Men Bible Study - 1 John 2:28

1 John 2:28, “And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.” Interesting points: 1. In this verse, John again urges his readers to “continue in” -- "abide/remain" -- in Jesus, inspiring them with an illustration that contrasts sharply to how Adam and Eve hid from God after they had eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We believers will meet Him “confident and unashamed”. 2. This close fellowship with Christ leads to two important results when He returns: a) First, is confidence, both in our salvation and in our relationship with Him. b) Second, we will not need to be embarrassed about our shortfalls and failures. Instead of shame, faithful believers can have confidence and look forward to Christ's coming. 3. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 we read about the coming of the Lord and how the righteous – those that abide or continue in Him – will meet Him in the air to be with our Lord forever. Verse 18 reminds us to ENCOURAGE each other with this truth concerning Christ's imminent return. Application: Brothers, this jewel of a verse spurs us onwards, despite our many frustrating shortcomings, to actively seek our Lord through His Word and submit to His transformation of us through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As we study each day, let us strive to obey and apply what we study, encouraging each other with the fact that each day draws us closer to that glorious day when we will meet our Lord face to face! Our time is short, our God-given purpose defined and our salvation secure: as we abide in Christ, let’s move out to fulfill His calling on our lives -- for His glory! Each day is an opportunity so we should be asking our Lord to show us exactly what He wants us to do “today” and then do it!