Word of Salvation – Vol. 19 No.26 – April 1973
Abide In Him Who Will Come Again
Sermon by the Rev. Wm. F. Van Brussel, B.D. on 1John 2: 28
Scripture reading: 1John 2:28 – 3:10
Psalter Hymnal (Blue Edition): 120; 140; 180; 370; 469
Brothers and Sisters, young and older,
It is interesting to hear, and to take note of, what others think, and say, about our churches. In particular when those others are sincere Christians.
Well, what do they often say about our denomination? We do not hear everything, of course, but one of the things being stated goes more or less along the following lines: It is a good church because of its orthodoxy in its preaching and teaching, but it is not so good in matters of righteous conduct and holiness.
Would this be true, that our church is pure in doctrine but bad in its behaviour? It depends, of course, what people have in mind when criticising our conduct. If it were only a matter of smoking and drinking among us, well then we could say, perhaps, that we do not have to worry about those criticisms. But this does not seem to be the main, or only, objection people have against us. It seems to go deeper. Once we say we are Christians and claim to be genuine followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, our total behaviour, the entire pattern of our life, is supposed to be new and sanctified! We would be acting most unwisely if we failed to pay due attention to this kind of brotherly criticisms. It may be a healthy experience for us all to join in, this morning, as we are going to consider the message of God as it comes to us from this particular page of the Bible in 1John. Let us listen to this message with those criticisms of other evangelical Christians clearly, and frankly, in mind. The Holy Spirit says to us here: ABIDE IN HIM WHO WILL COME AGAIN?
We shall see:
1) the lasting incentive, and
2) the exciting purpose of this message.
1) John had just finished his passage about the coming of Antichrist. In connection with Antichrist and his forerunners he had also mentioned that the church had lost a number of members who had never been really “with it”. But those who were “with it”, those who truly belonged, and who were living members in the body of Jesus Christ, they had received the truth, the true and trustworthy message of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God.
John had encouraged those members to abide by what they had been taught. For then, and only then, they would abide in the Son as well as in the Father. They had been anointed by the Holy One, and that was why they had been given a proper understanding of the truth of God. No false teacher should ever be able to lead them astray. So, as far as doctrine was concerned, everything looked pretty bright. The apostle did not have any single reason for worries there.
But what about their lives? How did they behave? For unrighteous conduct would be unthinkable in the life of a Christian once he has grasped the purpose of the appearance of Christ. This appearance of Christ should be the lasting incentive for these Christians to abide in Him Who was to appear. (As it says in the text: “Abide in Him, so that when He appears…!”)
When we read this entire passage, as we did in this Service (1John 2:28 3:10), it strikes us how frequently John speaks of Christ’s appearance. And apparently he was thinking of the twofold appearance of our Lord: His future appearing which is meant in our text as well as in 3:2, and His appearance in the past, 3:5 and 8. The first time Christ came to accomplish His great work of redemption but at His future appearance He will come with a different purpose in mind. We all know that He will come as King and Judge. And we remember at this stage that our Catechism emphasizes that for those who have received Him as their Saviour by a true faith, His second appearance will not be a frightening experience. This means that, before we continue considering our text we ask ourselves this question: Is this so with us? Can we say that we are genuinely believing in the Christ of the Scriptures as our only Saviour? Have we found true rest and peace in Him? Or did we leave this matter undecided to date? Is there not this danger that, since we are members of the church anyway, baptized and all, we can take it for granted that we are believers? There are so many people who take this matter for granted. Let us however, never overlook this grand fact of God’s great love. He loves us and He forgives us all our sins as soon as we come to Him with a truly repentant heart.
Come to Jesus, for how can we abide in Him if we are not in Him as yet? God is calling whenever His Word is being preached among us. And once we say we believe in Him it must become noticeable, if not obvious. We are heading for the second coming of Christ. We tend to forget this perhaps, because as Christians we seem to look backwards much easier than ahead. In a way this is understandable. We are reminded all the time of what Jesus has come to do for us in the very first place. This is being emphasized regularly in the preaching of our church, and in particular the sacraments come back to this: CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
Yet, although this is essential, and most central in the Christian Gospel, there ought to be room also for what is still to come about: the RETURN OF CHRIST.
