A Call to abide

We continue our series in the 1st letter of John

In our previous sermon—

We saw these antichrists were false teachers who deny the truth about Christ humanity and seek to lead people astray.

We saw that their deception exposes the difference between true and false profession, because those who truly belong to Christ will persevere, while those who depart reveal they were never truly of believers.

And we saw that Christ has not left His church defenseless, but has given us His Spirit to lead and guide us t all true an righteousness

today we will be looking at chp 2 v28-29

Our topic for today is “A Call to abide.” Nuestro tema de hoy es «Un llamado a permaneced».

1 John 2:28–29 “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

1 Juan 2:28-29 Y ahora, hijos, permaneced en Él, para que cuando se manifieste, tengamos confianza y no nos apartemos de Él avergonzados en su venida. Si sabéis que Él es justo, sabéis también que todo el que hace justicia es nacido de Él.

Let us pray

Today I want us to consider three truths in this passage:

The call to abide

The reason to abide,

The evidence of abiding.

The call to abide

IN MOST OF John’s exhortations we have witnessed his twin agenda:

(1) to expose those who distort the truth through their false teaching and living, and

(2) to reassure those who are staying the course in faithfulness to his teachings about Christ

John begins our section here by urging the believers to abide in Christ

And now, little children, abide in him, / Y ahora, hijos, permaneced en Él,

Abide in the greek is the word meno dwelling, living, or lodging.

En griego, la palabra para «permanecer» es meno, que significa morar, vivir o alojarse.

The concept of God dwelling with His people begins in the Garden

continues in the tabernacle and covenant promises

Exodus 25:8 “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.”

Exodos 25:8 Y que hagan un santuario para mí, para que yo habite entre ellos.

and is powerfully reaffirmed in Ezekiel’s vision of restoration

Ezekiel 37:27 “My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Ezekiel 37:27 “Mi morada estará también junto a ellos, y yo seré su Dios y ellos serán mi pueblo.

So this theme of God dwelling with His people does not stop with Ezekiel or the Old Testament.

It moves forward and finds its fulfillment in the New Testament, where God comes near to His people in the person of Jesus Christ and then dwells in His church by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:21–22 “in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

Efesios 2:21-22en quien todo el edificio, bien ajustado, va creciendo para ser un templo santo en el Señor, en quien también vosotros sois juntamente edificados para morada de Dios en el Espíritu.

John uses this same concept of abiding in his Gospel, where Jesus declares that He is the true vine and reminds us that His people must remain in Him.

John 15:4–5 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Juan 15:4-5 Permaneced en mí, y yo en vosotros. Como el sarmiento no puede dar fruto por sí mismo si no permanece en la vid, así tampoco vosotros si no permanecéis en mí. Yo soy la vid, vosotros los sarmientos; el que permanece en mí y yo en él, ese da mucho fruto, porque separados de mí nada podéis hacer.

The reality of this close personal relationship with Jesus Christ is expressed through obedience to His Word.

Its effect is the bearing of fruit, which is evidence of conformity to His image.

Because apart from him you can do nothing.

Now remember these antichrist were spreading false teachings about the person of Christ

Therefore, to abide in Christ means to remain in Him by holding firmly to His truth and continuing in His teachings.

1 John 2:24 “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.”

1 Juan 2:24 En cuanto a vosotros, que permanezca en vosotros lo que oísteis desde el principio. Si lo que oísteis desde el principio permanece en vosotros, vosotros también permaneceréis en el Hijo y en el Padre.

He repeats this concept in

2 John 9 “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”

2 Juan 2:9 Todo el que se desvía y no permanece en la enseñanza de Cristo, no tiene a Dios; el que permanece en la enseñanza tiene tanto al Padre como al Hijo.

to abide in the teachings of Christ is to firstly be a believer and have a proper understanding of PERSON and WORK of JESUS CHRIST and this will help you—

trust Him

obey His Word

endure trials

worship rightly

pursue holiness

fear Him rightly

love Him deeply

rest in His promises

reject falsehood

abide in Christ

Permanecer en las enseñanzas de Cristo consiste, ante todo, en ser creyente y tener una comprensión adecuada de la Persona y la Obra de Jesucristo y eso

te ayudara a—

Confíar en Él

Obedecer Su Palabra

Soportar las pruebas

Adorar correctamente

Buscar la santidad

Temerle correctamente

Amarle profundamente

Descansar en Sus promesas

Rechaza la falsedad

Permanece en Cristo

Therefore, John’s call to abide is twofold: first, to keep the church anchored in the truth;

and second, because abiding is God’s means of protecting His people from false teaching and division.

That leads us now to our second point: the reason to abide.

Por lo tanto, el llamado de Juan a permanecer es doble: primero, mantener a la iglesia anclada en la verdad;

y segundo, porque el permanecer es el medio que Dios utiliza para proteger a su pueblo de las falsas enseñanzas y de la división.

