No Fear at Jesus’ Coming

Transcript

GR 1095
1/23/1983

1 John 2:28-3:1-3
Gil Rugh

I John in your Bibles and the second chapter. Encourage you as you have time, or to take time, sometime through the week to read through I John at one sitting. Encourage you to do that in our study of the various books. It's easier when they are small books like I John is. We take months in going through piece by piece and it's easy to lose the continuity. And if you'll take time along the way just to stop and read through the Book at one sitting. Keep in mind this was a letter sent that usually you sit down and read a letter.
You don't read a few lines and put it aside and the next week read a few more lines you sit down and read it through. So if you'll take the time to do that, why it will help you keep the continuity of John's writing.

John is emphasizing the fact that sound doctrine and a consistent life go together and a believer evidences that he is a child of God, both by the doctrine that he believes, thus proclaims, and the life that he lives. We are a different people both in what we believe and in the way we live and those who claim to be children of God and are not different from the standpoint of believing the basic doctrines of the Word of God, who are living their lives in conformity to the truths revealed in the Word, manifest the fact that they are liars and don't belong to God at all.

Now we have looked down through verse 27 and John has spoken to the fact that we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us. In verse 27. "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you. You have no need for anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie, just as it is taught you, you abide in Him." Now the Spirit of God indwells us. He is the anointing that John is talking about. He is the One who teaches us. So we don't need human teachers in the final sense. We noted that God has provided certain individuals with the gift of teaching, but that gift is inoperative from the standpoint of being ineffective unless the Spirit of God resides in the life. So both the teacher and the recipient must have the Spirit of God ministering the Word to them or there is nothing accomplished.
So in the final sense the Spirit of God teaches us and we come to Him to teach us.

What John is emphasizing is you can come and discern because of the presence of the Spirit. You don't need to run to someone for information. The Spirit of God unveils the Word to you and you have the ability to understand it and grasp it because of His ministry.

Verse 28 is going to bring a transition, a change in emphasis that is indicated by the "and now" that begins verse 28. "And now." John is beginning a change in the emphases. He has talked about abiding in Christ. The anointing abides in us. He said in the first part of verse 27, "The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you." At the end of verse 27. "You abide in Him. And now little children, you abide in Him so that "and what he is going to do is express the reason that we abide in Him. I take it the fact of our abiding is stated. Now why do we abide in Him? What is the significance? What will be the difference for those that abide in Him? He calls us little children because we are those who have believed in Christ. Not talking about that in a derogatory sense. We have noted that John is an elderly man as he writes this letter. So it's a term of endearment and warmth as he writes to them. "Little children, abide in Him so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." Abide in Him. That's a statement of fact. Present tense. Present indicative. I take it it's stating a fact. And you could put the word "you" in there. "Little children, you abide in Him." That's a statement of fact. That's something that is a reality. Just as the end of verse 27 is the statement of fact. The indwelling Spirit has taught you—you abide in Him. I take it we have learned that from the Spirit and we have looked at the passages from the Gospel of John that speak to the fact that God indwells us, abides in us, and we abide in God. As we study those passages, the Spirit of God teaches us that God abides in us and we abide in Him. So, little children, you abide in Him." That's a statement of fact. Why? What's going to make all the difference in the world at the coming of Jesus Christ because the line is drawn between those who do abide in Christ and those who do Again, I reiterate that my understanding is that every believer abides in Christ all the time. There is no such thing as an abiding believer and a non-abiding believer. If you don't abide in Christ, Christ doesn't abide in you. If you don't abide in Christ, the Spirit of God doesn't abide in you. If that's the case you're not a child of God. So it's a mutual abiding so that at the coming of Christ the line is drawn between those who abide in Christ and those who do not abide in Christ. "Little children, you abide in Him so that"—here's the purpose of our abiding in Him. In order that "when He appears"—it's the subject that He is going to be talking about—His appearing. Down through the opening verses of the third chapter. We may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. We abide in Him in order that we might be confident in His coming. And I take it that it's true for us as believers. Believers are those who can have confidence at the coming of Christ. Now John is not dividing the comings here but is talking about the Second Coming generally. We know the Second Caning has a couple of steps or parts in it. But the fact of the coming of Christ. We are confident about His coming. I as a believer am anticipating the coming of Jesus Christ. That's the blessed hope for the believer, Paul wrote to Titus. We're looking for the blessed hope, even the appearing of the glory who is the great God who is our Savior Jesus Christ. We are anticipating that. That's the hope that we have as believers. So we have confidence regarding that time. We are looking for Jesus Christ and he'll develop that in chapter 3. In a little bit we'll look into that. "And not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." This verse has been used in a variety of ways, perhaps most often to speak of the fact that those Christians who aren't abiding in Christ won't have confidence when He comes. So when He comes they are going to shrink away from Him in shame. I tell you, for years that was a repulsive concept to me and it did nothing to cause me to anticipate the coming of Christ. So I thought,

