(Photo by Samuel Ferrara on Unsplash)
Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Pacific.
In Lesson 69, we are going to study the third part of 1 John 2:28.
Let’s read the verse.
1 John 2:28…we may be confident...
Let’s define the words.
We may be (2192. echó) — means we hold as a possession, ability or condition.
Confident (3954. parrésia) — means out-spokenness, boldness, frankness, bluntness, or assurance in speech.
In Lessons 67 and Lesson 68, we learned about abiding in Christ and His promise to appear again.
Let’s read all of 1 John 2:28, so you can better understand the context of what we will be studying in this lesson.
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
When we abide in Christ, we can stand before Him at His coming with confidence, boldness, and assurance.
Think of it this way:
When a child has obeyed their parents, they run to them with joy. But when they’ve disobeyed, they often shrink back in guilt and hide in shame.
We want to be confident before God.
Abiding in Christ gives us confidence not only when He appears, but also in our daily lives.
As we walk closely with Him, our confidence before the Lord grows.
Let’s go over some verses that show us why we can abide in Christ and be confident before God.
In 1 John 2:1, we read that we have an advocate before the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. This means we don’t have to defend ourselves before God, because Jesus represents us. Our confidence is not based on our own performance, but on Christ’s righteousness.
Let this truth give you confidence in your relationship with the Lord. When you sin, don’t run away from Him, turn to Christ and trust Him to be your advocate.
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
In Ephesians 3:12, we learn that through faith in Christ we can enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence. Jesus paid the penalty on the cross so that we can stand assured before God. Put your faith in what He has done for you, and let this truth give you confidence in His presence.
Ephesians 3:12 In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.
In 1 John 4:15-19, we learn that because God’s love has been perfected in us, we can have confidence on the day of judgment. His perfect love drives out fear and gives us assurance that we belong to Him.
1 John 4:15-19 If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because He first loved us.
In Hebrews 4:14-16, we learn that Jesus, our great and sinless High Priest, represents us before the Father. He fully understands our weaknesses and the temptations we face. Because of Him, we can draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, knowing we will receive mercy and find help in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
In Hebrews 10:19, we learn that we can have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus cleanses us once and for all. That means we can stand before God with confidence.
Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, having confidence for entering the holy places by the blood of Jesus…
In conclusion, we are called to abide in Christ, so that when He appears we may stand confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. By abiding in Christ, we can also have confidence before the Lord daily.
Here are some key reasons why we can be confident:
Because of Jesus, we have an advocate before the Father. (1 John 2:1)
Because of Jesus, we have bold and confident access to God’s presence through faith. (Ephesians 3:12)
Because of Jesus, God abides in us, His love is perfected in us, and we have confidence before Him. (1 John 4:15-19)
Because of Jesus, who sympathizes with our weakness, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
Because of Jesus, through His blood, we can enter the Most Holy Place with confidence. (Hebrews 10:19)
Here’s a short prayer to help you grow in confidence.
Father, thank You for the confidence we have in Jesus. He is our Advocate, our access to Your presence, and the One through whom Your love is perfected in us. Through Him we receive mercy and grace, and we boldly draw near to You. By His blood we enter Your presence with assurance. Help us to live each day in this confidence, trusting in Christ alone. Amen.
Let’s read our verse, one more time.
1 John 2:28…we may be confident...
If you’ve been blessed by Hope Bible School, please share it with others.
Listen to these lessons over and over again.
Meditate on God’s Word throughout the day. Pray continually. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
If you have any prayer requests, please share them in the comments.
Thank you and God bless you.
Jeff M Newman
