Chapter 2 (NIV–the verses in this chapter were taken from this version. Each chapter will be from a different version to avoid copyright issues.)
The Children of God
v. 28, (Bible Knowl Comm NT) “now he introduced the new thought of being confident before Christ at His coming. … a word that can signify a bold freedom of speech. …” They could have boldness of speech when they meet the Lord. “How this can be so is the subject of 2:29-4:19.” Not abiding presents the possibility of shame at His coming.
(FSB) “Honor and shame were major cultural motivators in the first century … Graeco-Roman society (compare John 3:23).” (Moody) “A result of retaining the truth and maintaining one’s relationship with the Lord is living righteously. Membership in God’s family can be recognized by family resemblance. … everyone living righteously is born of Him”
(Vincent’s II) “We may have confidence. Rev., boldness. … The idea of free, open speech lies at the bottom of the word: coming before God’s bar with nothing to conceal.” “Be ashamed before Him. The fundamental thought is that of separation and shrinking from God through the shame of conscious guilt.” “Coming. Lit., presence. … Hence, the presence of one coming … of the future, visible return of our Lord.”
(Prophecy) “John warns them of a coming apostacy of unbelief and urges true believers to hold to the truth until Jesus returns.”
(Life) “A deficit in either faith or right behavior will be a cause for shame when Christ returns. Because true faith always results in good deeds, those who claim to have faith and who consistently do what is right are true believers.”
v. 29, (Bible Knowl Comm NT) “when they see real righteousness … they can be sure that the person who exhibits it is a child of God. This righteousness, … the kind that Christ enjoined. … He was writing here of the way one can see the new birth in the actions of others.”
(FSB) “A person’s actions should be the first measure of whether they are in relationship with God.” Faithlife translation has “and not shrink from him in shame” instead of NKJV of “and not be ashamed before Him”
(Moody) “The subjective safeguard is the anointing or Holy Spirit. … Yet another motive is … to abide in the truth and relationship with Him. … The Lord’s return should be a happy occasion for believers, and it will be if their character and conduct ‘in this world’ has paralleled that of Christs.”
(Cultural) “People in antiquity believed that children inherited much of their character from their father.”
(Wiersbe) “a people who are “God’s children” will reveal the characteristics of the heavenly Father.”
(Vincent’s II) “If ye know—ye know. If ye know absolutely that He is righteous, ye perceive that everyone, etc.” “Is born of Him. Rev., begotten.”
FIRST JOHN 2 MEDITATION #10
7/22/2025
vv. 28-29.
John gives us a strong reason to abide in Him, to keep the fellowship a priority: so we’ll have confidence at His coming. We want to freely and joyfully speak to Him of our life here, and that happens when we already have that freedom and desire in this life. Who we are at our passing is who we’ll be when we see Him. How do we want to appear before Him? Become that person. His Word making its home in us and affecting our behavior (while driving out the earlier tenant that negatively impacted our works) and us abiding in Him (treasuring His presence), is the pathway there. These words in 1 John can sharpen our focus on what it means to grow up spiritually, and what it means to be righteousness.
We know very well what it is to be righteous. Jesus showed us the standard in John’s gospel: Jesus treasured His relationship with the Father. He always obeyed the Father. He depended on the Father. Jesus pleased Him. Jesus showed the world what the Father is like. In all this He showed us what righteousness looks like, especially where all of His good works were guided by the will of God. These characteristics point us to true spiritual maturity and righteousness. In this position we will have boldness at His coming. Pray for these characteristics to become yours.
This righteousness of Jesus is more than good behavior suitable of one who wants to fit in with society. His righteousness represents the behavior of those who pursue the Kingdom of God, not the cultures of man. Behind this behavior is the movement of the Spirit, not the flesh. The work of grace, not of law. Of humility, not aggression. We know this of Jesus; therefore we know that those who follow in these traits are righteous, because Jesus is righteous.
I see these words I have written, and I know that the knowledge itself does not make me righteous. Rather, it’s making the time to know God through patient study of the Word, believing He has directed me from it, and putting into practice in the church body what He has said. Studying His Word helps me understand Him, His plans and values; taking time to draw out of the Word a meaning pertinent to my life teaches me transparency before Him; and following through to apply the Word to my life in horizontal relationships makes me a partner with God in the transformation of my soul to model His Son’s life in the world He made. Doing His will. Living His life. This builds my confidence at His coming.
SOURCES – BIBLIOGRAPHY (*= used in these 1 John 2 meditations)
*(Bible Knowl Comm NT) = The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament
*(Cultural) = NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
*(ESV) = English Standard Version Study Bible
*(FSB) = Faithlife Study Bible in Logos
*(Life) = Life Application Study Bible, New American Standard Version
*(Moody) = The Moody Bible Commentary
*(NKJV margin) = Holy Bible, The New King James Version, margin note
*(Prophecy) = Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible
*(Recovery) = The New Testament Recovery Version
*(Steve) = Personal observation
*(Vincent’s I or II) = Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. I or II