Esto nos conduce ahora a nuestro segundo punto: la razón para permanecer.

Point 2 The reason to abide, la razón para permanecer.

1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”

1 Juan 2:28 Y ahora, hijos, permaneced en Él, para que cuando se manifieste, tengamos confianza y no nos apartemos de Él avergonzados en su venida.

John is adding this element of readiness

Why?

Because when He appears—that is, when Jesus Christ returns visibly and in glory at the end of history

Therefore, believers are encouraged to be ready and prepared for His return.

In Mark 13:33–37, Jesus gives a clear call to watchfulness

Mark 13:33–37 “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.””

Marcos 13:33-37 Estad alerta, velad; porque no sabéis cuándo es el tiempo señalado. Es como un hombre que se fue de viaje, y al salir de su casa dejó a sus siervos encargados, asignándole a cada uno su tarea, y ordenó al portero que estuviera alerta. Por tanto, velad, porque no sabéis cuándo viene el señor de la casa, si al atardecer, o a la medianoche, o al canto del gallo, o al amanecer; no sea que venga de repente y os halle dormidos. Y lo que a vosotros digo, a todos lo digo: ¡Velad!

Readiness & Hope in Christ’s return changes how believers live right now.

It is not just information about the future.

It shapes the way we think, live, and endure in the present. Moldea la forma en que pensamos, vivimos y perduramos en el presente.

First, the hope of Christ’s return leads believers to pursue holiness.

If we know that Christ is coming again, then we want to live in a way that honors Him.

We do not do this to earn salvation, but because we belong to Christ and want our lives to reflect Him.

Second, this hope helps believers endure suffering.

Life is hard, and believers face trials, discouragement, and pain. (Desanismos)

But the promise that Christ will return gives strength to keep going.

It reminds us what Paul said in

Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Romanos 8:18 Pues considero que los sufrimientos de este tiempo presente no son dignos de ser comparados con la gloria que nos ha de ser revelada.

Third, the hope of Christ’s return changes our priorities.

It reminds us that this world is temporary. Earthly things do not last forever.

Because of that, believers are called to set their minds on heavenly things and to live for what truly matters.

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Y el mundo pasa, y también sus pasiones, pero el que hace la voluntad de Dios permanece para siempre.

Finally, this hope shapes our character.

As we wait for Christ, we are being formed to look more like Him.

Our lives should give a glimpse of the kingdom that is coming. In that sense, the Second Coming is not meant to make us escape the world, but to help us live faithfully in it.

So that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”

para que cuando se manifieste, tengamos confianza y no nos apartemos de Él avergonzados en su venida.

So, the call is to abide in Christ, that we may meet Him with confidence and assurance at His coming, rather than shrinking from Him in shame.

Now I want to point out something very important.

The truth is, we do not know all that the second coming of Christ will fully be like in experience.

But Scripture makes it clear that it will not be the same for the believer and the unbeliever.

For the one who is indwelt by the Spirit, the return of Christ will not be a day of ultimate dread and destruction, but a day met with readiness, hope, and confidence.

Para aquel en quien habita el Espíritu, el regreso de Cristo no será un día de pavor y destrucción definitivos, sino un día que se recibirá con preparación, esperanza y confianza.

That is why passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 are so important, because Paul reminds believers that they are not in darkness, and that day should not overtake them by surprise.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

1 Tesalonisenses 5:1-11 Ahora bien, hermanos, con respecto a los tiempos y a las épocas, no tenéis necesidad de que se os escriba nada. Pues vosotros mismos sabéis perfectamente que el día del Señor vendrá así como un ladrón en la noche; que cuando estén diciendo: Paz y seguridad, entonces la destrucción vendrá sobre ellos repentinamente, como dolores de parto a una mujer que está encinta, y no escaparán. Mas vosotros, hermanos, no estáis en tinieblas, para que el día os sorprenda como ladrón; porque todos vosotros sois hijos de luz e hijos del día. No somos de la noche ni de las tinieblas. Por tanto, no durmamos como los demás, sino estemos alerta y seamos sobrios. Porque los que duermen, de noche duermen, y los que se emborrachan, de noche se emborrachan. Pero puesto que nosotros somos del día, seamos sobrios, habiéndonos puesto la coraza de la fe y del amor, y por yelmo la esperanza de la salvación. Porque no nos ha destinado Dios para ira, sino para obtener salvación por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que murió por nosotros, para que ya sea que estemos despiertos o dormidos, vivamos juntamente con Él. Por tanto, alentaos los unos a los otros, y edificaos el uno al otro, tal como lo estáis haciendo.

When Christ returns, people will respond in two very different ways.