Oh, this is terrible. When Christ comes, I might be hiding saying, Oh, no, here He is. Now how does that fit that I have the blessed hope of the coming of Christ when it comes to blessed fear, that I might be shrinking away in shame because I am not abiding and how will I know for sure that I am abiding. Maybe I just had an argument with my wife. Does that mean that I am not abiding any more. Maybe I just had a terrible thought. Does that mean that I am not abiding anymore? And the whole unsteadiness of abiding and not abiding shakes my whole confidence so then I don't have confidence. No, it's a statement of fact. I have confidence because I do abide. That's a fact for me as a believer. What he's talking about. This literally translates as the passive voice. "Not be put away from Him in shame at His coming." Passive voice. Something happens to someone. So it is not— I am shrinking away, but I am being put away in shame at His coming. I take it that this will never happen to a believer. A believer will never—no believer in Jesus Christ, no child of God, will be put away from Christ in shame at His coming. Not because of the faithfulness of any believer, but because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. So if I don't anticipate that some believers are going to be put away from Christ in shame, our whole confidence centers in the fact that we are in Christ and for what He has done for us. Rather, it's unbelievers who are put away from Him in shame at His coming. They are the ones who don't have confidence.

Look over in I John 4. Verse 15. "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God." Now I hate to keep reiterating this, but I will and we have a ways to go in John yet. You note the abiding is mutual. He abides, God abides in him and he in God. It's a mutual abiding. I stress that because those who say that some Christians abide and some don't should be consistent then and say God abides in some Christians and God doesn't abide in other Christians. But to me then you are saying that some Christians have lost their salvation and are no longer Christians because it is a mutual abiding. God abides in those who abide in Him and those who abide in God have God abiding in them.

All right. Verse 16. "And we have cane to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him." Yes, same stress. "By this love is perfected with us that we may have confidence in the day of judgment because as He is so also are we in this world." Now we'll be doing the details of this section when we get to chapter 4. There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear because fear involves punishment and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love because He first loved us." See what has happened for us as believers— the fear has gone out. I don't fear seeing Jesus Christ. Not because I live every day of my life perfectly as I should. But because of the cleansing of His grace that has perfected me in Christ. Because of His love for me the fear is gone. I've been brought to perfection in Christ positionally. God is bringing me to perfection in my practice. Praise God, I anticipate seeing Jesus Christ without any fear because sin has been taken care of. Perfect love casts out fear, so he can't be talking about me as a believer back in chapter 2 when I say you will be put away from Him in shame at His coming. We have confidence in the day of judgment not fear. My sins have been taken care of. Now we find that at the day of judgment unbelievers are cast away from Him, put away from Him. "Depart from Me, ye wicked, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." What have they done? They are put away from Him in shame at His coming.

There are several passages we could go to. Just turn back to the Matthew 25 one. There it deals with those who are alive at His coming. Matthew 25. The sheep and goat judgment beginning with verse 31 which is dealing with the living on earth when Jesus Christ returns to set up His kingdom. He'll sit on His glorious throne. Nations are gathered before Him, in verse 32. He'll separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep on the right. The goats on the left. The king will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed of My Father and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Skip on down to verse 41. "Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me accursed ones into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'" You see they are put away from Him in shame at His coming. Not the sheep, just the goats. The sheep are all invited. Come, you who are blessed, in verse 34. Inherit the kingdom. There's no division among the sheep there. But for those who are unbelievers represented by the goats, it's "Depart from Me." They are put away from Him in shame at His coming. Disgrace. Even though they say, Lord, and have a question. When did we not do this or not do that. They are put away from Him in shame at His coming.

While you are in Matthew, why don't you go to Matthew 22. Verse 10. The picture here. You remember the wedding, the marriage feast, and those invited don't come. Verse 5. They pay no attention. They went their way. One to his own farm, to his other business, and they mistreated the slaves and so on.

Down to verse 10. Verse 9. "Go therefore to the main highways. As many as you find invite to the wedding feast. And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found both evil and good and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' He was speechless, but the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called but few are chosen.'" You have to keep in mind that for the wedding feast the garment was prepared when you came in, lest you misunderstand. And the wedding feast.
You came in through the appointed door and the host provided the wedding garment.
The indication here is this man did not come in the appointed way and so he is accountable and judged accordingly. In the analogy, did not come in through Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. So what happened? He is put away in shame and in disgrace.