This very event, the return of Christ, should even determine our whole attitude: ABIDE IN HIM WHO WILL COME AGAIN! It is often said that we do hardly pay enough attention to our Lord’s Second Coming. We seem to leave that to the sects, Adventists, and the like…! Yet, when we consider our text in its context we must come to the conclusion that our lack of looking ahead is one of the main reasons perhaps why there seems to be a tendency in many cases to slide back in the matters of Christian conduct and Christian morals.
Let us beware of deceiving ourselves by thinking that as long as we are members of a church which maintains pure teaching and sound doctrine we cannot simply go wrong. For all this soundness cannot cover up a life and a walk which are not outspokenly Christian, that is, in harmony with the standards of God’s Word. One gets the impression that many Christians worry very little about what is expected from them as Christians. To be a Christian means more, much more, than simply believing in Jesus as one’s Saviour. For that is only where it starts! Once we have been led towards a saving faith in Jesus Christ we shall have to lead a life according to the rules as set by Christ Himself. And what else would we want but to practise what is pointed out as the will of God in the Bible, and in the Law of God.
Let us make sure that we do not fall into the trap of being Christians only on the surface of our life! That our faith is the Christian faith all right, but that our life is not radically Christian. And with this, “radically” Christian we mean, thoroughly Christian, down to the very roots! We are supposed to practise what we preach.
We must abide in Christ Who is to come again. This is the lasting incentive in a Christian’s life: He Who first came to save us, He will come again to judge us. He will come and ask of us, and of all people, this kind of question: What have you done with My work of salvation? Did you say “Yes” to it, as far as the surface of your life was concerned, and did you, in the meantime, remain the self- same, old sinner deep down in your heart? Did my salvation bring about in your life a radical change of behaviour, or did you talk and act in exactly the same fashion as your unbelieving neighbour? Such questions are going to be asked, one day, that is the Day of Christ, on the occasion of His second appearance. And what are we going to say once we are faced with these questions as they will come from the lips of the Final Judge of all mankind?
2) For the genuine Christian there is an exciting purpose in this matter of abiding in Christ Who will come again. For on the Day of His coming the Christian will meet Christ Himself.
This will be a grand occasion according to what our Confessions say about it. Our “Belgic Confession” says in its closing paragraph: “Therefore we expect that great day with a most ardent desire, to the end that we may fully enjoy the promises of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
Yes, there is an exciting purpose in this abiding in Christ Who will come again, IF we can look forward to the Day of His Return with confidence. Our text says, however, that there is also another possibility, one which is exactly the opposite of an exciting experience. There is also the possibility of shrinking from Him in shame at His coming.
The New Testament makes it pretty obvious in many instances that the meeting with Christ on the Day of His Return will not be so exciting for those who have failed to abide in Him, in the meantime. Many people who have been living a, what they call, “decent” life will be disappointed, even frightened, at His coming. Christ Himself indicated that a large number of people will get THE shock of their lives.
Yet, we cannot say that we are faced with a problem here. It is not like this, that we must say: I wonder how it will be on the day of Christ’s Return? I wonder how things will turn out for me? We know that quite well right now!
If our life is a life of abiding in Christ in all humility, we are heading, no doubt, for a most exciting meeting with Christ. We do not have to wonder how things will turn out in the end if, and as long as, we abide in Christ, here and now. If we want to share in this exciting experience, if we want to approach the Day of Christ’s appearance with confidence, we shall simply have to live with Jesus, every day again. Not every Sunday, or perhaps most of the Sundays, but every single day. That is the only way to be ready for His coming any time; the way of living with Him, and for Him, continuously.
Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yeilding allegiance, gladhearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
Bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.
Living for Jesus wherever I am,
Doing each duty in His holy Name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
Deeming each trial a part of my cross. (Cadet Hymn)
Is that what we are doing? If we do that, His coming will be no shock to us. Or, to put it much better, if we do that, the Day of our Lord’s Return will be THE DAY OF OUR LIVES. It will be the most beautiful and exciting experience we shall ever have. In that case we shall go to meet Him with confidence. Not because we know that we are good, but solely because we know and trust that His work, the work of His first appearance, has come to its full effect in our lives: salvation all over! Saved, not only on the surface, but radically, for ever and ever, It will be the beginning of an everlasting life in glory. It will be the entry into the nearer presence of the One with Whom we have been living for a long time by faith. Yes the best way of preparing for the Second Coming of Christ is never to forget that Christ is present right here and now, and every day. And that we are allowed to enjoy that presence by seeking His fellowship from day to day, and from year to year. A true Christian will never go to sleep at night until he has talked with his heavenly Father in Christ. And when he gets up in the morning, it will not be long before he is in touch again.
We do not know when the Second Coming of Christ will take place. It may be soon; it may take many more years, although we should never expect the latter. Did not Christ promise: “Surely, I am coming soon”. This merely means that we must expect Him soon.
Anyway, whether we shall live on the day of Christ’s coming or not, that does not make any real difference. Every man’s life will come to its end some day and then he shall meet Jesus.
What kind of meeting is that going to be? Will it be a meeting with a Stranger we have never been in touch with on the personal level, or only vaguely perhaps? Shall we shrink from Him in shame?
This will never be the case if we have truly believed in Him. For then we shall have been living consciously in His presence, and we shall have been walking and talking with God, day by day. In that case it will be a matter of coming home at last. There is always something exciting in coming home!
Our Confession states about the Last Judgment: “The consideration of this judgment is justly terrible and dreadful to the wicked and ungodly, BUT most desirable and comfortable to the righteous and elect; because then their full deliverance shall be perfected, and there they shall receive the fruits of their labour and trouble which they have borne. Their innocence shall be known to all, and they shall see the terrible vengeance which God shall execute on the wicked, who most cruelly persecuted, oppressed and tormented them in this world (Reformation-time), and who shall be convicted by the testimony of their own consciences, and shall become immortal, but only to be tormented in the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.”
“But on the contrary, the faithful and elect shall be crowned with glory and honour; and the Son of God will confess their names before God His Father and His elect angels; all tears shall be wiped from their eyes and their cause which is now condemned by many judges as heretical and impious will then be known to be the Cause of the Son of God. And for a gracious reward the Lord will cause them to possess such a glory as never entered into the heart of man to conceive”. Exciting all right! Worth abiding in Him for!
This sermon was written as we were standing on the threshold of a new year. It is the time most suitable to think about what will happen in the last analysis. We ought to be prepared for the Last Things, any time.
How can we prepare but by abiding in Him Who first came to redeem a people for Himself and Who will come again to judge all mankind? But as we said at the beginning of this sermon, we also selected this particular verse of Holy Scripture because we wanted to think about criticisms which are being uttered by fellow- Christians not belonging to our Denomination. Would it really be true that in many cases Reformed Christians are ‘all right’ as far as their set of doctrines is concerned, but that for the rest they fail to live new, holy, righteous and sanctified lives despite their faith in Jesus Christ?
Every member of this congregation will have to look into this matter for himself or herself. And, let us not be too hasty with our answers to such criticisms. Remember, they came from fellow- Christians. God may be using these criticizing brethren to open our eyes for our weak spots. Let us give heed carefully and prayer- fully, by checking whether the kind of life we are living, and the way we are behaving from day to day, are really and obviously, a matter of abiding in Christ Who will come again, one day!
A bit of private ‘soul-searching’, in the private room, that is, in God’s very presence, might turn out a tremendous blessing for every one of us.
Amen.