Confirmation

Remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not draw back from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also is born of Him.—1 John 2:28–29 NASB

What is your attitude toward the coming of the Lord? The Bible is clear: When He comes again, all of us will stand before Him and give an account of our lives. When we face Him, what will we say? What is our report? Are we ready?

God has given us the resources we need, so we can be confident. John wrote that we have received “an anointing,” symbolizing the presence of the Holy Spirit (v. 27). We can draw on His presence at any time. He is with us to guide us, warn us, prepare us, and teach us.

We need to declare that Jesus is the Christ and be sure that He is the Lord of our lives. And we need to abide in Him. This means being always conscious of His presence with us and focused on obeying His Word.

John also described a practical way we can tell if we are pleasing Him: practice righteousness. While we are not saved by our words and deeds, what we do and say gives evidence of the real condition of our hearts. When others see us, what do they hear? When they hear us, what do they learn about our lives?

Make sure you are ready, and Jesus is your Lord. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Seek to live according to His Word, sow seeds into His Kingdom, and bear good fruit in your life.

Reflection Question: Are you ready for the coming of the Lord?