Okay, back to I John. "That we might not be put away from Him in shame at His coming." So I take it that there is a statement of our confidence. We abide in Christ as believers in order that we can be confident about His coming because anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ cannot have confidence regarding His coming and He is destined to be put away from Him in shame when Christ comes. I praise the Lord for the right understanding of this verse. Because it helped me appreciate a lot more the coming of Jesus Christ and look forward to it with a greater eagerness, rather than look for a place to hide.

The Book of Revelation talks about the unbelievers crying out. We should go to Revelation too. We're that close. Come on over. Some of you think I preach long sermons but you'd have a greater appreciation if you knew all that I didn't say—that they're really short sermons. I take a twelve-hour sermon and then condense it into an hour and one-half. Revelation chapter 6:15. Here we come into the Tribulation and in anticipation for the Second Coming of Christ to earth. And note verse 15 of Revelation 6. "And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hide themselves in the caves and among the rocks in the mountains. And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath is come and who is able to stand?" Now there is the picture of the unbeliever in anticipation of the Second Coming of Christ. Fear, and trembling, desiring to hide in contrast to the believer. Confidence, and assurance in seeing Him.

All right. I John 2. "If you know that He is righteous you know that every one also who practices righteousness is born of Him. If you don't know that He is righteous, you're unbeliever. Now this is a conditional statement. "If you know that He is righteous you know this. Now if you don't know that God is righteous , you're not a believer. I take it believers know that God is righteous through the teaching ministry of the Spirit in verse 27. So I believe it is conditioned because John is demonstrating if you don't know this about the righteousness of God, then you're not a child of God. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. Now you know, you start talk about—you know. And then you practice. The knowledge is followed by the practice. You know that He is righteous. Then it also follows that you know that the one who practices righteousness is born of Him. It's going to be a theme that is developed down through the third chapter. The children of God manifest the character of God.

The children of the devil manifest the character of the devil. If God is righteous and He is, then does it not fit that the one who is born of God will also be righteous. Didn't that happen with the sin we inherited from Adam? I was born of sinful parents. What happened? I was born a sinner. Now I have been born into God's family with God as my Father. What is God's character? Righteousness. What then will be true of the child born of the righteous Father? He will be characterized by righteousness. So it's rather simple and clear. Everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
Now I realize you can do relative righteousness or goodness. We've talked about this in John, in comparing ourselves with one another. But in the full sense righteousness is a characteristic of believers and it comes out. We see the world that they are turned aside. We saw this in our study of Philippians because of their twisted moral character, they are crooked in their life. But the one who practices righteousness is born of God.

Over in II Corinthians chapter 5. II Corinthians chapter 5. Verse 17. "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, a new creation. The old things passed away. Behold, new things have come." That says the same thing John is saying. When you're in Christ you're a new creature. You have been born of God. You have a new nature, a new character. You are a new person. Everything becomes new. My life is transformed from within. The old things pass away. Now you say that I ought not to be able to tell the difference between a believer and an unbeliever—the way he lives his life, when the Scriptures tell me if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, a new creation. The old things have passed away, new things have come. And you say, Well, there's no difference between believers and unbelievers. That's shaky. Well, I don't know. It seems pretty clear to me. You got a new creation—you've got something different. If the old things are gone and new things have come, you've got something different. That's what John is talking about. Everyone who practices righteousness, who has righteousness as a characteristic of their life, is bom of God. That's a testimony and an evidence of that. They're manifesting their father's character and there's a number of other passages we won't take time to look at.

Come back to I John chapter 2. We're going to move right on into chapter 3. And as I see these tie together well. Verse 1 of chapter 3. "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of God." You see he has talked about being born of God. Now it picks up this idea that it's a manifestation of the greatness of the love of God that we should be called children of God and such we are." That's remarkable and there's a stress here on the whole amazement of it all. See how great a love. What kind of a love. Originally this word "how great a love" meant of what country. It denoted something that was foreign. The idea of awe and amazement. Something that was overwhelming, unbelievable. How foreign a love the Father has bestowed upon us. Foreign from the standpoint it goes beyond understanding. We're in awe, amazed that this kind of love. So how great a love. What kind of love. How foreign a love if I can use that expression. The idea it is awesome, it's amazing. How great a love the Father has bestowed upon us fallen sinful human beings that we should be called children of God. That's remarkable. You know it sounds like the height or arrogance. I should say I am the child of God. We are children of God but that's just a demonstration of the amazing love of God. And we are. That's not just a statement. You know you can claim anything but it is a statement of reality. We are children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Now, for this reason the world does not know us because it did not know Him. We're children of God because we have been born into His family. The world doesn't recognize us. You know I walk down the street of Lincoln and an unbeliever doesn't run up and say, You're a child of God. I recognized you at the stoplight. What? They don't recognize us. In fact, the world is antagonized by us. You present the truth of God to the world as the child of God, and what happens? There is antagonism. We referred to this last week. They don't recognize us as the child of God. They mistake it for arrogance that we make such a claim.

