we continue chapter 3 over the next couple of weeks, but for now let us move to our second statement from this portion of John’s letter. What will happen when he returns?

II. WHEN JESUS RETURNS WE WILL BE LIKE HIM.

John spring-boards off of his statement, born of him, and now goes deeper into the reality of what that means. He begins with an imperative- See what kind of love the Father has given to us!

See is the idea of pay attention, look closely. At what? What kind of love- what manner of love. Look at the quality of love God has given to us, that we should be called children of God.

We bear the title among men as children of God, a title that the world may scoff at, but that is ultimately the highest title any human being could possibly possess. John says, we do not just have the title, we are in fact, right now, children of God. He also reminds us that the world will not understand it, and even if they did acknowledge it, they could not possibly understand what it meants. They do not know him, therefore they do not know us.

Again, John emphasizes the present reality we have, beloved, we are God’s children now. You say, wait a second, isn’t everyone a child of God? Isn’t that what the Bible teaches?

No, while, yes everyone is created in the image of God and bears the imago dei, apart from being born again we are all children of wrath, and in fact as he continues in chapter 3 he is going to say that they are children of the devil. We are by nature, not children of God?

How then do we come to bear the title of a child of God? Through adoption.

Romans 8:15 “15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” ;

Galatians 3:26 “26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” ;

Ephesians 1:5 “5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

We are joined to the only begotten son of God by grace, through faith, so that when God pronounces to the son, you are my son! Those who are in Christ enjoy those same blessings of sonship. It is with confidence, that John declares, we are God’s children now. That is a present reality.

 It is with confidence, that John declares, we are God’s children now.

But equally important is the following statement, and what we will be has not yet appeared, or been manifested.

When a man or woman is reborn by the Holy Spirit, whether in reading their bible or hearing the word preached, or in a conversation with a friend sharing the gospel, there is no visible sign, right? Yes, we know that there will be fruit, but it isn’t as though all of a sudden we can look at them and say, yep there is one, nope that is not one. The visible manifestation of our sonship has not yet been made apparent.

We might wish that it were so, but John’s whole premise in writing is that it is not readily visible who is Christ’s and who is not, even when they claim to be. Even for those who we are sure belong to Christ, even of our own selves, and parenthetically, John includes himself in this when he says, what we will be, we do not know exactly what it will be. While we might not know exactly, we do know somethings. What? That when he appears, we shall be like him.

When he is manifested, we shall be manifested.

Paul speaking of this reality says in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (ESV) 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

We shall be changed to be like him, putting off the perishable and putting on the imperishable, putting of the mortal and putting on the immortal.

Physically raised to new life in Him. Not some higher spiritual plane, not through spiritual awakening, but the scriptures are clear, although changed, we shall have physical, glorified bodies.

Sin will be fully and finally dealt with, death will be no more, and we will be raised to be with him forever. John calls this our hope.

By hope the NT does not mean hope in the sense that we so often use the word. I hope this comes true, or I hope this or that happens as in it may or may not. Hope in the New Testament is the joyful and confident expectation of something that is going to happen. In this way it is tied to faith. We confidently expect because we believe our Lord Jesus.

We believe that Christ will return because he said he will return.

We believe that he will come again to take us to himself, because he said he will do so.

We believe that he has prepared a place for us, because he said that is what he is doing.

We believe that we will be changed to be like him because the Spirit inspired Paul to write it for us.

We believe that we will be raised physically because he is the firstborn among many.

We hold confidently to these things, we hope because we trust in faith. When He returns, we will be like Him. We will not be Him, he is the unique and everlasting son, but we will be like him. So, what do we do now in light of those glorious truths?

Our third statement gleaned from John’s writings is…

III. THEREFORE, WE LIVE IN LIGHT OF HIS RETURN.

Returning to this hope, John says, 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

Let’s look more closely at this statement.

everyone who thus hopes in him- Everyone who holds this hope, this expectation of being transformed at his coming, whose hope is founded in the promises of Christ, who see themselves as rightful recipients of the promises made to those who belong to Christ. Literally, whose hope is resting upon Him. Spurgeon says this about this glorious hope.

