Confident and Unashamed

 

"And now, dear children, continue (abide) in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of Him." (1 John 2:28-29)

The key for God's children to be confident and unashamed when Christ returns is to abide in Christ (live in fellowship with Him). “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) We are to be living in the light of His imminent return. If He came back right at this moment, would we be confident (keeping a clear conscience) and unashamed (having nothing to hide) or would we feel unsure/afraid and ashamed/embarrassed? Let us examine how we live our lives. No one knows when Jesus will return. We must be ready at all times. Let us have a Maranatha mindset! 

Knowing God Who is righteous and practicing righteousness should go hand in hand. True/Right doctrine leads to true/right living (according to God's Word). Our words, our action, our character, our lives reveal who we are and Whom we belong to. God's children who have been born of God should take after God. Can people see the family resemblance? Righteous living (holiness/godliness/Christlikeness) is the proof of the new birth/being born again (which is the working of the Holy Spirit). I remember a convicting quote by Gandhi: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." To me, it's one of the saddest statements ever. We are Christ's ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Do we represent Him accurately? How we live our lives either draws people closer to Christ or away from Christ, whether we're aware of it or not. Do we love and serve like Christ? Do we conduct ourselves like the world or like Christ? In short, "to abide in Christ" is the call for us to live in constant fellowship with Christ and live in obedience to His Word, relying upon the indwelling Spirit for empowerment.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for rescuing me from the dominion of darkness and bringing me into Your kingdom and adopting me into Your family! Please forgive me for the ways in which I misrepresent You. Please enable to be constantly abiding in Christ, being ready for His return. Please mold me to be like Christ. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being so that I may live a life worthy of You, please You in every way, and bear fruit in every good work. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

What's New?

"A NEW command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

"We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a NEW life." Romans 6:4

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; the old has gone, the NEW has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made NEW in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the NEW self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

"For this reason Christ is the Mediator of a NEW covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." Hebrews 9:15

"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a NEW covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us NEW birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5

"But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a NEW heaven and a NEW earth, the home of righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a NEW name written on it, known only to him who receives it." Revelation 2:17


Christ can make anything new. Have a blessed & Christ-centered new year!