Look back in John's Gospel, chapter 1. Verse 10. Referring to Christ. "He was in the world, the world was made through Him and the world did not know Him." So we in effect are just like Christ. Christ was here as the eternally unique Son of God and the world didn't recognize Him, didn't know Him. So we have been born into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ and the world doesn't recognize us either. Say, I want to explain to you what God has to say. I understand His Word, His Spirit dwells within me. Do they recognize that? Do they say, well I better listen to you. You're a child of God. No. More likely they say, Who do you think you are? My church is just as good as yours. They miss the point totally. They don't understand who we are.

Back to I John. The reason they don't know us is because it did not know Him. They don't recognize Christ, they won't recognize us and Christ dwelt on this during His earthly life. It's enough for the servant to be like the Master and if they have mistreated the Master, they will mistreat the servant. They didn't recognize Christ. They won't recognize us. So that's the world standpoint. Now we are to recognize one another as believers. That's the point in I John but don't expect the world to recognize us. I John 3:2. "Beloved, now vie are children of God" present tense, not future. We are right now the children of God. Now that's amazing. You know, that's spiritual transaction of the new birth. There's still something that goes beyond comprehension that we by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ have become children of God. No wonder John says "How great a love the Father has bestowed upon us." This is the great demonstration of love in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. By believing in His death on our behalf we have become the children of God. We are children of God and since you are, you will manifest His character. That's not something future. That's something present. It has not appeared as yet what vie shall be. So there's a present aspect and there' a future aspect. Saying I am a child of God who will manifest the righteous character of God does not mean that I am yet all that I am going to be.

You know you take a new baby, a newborn baby and you go up and you look through the glass at that baby and you start that conversation. Who do you think he looks like? Go up there and say hmmm If they took all the names off all the babies in the nursery, I'd say all right. Pick them out by the basis of who they look like. There's some differences especially if you have different races there. But when you get a group of all the same race say, yeah. That one has hair and that one doesn't. That one has teeth. You know, there is similarity but there are characteristics that are there but they are not all there that are going to be there. There's a difference after 20 years. Isn't it amazing how much they can take on the characteristics not only in their looks, how they walk. We've got sane neighbors. I'm sure it's true in our family, but it strikes you when you see it in someone else. And the kids walk up the sidewalk and you know, you have to look twice because it looks like the father walking up the sidewalk 30 years ago. You know, they got the same posture, the same bend, the same way of moving. And you know, we pick up. We become more and more like. Well, in that sense, that's the process going on now. But there is going to come an ultimate realization when I am going to manifest clearly the character of Christ. His likeness will be seen.

Verse 2. "It has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears we shall be like Him because we shall see Him just as He is." Now isn't that true that there is a sense in we are like Him now. Do we not have the righteousness of Christ? Are we not positionally perfect in Christ? Is it not true that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ? That’s true. So that aspect is there in our position but we shall be in every way in our practice, in our manifestation, brought to perfection in Christ when we see Him face to face. When He appears we shall be like Him. So I take it He is talking about the likeness now in the practical aspect because I am like Him now in the positional sense because we shall see Him just as He is. When I stand in His presence that transformation called glorification is going to be brought about and the imperfections that are left, the shortcomings that are there, I'm going to undergo a transformation that is going to bring me in the totality of my being into conformity to what I am in Jesus Christ, perfected in Him in every way. That's what he is talking about. We shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.

Look over in Romans chapter 8. I'm sure you're thinking of Romans chapter 8 among other passages. And the whole section, you ought to read the whole chapter. But verse 18. "I consider, well, no, we got to go back a little further. Verse 16. We should go back even further. We'll start with 16 anyway. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." You see there that confirmation. The Spirit testifies that He indwells us. I have full confidence without one shadow of a doubt that I am a child of God. I am just as sure of that as I am that I am married to Marilyn. And she reminds me that I am married to her. And the Spirit of God constantly reminds me that I am the child of God. Now I have full confidence.
"And if children heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. If indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to" us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God." You note. Now we are not recognized. The world does not know us. The picture here. All creation is groaning in anticipation of the time when we will be unveiled as the sons of God. I am the child of God now. But there's going to come an unveiling, a revealing, before all creation. "For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be set free from slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but we also ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons the redemption of our body." The adoption is the placing as a son and that refers to when the son comes of Age and is placed with all the prerogatives of sonship. So that would be known that you're not a child already. Perhaps with the son or a daughter you have given an inheritance to and when they reach this age, the age of maturity, they enter into their inheritance. Perhaps now they have charge of the business, the privilege of using the wealth that has been left to them and so on. Well, we are the children of God now. We will be placed as sons with all the prerogatives of the sonship at the time of the redemption of our body, the end of verse 23. That's when the adoption takes places.

