I John 2:28-3:3 THE COMING LIFE

1. Introduction

A. The completeness of the Christian faith is seen in the fact that it is both an anchor and anticipation.

1. It deals with both the past and the future

a. Christ came but He also is coming again

b. In this anticipation of Christ lies our consummation as Christians

2. There is a glorious anticipation in the knowledge that "He shall appear" and "We shall be like Him"

3. However encouraging that might be, we must also remember that at His appearing we are to appear before Him (II Cor. 5:10)

B. Four things face us concerning His coming and our relation to it

II His Coming and our confidence (2:28)

A. We face two possibilities at His coming -- either confidence or shame

1. Our confidence will be the result of our abiding

a. abiding means we live in fellowship with Him

b. Jesus said, "He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit"

2. That refers to production and a productive life will have no shame before Him

B. Without this abiding and productive life we will appear before Him someday with nothing save the withered leaves of a wasted life.

III. His Coming and our Name (3:1)

A. Name and birth are intimately related

1. Our names are different because our births are different

a. those who are born of God have the nature of God consequently they are called sons of God

b. our new name links us with a new destiny

2. We immediately become the object of two contrasting attitudes - By God on the one hand, the world on the Other

B. God's Attitude

1. His attitude is one of love

2. We share new blessings and privileges in His family

3. we are the subjects of His daily thought and care

4. we are certain this love will never fail nor waver

C. World's Attitude

1. It is one of depreciation

a. it knoweth us not

b. this does not mean the world does not take notice of us, but rather that its notice is one of depreciation

c. the world depreciates the kind of Christianity that is intensely Christian

2. The world will pay a general tribute to certain principles of Christianity it dislikes the claims and demands of discipleship

3. Although Jesus was gentle and kind to men, though He was wise enough to answer all their questions, great enough to heal all their diseases, humble enough to die on the Cross that all might live, yet when he came - His own received Him not.

4. He was exchanged for a murderer and hanged as a criminal

D. The World in Jesus' day would have been satisfied with His good manners, deeds, and words except for one thing

1. He claimed to be God in the flesh and insisted on the' need for man to be changed through a spiritual rebirth

2. Jesus insisted on righteousness in all men

a. The world measures their men by different standards - wealth, power and position

b. God recognizes men by their new birth.

IV. His Corning and our charge (3:2)

A. Great changes are destined to take place when Christ comes hut none greater than the change that will occur in us

1. At His first coming Jesus became incarnate that He might become like us

a. at His second coming we shall be glorified that we might become like Him

b. at us first coining we received His life by faith

c. at His second coming we shall receive :115 likeness by sight

2. The true state of affairs for Christians cannot be judged by sight - only hy faith

a. you cannot judge the coming world of peace by looking at a world at war

b. you cannot judge a world of righteousness by looking at this world of lawlessness

c. truth now seems to be on the scaffold and wrong is upon the throne

d. but this present is not the basis for the future

3. It doth not yet appear what we shall be

a. that can be said of every living thing

b. the protoplasmic beginning of a worm, eagle, elephant or a humming- bird is all the same

c. they all begin a shapeless mass of spermosa

4. From looking at an ugly rose root, could you prophesy the velvet textured and perfumed rose

a. No - it does not yet appear what it shall be

b. from looking at an acorn, can you prophecy the existence of the mighty oak?

c. from looking at the crawling, hairy earthbound caterpillar, can you prophesy that it will one day lift itself from the dust upon the

wings of a multi-colored beauty and make its home among the flowers

4. No - it doth not yet appear what it shall be

5. No more can you prophesy what a Christian in his resurrection will look like

a. the heights and glory of the change is in the fact that we shall be like him

b. being like Him will mean that we shall be like everything that is beautiful and eternal

V. His Coming and our Attitude (3:3)

A. Whoever gives serious thought to the Lord 15 Coming will also make serious preparation.

1. The person who hopes to be made like Him as He is, must be made like Him as He was

2. The basis for our purity is His perfection

a. the purity that is fitting for those expecting His coming is not the negative purity by the absence of any defilement

b. it is the positive purity made by the virtue and deeds that are characteristic of Christ

3, Our fitness is not only what we do not do, but in what we do and who we are

B. John emphasis on the Lord's coming has to do with purity, righteousness and obedience

1. Peter, in his epistle stresses the same thing

2. Be diligent that you may he found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless

3. The rapture of the church is not going to be a thrilling event for many Christians because of the life they are presently living.

4. Let's be living in such a way as to make sure we do not lose our reward at His coming.