Main Scripture: 1 John 2:28 (WEB) — “Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”
Every relationship has an element of anticipation. The child waiting for a parent to return home. The bride preparing for the wedding day. The friend counting the days until a long-awaited visit. There is something about the posture of waiting that shapes how we live in the present. The apostle John, who knew Jesus intimately and had walked with Him for three years, closes his exhortation with a forward-looking call: remain in Him so that when He appears, we may have boldness and not shrink back in shame. He connects abiding in the present with confidence in the future. The way we live now determines how we will stand on that day.
Devotional
“Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” — 1 John 2:28 John’s use of “little children” is tender and pastoral. He is writing to people he loves, people he has shepherded, people he wants to see stand firm. There is urgency beneath his gentleness. The return of Christ is not a distant theological concept — it is a coming reality that should shape how we live today. The word “remain” echoes Jesus’ teaching in John 15. John has not forgotten what his Lord taught. Abiding is not a temporary state but a permanent posture. It is the settled decision to stay connected to Christ regardless of what comes. And John gives us a compelling reason to abide: that we may have boldness when Christ appears. “Boldness” is the Greek word parrēsia — confidence, openness, fearless speech. It is the opposite of shrinking back, hiding, or being ashamed. John envisions believers who, on the day of Christ’s return, step forward with confidence rather than cowering in regret. They are not afraid of the light because they have been living in it. The alternative is sobering: being ashamed before Him at His coming. To be ashamed is to realise that we have wasted opportunities, neglected our relationship with Him, or lived for things that do not matter. It is the grief of seeing clearly what we could have been and were not. But John’s purpose is not to frighten us. It is to motivate us to abide. He wants us to live in such a way that Christ’s appearing is a moment of joy, not regret. He wants us to have the confidence of children who have stayed close to their Father and have nothing to hide. Abiding with expectation changes everything about how we live. It gives us perspective in suffering — this is not the end. It gives us purpose in our daily work — we are building for a Kingdom that will last. It gives us urgency in our mission — there are people who need to hear the good news before He returns. The call to abide is also a call to readiness. Not fearful readiness, but joyful readiness. Like a bride preparing for her wedding day, we prepare not out of anxiety but out of love. We remain in Him because He is the One we are waiting for. And the waiting is not empty — it is filled with the purposeful activity of abiding, growing, and bearing fruit. Breathe in: “I remain in Christ.” Breathe out: “I await His coming with joy.” Over these past weeks we have learned to rest in God’s peace, to be rooted in Christ, to walk with Jesus, to live by the Spirit, and now to abide in Him. This journey does not end here. Every day is a fresh invitation to remain close to Christ, trusting that the One who began a good work in you will continue to shape you into His likeness. The invitation to abide is not for a season—it is for a lifetime.
Closing Reflection
The Christian life is lived between two comings — the first coming of Christ, when He came to save, and the second coming, when He will return to reign. In the space between, we are called to abide. Not to drift. Not to shrink back. Not to lose heart. To remain in Him, day by day, so that when He appears, we step forward not in shame but in boldness, not in fear but in joy. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I look forward to the day when You will return. Help me to live today in light of that day. Keep me abiding in You — not drifting, not distracted, not discouraged. I want to have boldness when You appear, not shame. I want to hear You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Until that day, keep me close to You. I am Yours, and I am waiting with joyful expectation. In Your name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- Does the thought of Christ’s return fill you with boldness or with shame? Why?
- What would change in your daily life if you lived with the constant awareness that He is coming?
- How can you cultivate the posture of joyful expectation while faithfully abiding in the present?