Commentary - 1 John 2:28-29

Bird's-eye view

In these two verses, the apostle John pivots from his warning against the antichrists who have departed from the fellowship to a positive exhortation for those who remain. He connects our present conduct with our future confidence. The central command is to "abide in Him," which is the very definition of a stable Christian life. This abiding is not a mystical trance but a settled, obedient trust in Christ. The motivation John provides is the Second Coming of Jesus. How we are living now determines whether we will greet the returning King with boldness and joy, or whether we will shrink back in shame. John then provides a crucial diagnostic test for this abiding life: a righteous life is the unmistakable family trait of someone who has been born of God. He argues from the character of God to the character of God's children. Because He is righteous, those who are genuinely His will practice righteousness. This passage, therefore, is a potent call to perseverance and a firm ground for our assurance.

This is not a call to earn our salvation through good behavior. That would be to misunderstand the entire gospel. Rather, it is a call to live out the salvation we have already received. Regeneration is the cause; a righteous life is the necessary effect. John is giving his flock a way to check their spiritual pulse. Do you want to have unashamed confidence when Jesus returns? Then live in Him now. Do you want to know if you are truly born of Him? Then look for the family resemblance of righteousness in your life.

Outline

Context In 1 John

These verses serve as a crucial bridge in John's letter. He has just finished a stark warning about the "antichrists" who went out from the church, proving they were never truly part of it (1 John 2:18-27). Their departure was a sign of the "last hour." In contrast to those who left, John now turns to those who have remained, whom he affectionately calls "little children." Having warned them of the doctrinal test (the deniers of Christ), he now moves to the moral test. This section (2:28-29) simultaneously concludes the argument against the secessionists and introduces the next major theme: the glorious reality of being children of God, which he will unpack in chapter 3. The command to "abide" looks back to the teaching he has just given, and the theme of righteousness as evidence of being "born of Him" looks forward to his discussion of sin and righteousness in the life of a true child of God (3:1-10).

Key Issues

Confidence for the Coming

Every man lives his life in the light of some final judgment. For the unbeliever, it might be the judgment of history, or of his peers, or of his own conscience on his deathbed. But for the Christian, there is only one judgment that matters, and it is an appointment we will all keep. The Lord Jesus Christ is going to return. The Greek word is parousia, which means a royal arrival, a visitation. The King is coming back to inspect His kingdom. The question John puts before us is a simple and searching one: when the King arrives, will you be eager to run out and meet Him, or will you be looking for a rock to hide under?

John's pastoral aim here is to provide his flock with true, robust assurance. He knows that the departure of the false teachers has likely shaken some of the faithful. So he gives them a clear, two-fold anchor. First, the prospect of Christ's return is the great motivator. Live now as you want to be found then. Second, the reality of a changed life is the great evidence. God's children look like their Father. This is not about morbid introspection, but about a healthy, honest assessment of the fruit that our lives are producing. The Christian life is a forward-looking life, and our hope for the future shapes our behavior in the present.

Verse by Verse Commentary

28 And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He is manifested, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

John begins with a term of endearment, "little children," reminding his readers of their status as beloved members of God's family. The central command is to abide in Him. To abide is to remain, to stay put, to live and move and have your being in Christ. This is not a passive state, but an active cleaving to Him through faith, obedience, and fellowship. It's the opposite of the antichrists, who "went out from us" (2:19). They did not abide. The true believer stays.

The purpose clause, "so that," provides the motivation. We abide now so that something will be true later. "When He is manifested" refers to the visible, glorious return of Jesus Christ. At that moment, there will be one of two reactions. The first is confidence. The Greek word here is parrhesia, which means boldness, freedom of speech, a cheerful courage. It's the attitude of a beloved child running to meet his father at the door. The alternative is to shrink away from Him in shame. This is the reaction of the servant who buried his talent, of the one who has something to hide. It is the cringing fear of exposure. The "coming" is the parousia, the royal arrival. When the King shows up, the state of your heart and life will be laid bare. The way to prepare for that final exam is to live in close fellowship with the Examiner every day.

29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who does righteousness has been born of Him.

John now provides the logical foundation for this life of abiding. He starts with a premise that every Christian accepts as foundational: "you know that He is righteous." Christ is the righteous one, the perfect standard of all that is good and true. From this known truth, John draws an inescapable conclusion. "You know," he says, meaning it's a matter of settled knowledge, "that everyone also who does righteousness has been born of Him."

Notice the direction of the logic. He does not say, "everyone who does righteousness gets to be born of Him." That would be salvation by works. He says that the practice of righteousness is the evidence, the family trait, of one who has been born of Him. The verb tense is perfect, indicating a past event with ongoing results. Regeneration, being born from above, is a sovereign act of God that fundamentally changes a person. And what does it change them into? It makes them a child of a righteous Father. And children tend to resemble their parents. Therefore, a life characterized by the practice of righteousness is the necessary fruit and proof of the new birth. It is not about sinless perfection. It is about the direction, the grain, the bent of a life. The one who has been made alive by a righteous God will begin to love and practice the righteousness of that God.

Application

This passage puts two very practical questions before us. First, are you living with the end in mind? The doctrine of the Second Coming is not meant to be fuel for elaborate charts and end-times speculation. It is meant to be fuel for present holiness. If you knew the Lord was returning next Tuesday, what would you change today? That is the change He is calling you to make. We are to live in a state of readiness, not by trying to predict the date, but by abiding in the Son. This means a daily walk of repentance, faith, and obedience. The man who walks with Christ daily has no reason to fear His sudden appearance.

Second, this passage is a great comfort and a great challenge regarding our assurance. Many Christians wrestle with the question, "Am I truly saved?" John's answer is not to look inside at your fickle feelings, but to look outside at the fruit of your life. Do you have a desire for righteousness? Do you hate your sin? Is the general trajectory of your life toward obedience to God, even if you stumble and fall frequently? If so, take heart. That is the family resemblance. That is the evidence that a righteous Father has performed the miracle of regeneration in you. This doesn't lead to pride, because you know you didn't produce this righteousness yourself. It is the result of having been "born of Him." It leads to gratitude, and it leads to the very confidence John speaks of, a boldness that comes not from our own performance, but from the reality of God's work in us.