Off the Shelf Sunday School--1 John

The Desire for Purity (2:28-3:3)

And now, dear children, continue 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. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

1.????Christians are to persevere in the pursuit of loving, serving and hoping in God. We are to be faithful servants who seek and obey God’s will for us. In this way, we will not be ashamed if the Lord returns at any moment of our lives. (2 Th 3:4-5; 1 Pet 4:19)

Is there anything in your life that you would be ashamed about if Jesus returned at any moment?

2.????John says that since Jesus is good, those who are his children will also do good.?The Holy Spirit dwells inside each born again Christian. The Holy Spirit changes our thinking and directs our desires so that we become more like Jesus. This is a sign of true faith. (Gal 5:22-23; Php 2:12-16)

3.????Christians have a promise from God that one day we will be with Jesus. We will be glorified and perfected in holiness. We will be like Jesus who is the first of a holy race of priests and kings who will reign throughout the universe and for eternity. (Jn 17:22-23; 1 Pet 2:9-10)

4.????Given these promises, John says that everyone who has true faith (hope) desires to follow Jesus and seeks to be pure. What are some things that you can do to seek to be more like Jesus?