"For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope. Why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." I've never seen a glorified body and we look at one another and say, I really don't know. That's going to be quite a miracle. It is. That's what we hope. I never saw it, but I really believe it's going to happen. I am going to undergo that transformation and I shall be like Him for I shall see Him as He is. That will occur when I am caught up to see Him face to face. That's what Romans 8 is writing about.

So come back to I John 3. We shall see Him just as He is. That's amazing. You know that here I am living my life today on this earth and I am destined to see Jesus Christ face to face and experience that transformation. I think that that fact would govern and control everything that I do in my life and that's what verse three says. "Everyone. Note that. "Everyone who has this hope on him, the hope of seeing Jesus Christ face to face and experiencing that transformation purifies himself just as He is pure. Now I take it that ties that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. Everyone that has this hope is affected by it. Purifies himself. You say, wait a minute. How could I purify myself? I thought purification was a work of God. Now I'm told to purify myself. John must have been something of a legalist. No. He is talking about the practical aspect. I purify myself in that I do submit to the Spirit. I do turn from certain things to other things. The decisions that I am called upon to make I draw upon the power of the Spirit to make the decisions in light of my destiny. I purify myself. There are things that I don't get involved in. Why? I am anticipating seeing Him face to face, being transformed in His presence. I can't live like those who are destined to hell, children of the devil. I'm different. Different by birth. Different by destiny. So I purify myself. Note the standard. "Just as He is pure." Now that's a strong statement. Everyone who has the hope of seeing Jesus Christ face to face lives a pure life. Now that does not mean we're perfect in every way. There is a difference in the life of a believer and the life of an unbeliever and those who life lives where there is no difference make a mockery of Christianity and we make a mockery of it by accepting the testimony of those who live such lives and say, well, they must be children of God. They say they believe. So the devils believe and tremble but they're not the children of God. And saving faith brings about transformation of life. It gives them a new hope. A hope that is a purifying hope.

So there is a practical aspect to prophecy. I believe we ought to study prophecy. I believe if we study prophecy more our lives would be changed more because if you realize the future and what you're destined for, it conditions how you live today. We live in light of who we are, what we are and where we're going and for us as believers we have a destiny of glory.

Look over in II Peter. Stay in I John 2:15. "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world.
The world is passing away in its lusts, but the one who does the will of God abides forever." The Sprit of God has instructed us on this. That makes a difference in how I live, how I respond to these things. The direction of focal point of my life.

Back up to II Peter, just before I John. Just a page or so in front of I John. II Peter chapter 3. The chapter opens up that Peter says I'm writing to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, reminding them of the corning of the Lord. There will be those that mock the Second Coming and where is the premise of His coming? Verse 4. And things have always been the same, ever since the beginning of creation and those today don't even believe in creation. And ever since evolution got under way, things have been the same and in the process of developing. They are willfully ignorant of God's intervention in the flood and so on. But, keep on coming down to verse 14. Verse 11.

"Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness." You see again how knowing what the future holds, this world, all the things in it are going to be destroyed by God at the Second Coming of Christ. "Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning. The elements will melt with intense heat, but according to His promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless." I take it, talking there not about my position in Christ. I am spotless and blameless, but in my practice. My life is conformed to what I am in Christ because of that anticipation. How did you live your life this past week? Was it centered around the fact that Jesus Christ is coming? You were anticipating His coming. The decisions were made in light of the fact you're going to see Him face to face. Wonder how we'll live our lives this week? Will it be in this anticipation? You know the pressure is there The world doesn't life this way. The world isn't looking for Jesus Christ. They have no hope in His coming. They are consumed and absorbed with this life, with the corruption and vileness of this life. But I as a believer am to be different I am to be purifying myself as He is pure. I am to be living my life in godliness and holy conduct because He is coming again. What a glorious privilege. Isn't it amazing that we are privileged to live in this life, on this world, as the children of God, a people unique and called out by Him to manifest His character of righteousness, purity, holiness. And present Him to a world that doesn't know Him. Any wonder they don't recognize us. They ought to know something is different about our life, about our character, and about our conduct because we are those born of God.

Let's pray together