1 John 2:28-29 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. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
John offers further incentive for walking in the light of holiness. When Jesus comes again, we do not want to be found naked and exposed in our shame. This shame in the end will result when we do not embrace and accept our shame before the cross now, when we sin but fail to confess this sin. We ignore the conviction that the Holy Spirit brings upon our conscience. The result of this is a hardened “heart” or a conscience that no longer is aware of the darkness in which we have moved.
We can have confidence before the throne of God by accepting the atoning sacrifice of Christ for our sins. Our consciences can be clear now which will ensure our honor then. Confidence comes to us now when we accept the righteousness of the Son as our own righteousness. We allow the Light of the World enter into our inner most beings to bring forgiveness of our past and remove through cleansing the power and hold sin has over us. The result of inner cleansing is empowerment to walk in the light. Our character has been changed from the deepest part–if we let the Holy Spirit work, however. The Holy Spirit will remind us of the teachings of Christ and help us embrace these teachings through obedience. The sequence John has outlined in this letter so far become clear:
Sin -> Seek forgiveness and cleansing -> The blood of Christ atones -> We must obey (through God’s help) and walk in the light -> Result is righteousness now and honor in the end.
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