1 John 2:28

And now, little children, abide in him,....

And now, little children - Τεκνια, Beloved children, abide in him - in Christ Jesus. Let his word and spirit continually abide in you, and have communion with the Father and the Son.

John repeats his monition with a loving appellation, as a father addressing dear children. when--literally, "if"; the uncertainty is not as to the fact, but the time. appear--Greek, "be manifested." we--both writer and readers. ashamed before him--literally, "from Him"; shrink back from Him ashamed. Contrast "boldness in the day of judgment," 1Jo 4:17; compare 1Jo 3:21;

OUR first anxious desire is that our hearers would come to Christ. We lay ourselves out to lift Him up, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and to bid men look to Him and live. There is no salvation except by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, "Look unto Me and be you saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else." When men have looked to Jesus, our next anxiety is that they may be in Christ, the City of Refuge. We long to speak of them as "men in Christ Jesus." My beloved Hearers, you must be in living, loving, lasting union with the Son of God, or else you are not in a state of salvation. That which begins with coming to Christ, as the engrafted branch is bound to the vine, continues in your growing into Him and receiving of His life. You must be in Christ as the stone is in the building, as the member is in the body. When we have good hope that our hearers have come to Christ and are "in Christ," a further anxiety springs up in our hearts that they may "abide" in Christ. Our longing is that, despite temptations to go away from Him, they may always remain at His feet. That, notwithstanding the evil of their nature, they may never betray their Master but may faithfully hold to Him. We would have them mindful of that precept—"As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in Him." Oh, that they may be rooted in Him, and built up in Him—and may always be in union with Him! Then shall we present them to our Lord in the day of His appearing with exceedingly great joy. To this third anxiety of the minister of Christ I would give my mind this morning. John says, "Little children, abide in Him." How sweetly those words must have flowed from the lips and the pen of such a venerable saint! Methinks he is, in this, the echo of the Lord Jesus.

OUR first anxious desire is that our hearers would come to Christ. We lay ourselves out to lift Him up, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and to bid men look to Him and live. There is no salvation except by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, "Look unto Me and be you saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else." When men have looked to Jesus, our next anxiety is that they may be in Christ, the City of Refuge.

And now, little children - See the notes at 1Jn 2:1. Abide in him; that, when he shall appear - In the end of the world, to receive his people to himself. See the notes at Joh 14:2-3. We may have confidence - Greek, boldness - παῤῥησίαν parrēsian. This word is commonly used to denote openness, plainness, or boldness in speaking, Mar 8:32; Joh 7:4, Joh 7:13, Joh 7:26; Act 2:29; Act 4:13, Act 4:29; 2Co 3:12; 2Co 7:4. Here it means the kind of boldness, or calm assurance, which arises from evidence of piety, and of preparation for heaven. It means that they would not be overwhelmed and confounded at the coming of the Saviour, by its being then found that all their hopes were fallacious. And not be ashamed before him at his coming - By having all our hopes taken away; by being held up to the universe as guilty and condemned. We feel ashamed when our hopes are disappointed; when it is shown that we have a character different from what we professed to have; when our pretensions to goodness are stripped off, and the heart is made bare. Many will thus be ashamed in the last day, Mat 7:21-23; but it is one of the promises made to those who truly believe on the Saviour, that they shall never be ashamed or confounded. See the notes at 1Pe 2:6. Compare Isa 45:17; Rom 5:5; 1Pe 4:16; Mar 8:38.