ABIDING IN JESUS CHRIST, LIVING HOLY AND THE RAPTURE!

Abiding in Jesus Christ, living holy and the rapture

God the Father has bestowed a strong matter of love toward us as His children because this is part of our adoption as children of God through His Son Jesus Christ. It is the delight of God to call us His sons. We are to love God because this is a two way relationship but that is not what the Apostle John is keying on here in this passage.

We can not comprehend how much Jesus Christ loves us but I can say this is the main reason the world does not recognize us because they do not know Jesus Christ Himself. They may understand us as the carpenter, the hairdresser or the single Mom but not as a born again Christian. Read through this article and I will explain what I mean.

In this passage John talks about the rapture of the church. He says it does not yet appear what we shall be (unless of course you died, went to heaven and were brought back to life as a believer in Jesus Christ) but when He does appear we shall be like Him and see Jesus Christ. This does not mean we will know as much as the Son of God but it does mean we will have our resurrected bodies. By the way we will all have different faces because God created us as individuals.

The hope that John talks about is the rapture (Blessed Hope) but we are encouraged to purify ourselves even as Jesus Christ is pure. Grace is gracious but John admonishes us to live holy lives rather than sinful paths in our journey through life. If there are three realities that the Apostle keeps writing about it is living holy, the rapture of the church and abiding in Jesus Christ but not necessarily in this order.

If anyone commits a sin they do transgress against the law of God but Jesus Christ was manifested to take away our sins because there was never even one sin in Him. He is our perfect sacrificial atonement but we just have to make sure we accepted Him into our hearts based on what He did for us on the cross approximately 2000 years ago. 

If you ever desired to know in a nutshell how not to sin it is abiding in Jesus Christ because He is 100 percent pure. There are different degrees of abiding in Christ just like there are different levels of sin and repentance. That is why it is pivotal to abide in Jesus Christ in a very deep way because then we will be pure in Him. In fact that is a promise in 1 John 3:6. Going the other way is not knowing Jesus Christ.

Once again John refers to his readers as, "Little children" and goes straight to the positive. He basically says if we live a righteous life this is good because God is righteous. John also explains that a person that keeps sinning as a lifestyle is of the devil and mentions that Satan sinned from the beginning. Jesus Christ did not just come to take away our sins but He also came to destroy the works of the devil. Let me quote 1 John 3:1-8 so you will see the original text.

(1) "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. (2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. (3) And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure. (4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (5) And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. (6) Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him. (7) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. (8) He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:1-8.

The Apostle John argues for holy living as opposed to sin. John starts by being very encouraged by the grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit. The world can not perceive a God that would love us this much or they would have come to know Jesus Christ in a very personal way unless of course they are playing the excuse game. They may even see us as contaminated but we are the favorites of heaven and will be inhabitants there forever according to what the Bible teaches. We are strangers in this world and remember Jesus Christ Himself was treated horrible when He was down here on earth. The glory of our son ship and adoption is reserved for heaven. This did take place on earth for us as His children when we became born again in Jesus Christ but we live in a corrupted world so glory is reserved for heaven. Let the prideful person try and receive glory on earth and there are plenty of them in this world.

It is already determined that the rapture of the church will take place (Verse 3) and we are very close but I don't know how soon. This is up to God the Father. Our likeness will enable us to see Him as He is in heaven.

John urges us to be holy because those that hope to be with Jesus Christ must live pure lives because this "Hope" will constrain every true believer to live righteous. To sin as a lifestyle is a contraction to the very God we are serving who is our Creator.

If we are sanctified by faith for our salvation in Jesus Christ then we must be sanctified by hope through pure living as we prepare for the rapture which is a sign less event. It could happen at any moment. This Blessed Hope purifies us for the "Hope" of heaven. We could never be happy in this world in our present state because it is evil and we are not destined to stay.

John talks about sin and holy living much and even argues his case. We have to do business with either heaven or hell. If only two people do construction work we have to choose one and that is the same with the way we live here on earth. We are either doing business with holy or evil but it is one or the other. If someone is in the middle that is called lukewarm which is a sin according to the account of the Laodicean church in the book of Revelation.

Jesus did not just save us if we are a believer because He is chipping away flesh in our life which can be painful and conforming us to Himself. This is one reason why our communication with God should be pure because sin is in opposition to Jesus Christ but purity is real union with Jesus Christ. If we abide in the Son of God we can not continue in the practice of sin. Christians that abide in Jesus Christ are keeping their covenant with Him which is holy living. Don't you think it is a pretty good idea to abide deep into the Person of Jesus Christ? Bible reading, prayer and living holy/righteous.

One question would be are we to renounce sin? Of course because this is good evidence of saving knowledge in our Lord Jesus Christ. The practice of righteousness through Jesus Christ is true salvation in the Son of God but the practice of sin and a justified state in Jesus Christ is inconsistent. True faith in Jesus Christ takes integrity and a strong conscience.

A person that always sins has a relationship with the devil or they are doing business with the kingdom of darkness. If we commit sin we are living under the power and dominion of that transgression. This is why repentance is a practice that every true believer in Jesus Christ should be engaging in every day. Jesus Christ conquered sin so we should let go of our transgressions more and more and let the one that defeated death to destroy this in our lives. We were regenerated from sin so we should try and relinquish it from our daily living. We will slip and fall but allow the Holy Spirit to pick us up through our repentance to God through His Son Jesus Christ.

To be a born again Christian (the Bible says we must be born again in John chapter 3) is to be inwardly renewed and restored to a holy nature by the power of the Spirit of God. Grace should be renewed in our life all the time because it is an abiding principle. We have a new nature in Jesus Christ so a true regenerated person in Jesus Christ can not sin as a lifestyle. This person can not practice sin without repentance because he is born of God not the devil.

It is hard to see the malignity and evil of our transgression if it is a besetting sin because it comes so natural to us but trust what the Bible has to say because it is there even if we do not see the contamination. There should be a bias in our heart not to sin. We should have a bent that is against transgressions.

A person that is not saved is morally unable to abstain from sin because he or she does not have the power of Jesus Christ in him or her. Most unbelievers that I know of don't even struggle with their sin but an authentic believer in Jesus Christ will so where do you want to be in life and eternity?

If you are one that never accepted Jesus Christ into your heart as your very own personal Savior and Lord by repenting of all your sins and inviting the Son of the Living God in your life please do so because sin will destroy a life and an eternity apart from God. Jesus Christ came and died for our sins in the most cruel and brutal way so you must know this is a very serious subject. I trust you made that all important eternal decision and will live for Jesus Christ.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ remember we were saved by faith in Jesus Christ but our Blessed Hope is living a pure life. If we do this proper preparation for the rapture of the church is taking place in our lives and we will be ready when the trumpet sounds. The Apostle John keyed in on abiding in Jesus Christ, living holy and the rapture of the church. If all three are incorporated in our life we will be the profitable servants for Jesus Christ. I pray and hope that everyone will make the right decision because life is short but eternity is long.

God Bless you,

Bob D.