Some will stand before Him with confidence, while others will shrink back in shame.

nos apartemos de Él avergonzados

For the believer, His coming is not meant to bring terror, but confidence and assurance.

This kind of confidence is the same boldness Christians have when they come to God in prayer.

John’s warning about shame is not meant to frighten true believers who are born of God, but to describe the dreadful reality for those who remain opposed to Jesus.

La advertencia de Juan acerca de la vergüenza no tiene por objeto atemorizar a los verdaderos creyentes que han nacido de Dios, sino describir la terrible realidad para aquellos que permanecen opuestos a Jesús.

But that raises an important question: how do we know that we are truly abiding in Christ?

John does not leave that unclear.

He moves from the warning of shame to the assurance believers can have, and he shows us that abiding is not merely something we claim with our lips, but something that is seen in our lives.

That brings us now to our third and final point: the evidence of abiding.

The evidence of abiding.

1 John 2:29 “If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

1 Juan 2:29 Si sabéis que Él es justo, sabéis también que todo el que hace justicia es nacido de Él.

This is very important for us to understand

John Gives us two important elements:

First the source of righteousness, which is Christ,

“If you know that he is righteous, Si sabéis que Él es justo,

We know that left to ourselves, we possess no righteousness of our own before God.

So my confidence is not in my own doing but in what Christ has done on my behalf

He is the righteous because

he pleased God perfectly in his life on earth and in his death on the cross.

In His active obedience, Christ fulfilled the law of God; in His passive obedience, Christ paid the penalty for our sin.

The promised Messiah whom we remember on a Palm Sunday like today.

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Zacarias 9:9 Regocíjate sobremanera, hija de Sión. Da voces de júbilo, hija de Jerusalén. He aquí, tu rey viene a ti, justo y dotado de salvación, humilde, montado en un asno, en un pollino, hijo de asna.

So Christ is the source of righteousness

2. the evidence and consequences of righteousness, which is seen in the life of the one who has been born of God.

you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” sabéis también que todo el que hace justicia es nacido de Él.

In other words, the one who has truly been born of God will show it.

John is not saying that righteous living is the cause of the new birth, but that it is the evidence of it.

Righteousness is not the root of salvation; it is the fruit of salvation.

It is not how we become children of God, but it is one of the clearest marks that we are His children.

And notice carefully, John says the one born of God practices righteousness.

He is describing a pattern of life, a direction, a habit of living. that Seeks to imitate Christ

Spiritual vitality /Vitalidad espiritual

John says

1 John 2:6 “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

Cuando Juan dice

1 Juan 2:6 El que dice que permanece en Él, debe andar como Él anduvo.

Paul gives us the practical expression of that command

Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Romanos 13:14 antes bien, vestíos del Señor Jesucristo, y no penséis en proveer para las lujurias de la carne.

Not sinless perfection, but a real and growing desire to walk in obedience to God.

The believer will stumble, the believer will fight sin, the believer will need daily grace—

but the believer cannot make peace with unrighteousness as a way of life, because the life of God is now in him.

El creyente tropezará, el creyente luchará contra el pecado, el creyente necesitará gracia diaria;

pero el creyente no puede hacer las paces con la iniquidad como forma de vida, porque la vida de Dios está ahora en él.

The One who came once in humility on a donkey will come again in glory as King to reign

Therefore, church, in light of His second coming, remain in Christ. Hold fast to His Word.

Por lo tanto, Iglesia, a la luz de su segunda venida, permaneced en Cristo. Aferraos a su Palabra.

Pursue righteousness. Stay awake. Stay faithful.

Busca la justicia. Mantente despierto. Mantente fiel.

Stay near to Jesus.

And may it be that on that great day, when Christ appears, we are found abiding in Him, standing before Him with confidence, joy, and holy expectation. Y que suceda que, en aquel gran día, cuando Cristo aparezca, se nos halle permaneciendo en Él, de pie ante Él con confianza, gozo y santa expectación.

As I did my research for this sermon, I came across an old hymn written by Mrs. C. H. Morris in 1912 that asks a simple but searching question:

Jesus is coming to earth again— What if it were today? Coming in power and love to reign— What if it were today? Coming to claim His chosen Bride, All the redeemed and purified, Over this whole earth scattered wide— What if it were today?

Faithful and true would He find us here If He should come today? Watching in gladness and not in fear, If He should come today?

Jesús viene otra vez a la tierra— ¿Y si ocurriera hoy?

Viene en poder y amor para reinar— ¿Y si ocurriera hoy? Viene a reclamar a Su Esposa escogida, A todos los redimidos y purificados, Esparcidos por toda la tierra— ¿Y si ocurriera hoy?

¿Nos hallaría fieles y verdaderos ¿Y si ocurriera hoy? ¿Velando con gozo y no con temor, ¿Y si ocurriera hoy?

Church, may we live each day in view of His return.

Lets pray.