The Purifying Hope, Pt 2

1 John 2:28-3:1

            We are returning to our study of 1 John and we're having a wonderful time in this book.  I confess that I'm not moving at any particularly high rate of speed, and that is by design.  I want to draw out of this book all that is here for us and I want you to understand the wonderful and glorious that are herein contained.

            We are looking at a section that does belong together even though there's a chapter interruption in it.  It really does go together.  It's chapter 2 verse 28, running down through verse 3 of chapter 3.  That is one paragraph and this would be our third message in this particular paragraph or section.  Let me start reading at verse 28 with what is clearly a point of demarcation.  The words "and now" which means he's turning to another matter, "And now, 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.  If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who also who practices righteousness is born of Him.  See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of God and such we are.  For this reason the world does not know us because it did not know Him.  Beloved, now we are children of God and 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.  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself just as He is pure."

            We've entitled this little study here, "The Purifying Hope."  This hope refers to everything that's been said about the appearing of Jesus.  You will notice that "when He appears" is stated in verse 28, "when He appears" is repeated again in verse 2.  Twice we are told that Jesus will appear.  And this is our hope.  We live in the hope that Jesus will appear.  Now the question is, to what does that refer?  What is this appearing?  Well it is further described for us in verse 28 with the phrase "at His coming."  His appearing is His coming. 

            It is further described for us in verse 2, it is when He appears at His coming and when we see Him, end of verse 2, just as He is and further described, "When we shall be like Him."  It's very clear then what our hope is.  Our hope is that Jesus will come and at His coming He will appear and when He appears we will see Him.  And when we see Him, we will be like Him.  The appearing comes from the Greek word phaneroo.  Phaneroo, the appearing, the arrival is used of the incarnation, the birth of Christ.  It's used of the resurrection as well in the New Testament.  But here it clearly refers to the return of Jesus Christ in the future when He comes to reveal Himself to His people who then will see Him as He is and become like Him.  This is clearly a reference to the return of Jesus Christ.  We then live in the light of Christ's return.  This is, of course, a great theme in Scripture.  Colossians 3:4, "When Christ who is our life is revealed," same word, "is manifest, when He does appear, then you also will appear with Him in glory."  He is coming, at His coming He will appear, we will see Him, we will become like Him, we will be with Him in glory.  In 1 Timothy 6 and verse 14, Paul says, "Keep the commandment...referring to all that is in Scripture...without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ."  And there Paul is looking forward again to the Second Coming, the appearing of Jesus when He comes back for His people.  In 2 Timothy 4:8 Paul says, "There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing." 

            Those three texts, Colossians 3:4, 1 Timothy 6:14, 2 Timothy 4:8, all refer to the same appearing, the future coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is a future event which will culminate all of human history, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, manifestly, visibly to reveal Himself to His people, make His people like Him and to bring His people into eternity glory.

            Now there are four elements to His appearing and I just want to kind of spread those out before you for a little bit so you'll understand them.  First of all, He will come for His saints, He will come for His saints.  This is what is called in Scripture "the catching away," or the Rapture of the church.  Jesus initially made the promise of this coming for His saints, for His people in the upper room that night which He was betrayed, when He said this in John 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house there are many rooms, if it were not so I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself that where I am there you may be also."  Jesus says I'm going to come for you, I'm going to come to take you away w