1 John Exposition

All true hope is hope in Christ. If your hope lies in yourself, it is a delusion. If your hope rests on any earthly priest, and not on this one great Apostle and High Priest of our profession, your hope is a lie. If your hope stands with one foot on the work of Christ and the other foot on your own resolutions or merits, your hope will fail you. “Hope in him” is the only hope that can be acceptable to God, the only hope that will bear the stress of your weight, the only hope that will stand the test of your dying hour and of the day of judgment. Our hope, then, of being like Christ is a hope in Christ. We are trusting Him; we are depending on Him. If He does not make us like Himself, our hope is gone. If we are ever to get to heaven, it will be through Him, and through Him alone. Our hope is in Him from top to bottom; He is our Alpha and our Omega, the beginning and the end. There our hope begins, and there our hope ends. This, then, is the believer’s hope: a hope to be made like Christ, a hope based on Christ.

If you have that hope, John says you will purify yourself as he is pure. We must notice that the believer is said to purify himself. Because we know our bibles, we do not need to misunderstand John here. We know that apart from God, no man can or wants to purify himself.

Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV) 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

It is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. If we have a desire to be pure, it is born of our union with Christ, if we have the means to purify ourself, it is because we have been indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God who works in us and through us.

With that said, what does it means to purify ourselves, as he is pure?

The word pure here is the idea of doing something that ceremonially cleanses you. In the Septuagint, this greek word is used to reference the consecration of the priests and people through ceremonial washings, sacrifices, abstaining from certain things, etc… In the New Testament it is used similarly for Jewish ceremonial cleansing such as in what we studied recently on Wednesday night when Paul agreed to purify himself along with the four men who had taken a vow. It is also used in reference to inward cleansing by both James and Peter.

What does the author mean by Jesus being pure?

Surely it is a reference to him being the sinless, perfect savior.

What John is saying then, is the same thing we encounter throughout the New Testament writings. Those who belong to Christ ought to expend our energy fighting against sin and pursuing purity in our lives. We ought to want our lives on this side of heaven to be as free from sin as they can be knowing that we will one day stand in the presence of Christ without sin.

Those who belong to Christ ought to expend our energy fighting against sin and pursuing purity in our lives.

As a brief application of this and to further dig into what it might mean for us, let me draw from Peter’s first letter some principles of application.

In chapter 2 of 1st Peter, Peter says, like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation. Then Peter goes on to exhort us to…

…to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

…to  be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

…for wives to be subject to their own husbands

…for husbands to live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman

…to be self-controlled and sober-minded. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, to show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace

This has barely scratched the surface, but you can see the picture forming. From our homes to the government, from passions of the flesh, to showing hospitality, Christian living touches every aspect of our life.

If you possess the hope of being with Christ in the future, you should display the fruit of being with him now. John is going to build on this in our verses next week, but for now, it is enough to summarize it as John as done. everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Friends, John wants his readers to know that we are God’s children now, and while we may not know exactly what we will be when he appears, we know what we should be now. We should be men and women who reject sin and pursue purity.

If you possess the hope of being with Christ in the future, you should display the fruit of being with him now.

As we come to a close thing morning, we look back over our three statements we made in light of John’s teaching here in our verses.

Jesus Christ the Righteous is coming back. When He returns, we will be like Him. Therefore, we live in light of His return.

It’s not a complicated message to understand but it is a needed one.

I worry that for many of us, although we believe Christ will return, we have not seriously considered the condition he might find us in if he returned today. Listen, you will be somewhere doing something when he returns.

You will be caught unaware.

Are you living in such a way that no matter when it happens or what you are doing at the time, you would glad to see our Lord Jesus Christ, or are you living in such a way that on most days you would be ashamed at his coming.

Help us all to ask God to search us and reveal our hearts clearly to us this morning, let us pray.