“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.” (1 John 2:28 ESV)
Faith is the means by which we are justified. When we trust personally and fully in Christ, his righteousness is counted to our account, and our sinfulness is counted to his account (Romans 4:3). Our sin is imputed to Christ, which means that God no longer holds it against us. The psalmist says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). That does not mean the sin itself is removed, as if to make us inherently righteous, but that the guilt of our sin is placed upon Christ, even though the sin itself is still ours.
This substitutionary atonement is not merely significant in the present but also at the return of Christ. Sin brings shame, and it was sin that made our first parents attempt to hide themselves from God in the garden (Genesis 3:8). When a sinful being comes into the presence of the holy God, sin makes the created one cower from the Creator.
This reality is keenly present in John’s mind as he writes his epistle. He knows that sinfulness separates man from God and that only the work of Christ, as applied to the believer by the Spirit through faith, can reconcile the sinner to God. Since there is only one Savior, he knows that there is also only one remedy to the profound shame that will cause the unsaved to shrink from Christ at his return. If his readers reject the solution God has given to the problem of sin, they will have nothing that can give them confidence for the day of judgment.
Scripture’s description of Christ’s return and his subsequent judgment are dreadful for those apart from Christ. They will flee in terror, but their attempts to escape the condemnation will be futile. The Lord has held out to them the promise of eternal life, but they have scorned his mercy and depended rather upon their own goodness and merit. While their self-reliance may have enabled them to limp through life, on the day of judgment they will find it an utterly useless defense against the wrath of God and will “shrink from him in shame at his coming.”
Believers, however, have “an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Unlike the unbeliever, the believer will not stand alone before the throne of judgment. While Christ is the judge, he is at the same time the propitiation for the believer. Those who abide in Christ and in whom Christ abides by the Spirit “have confidence” for the appearance of Christ. While believers should never consider the final judgment lightly, they need not consider the final judgment with terror.
The Apostle Paul says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The Christian bears no condemnation in the present, nor will he when Christ returns. Those who reject Christ forfeit such peace because they reject the only One who can give it. They can only fear and try to ignore the thought of a final judgment because they have no confidence.
The message of the gospel gives confidence for Christ’s appearing. When we proclaim the name of Christ to a lost world, we are proclaiming that sinful mankind can be made right with the sinless Creator. Man, by nature, is at enmity with God, but there is a mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Those who reject him in that office will have nothing to which to appeal when he comes as judge. Christ will return, and he will judge the world. Those united to him by faith may have full confidence for that day, because he himself has borne their sins and brought them peace with God.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for providing a way for us to be made right with you. Our sin that would cause us to shrink from you has been dealt with by the atoning work of Christ. Through his blood, we may have confidence to stand on that great day.
For his sake, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for missionaries serving in curriculum and printing ministry in Papua New Guinea to reach many.
- Wednesday: Pray for missionaries in Australia serving with City Bible Forum as they create spaces and opportunities in the workplace to talk about the big issues people care about.
- Thursday: Pray for missionaries working with Reaching Africa’s Unreached in Uganda to bring hope to those who are suffering.
- Friday: Pray for the Christian International School in North Africa that the staff would provide exceptional care and education for the students.
- Saturday: Pray for the ministry of the Worthy of Life Prenatal and Family Counseling Center in Peru to protect and promote life.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries serving through camp ministry to serve the younger generations well.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries serving in Mexico to be bold in their proclamation of the gospel.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Director/Coordinator of Administration Management
Location: Bangladesh
Our team needs a humble and willing individual skilled in administration and management to come serve as the director/coordinator of Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh.
