28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:28-29 KJV)
The Children of God
Here is the revised version of the passage with redundant sentences removed and old-fashioned language replaced with modern American forms, while preserving the structure, flow, and biblical references:
From the blessing of the sacred anointing, the apostle proceeds to exhort believers to remain faithful in Christ: “And now, dear children, abide in him” (1 John 2:28). He repeats his affectionate term, “dear children,” not to highlight their immaturity but to express his deep love for them. He seeks to persuade through love and affection as well as by reason.
“Not only Christ’s love, but our love for you compels us to urge you to persevere, to remain in him—in the truth about who he is, in union with him, and in loyalty to him.”
Evangelical privileges come with responsibilities, and those anointed by Christ are bound to remain with him despite opposition. This duty of perseverance in difficult times is strongly supported by two reasons:
First, by remembering Christ’s return on the day of judgment: “That when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1 John 2:28). It’s assumed that Jesus will come again, a truth they had known from the beginning. When he came before, it was in obscurity—born of a woman and laid in a manger. But when he comes again, it will be publicly, from the opened heavens, and every eye will see him. Those who remained faithful will face him with confidence and joy, knowing their full redemption comes with him.
In contrast, those who deserted him will be ashamed—ashamed of their unbelief, cowardice, ingratitude, and folly in forsaking such a glorious Redeemer. They will regret the false hopes, empty excuses, and worldly gain that led them away. “That we may have confidence and may not be ashamed.” The apostle includes himself in this hope: “Let us not be ashamed of you,” and likewise, “you will not be ashamed of yourselves.” Or, as the Greek phrase may suggest, “that we not be put to shame by him at his coming.” At that public appearance, Christ will disown those who abandoned him, declaring before angels and humanity that he is ashamed of them (Mark 8:38).
Second, by considering the dignity of those who stay true to Christ and his gospel: “If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does righteousness is born of him” (1 John 2:29). The word “if” here seems more concessive than conditional—better understood as “since.” So the meaning is clearer: Since you know Christ is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him. The one who does righteousness is essentially the one who abides in Christ. Abiding in Christ includes abiding in his teachings, love, and commands, which naturally leads to practicing righteousness or gospel holiness. Such a person must be born of Christ—renewed by his Spirit, remade in his image, and created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for them to do (Ephesians 2:10).
“Since then you know that the Lord Christ is righteous—our righteousness and sanctifier (1 Corinthians 1:30)—you also know that the one who continues to practice righteousness is born of him.”
This new spiritual nature comes from Christ. Anyone who remains faithful to the practice of godliness in challenging times gives clear evidence of being born from above. Christ is an everlasting Father, and to be born of him is a high privilege. Those who are born of him are children of God: “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). This introduces the next section of the letter.