1 John 2:26-29 So That When He Appears We May Have Confidence

Introduction

What produces confidence before a holy and righteous God within a sinner? This is not a question that can be ignored or pushed aside, because every believer will one day stand before the Lord who created them and redeemed them. You need to understand what gives you the kind of confidence that does not collapse under guilt, confusion, or fear when you think about the return of Christ. The Christian life is not meant to drift along in uncertainty or guesswork. John writes these verses so that you may have a settled and steady hope, a confidence that is rooted in the promise that Jesus will appear again. The hope of His return is meant to strengthen you, calm you, and keep you from being shaken by the voices around you that try to pull you away from Him.

John is not giving a theoretical idea. He is telling you that confidence before God is something real and something necessary. It is something God intends for His people, something He builds in them through truth, through the Spirit, and through the practice of righteousness. As you come to this passage, you are being invited to examine what your heart rests in when you think about facing Christ. John wants you to know that the return of Jesus is not meant to be a source of shame for the believer, but a moment of joy, stability, and assurance. The presence of false teachers, the pressure of the world, and the weakness of our own hearts make this confidence feel fragile at times. But God has provided everything you need to stand before Him without shrinking back. The hope of His appearing is not distant or abstract. It is the anchor that holds you steady as you wait for the day when you will see Him face to face.

Do Not Fall to the Seduction of False Teachers (1 John 2:26)

1 John 2:26: "I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you."

John begins with a pastoral warning. There were people actively trying to deceive the believers. They were teaching a reduced and distorted view of Jesus, denying that He is the Christ and denying that He came in the flesh. Their goal was to detach the believers from Christ and place them under their own influence. They wanted followers, not disciples of Jesus. John recognizes not only their intent but also the effect they were having. Some people had already left the truth because the distortion was convincing.

This problem is not unique to John’s audience. Throughout the early church, deception grew alongside the truth. Jesus illustrated this in Matthew 13:24-30 when He spoke about the enemy sowing weeds among the wheat. The good seed and the weeds grew side by side, sometimes indistinguishable at first. Paul struggled with the same reality in 2 Corinthians 11:1-6, where he expressed concern that believers were accepting a different Jesus and a different gospel. He later explained in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 that false apostles disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, just as Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. They look convincing. They sound sincere. Yet their message pulls people away from Christ.

The author of Hebrews also warns believers not to be led astray by strange teachings, reminding them that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8-9). False teaching always leads away from godliness, away from holiness, and away from grace. It breaks down the truth of who Jesus is and replaces it with ideas that cannot save and cannot strengthen the believer’s faith.

This is why John speaks with such fatherly concern. He wants believers to understand the real danger. False teaching has a real effect on the soul. It does not simply misinform. It destabilizes faith. It removes hope. It weakens confidence in the presence of Christ. But the hope that God gives through Scripture and through the testimony of Christ Himself is stronger than the deception of false teachers. Believers are not left defenseless. God has given them everything they need to remain rooted in the truth.

His Anointing and Your Ability (1 John 2:27)

1 John 2:27: "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him."

John then explains how believers can remain stable in the truth. God has given His Spirit to His people. The Holy Spirit is the Helper Jesus promised in the Gospel of John. This is not an abstract idea. Jesus said the Spirit would teach His disciples, remind them of His words, guide them into truth, and bear witness about Him. The Spirit’s ministry is personal and relational. He helps believers know God, understand Scripture, and remain anchored in Christ.

Jesus taught this clearly in John 14:15-17. The Spirit of truth would be with believers forever, dwelling in them and helping them understand what the world cannot see. Jesus continued this teaching in John 14:25-26, explaining that the Spirit would bring to remembrance everything He had said. The disciples did not fully understand many things until after Jesus rose from the dead. The Spirit helped them remember and understand what Christ had already taught.

In John 15:26-27, Jesus said the Spirit would bear witness about Him, reinforcing that the Spirit’s work always draws attention back to Christ. Acts 2:32-33 shows this promise fulfilled when the risen Jesus poured out the Spirit on His people, confirming His exaltation and His ongoing work among believers. Paul explains in Galatians 3:13-14 that Christ redeemed believers so they could receive the promised Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 3:14-17, Paul says that the veil over the heart is removed only in Christ, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

The Spirit’s presence in the believer restores discernment. Hebrews 5:12-14 describes mature believers as those whose discernment has been trained to distinguish good from evil. Solomon prayed for discernment in 1 Kings 3:9. Paul commands believers in Romans 12:2 to discern God’s will through a renewed mind. First Thessalonians 5:19-22 tells believers to test everything and hold fast to what is good.

John’s point is clear. The Spirit equips believers to know the truth, recognize deception, and stay rooted in Christ. This ability was twisted in the garden when humanity sought wisdom apart from God. But now, through the Spirit, believers can discern between good and evil according to God’s standard. Through sanctification, study, fellowship, and spiritual growth, believers develop a heart that recognizes holiness and senses rebellion. All of this comes from God’s desire to be known by His people. He gives His Spirit so that believers may truly know Him.

Confidence at His Return (1 John 2:28)

1 John 2:28: "And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming."

John’s next words are deeply pastoral. He calls believers little children to remind them of their true identity. They belong to God. They have been adopted into His family. They have been cleansed, forgiven, and secured through Christ. The goal of this relationship is confidence, not fear. The believer who abides in Christ can look forward to His return without shrinking back. They can stand before Him with joy because they are already accepted.

Confidence does not come from personal accomplishment. It comes from knowing who Christ is and what He has done. When wrong teaching pulls believers away from this truth, confidence weakens. But when doctrine is sound and Christ is rightly understood, confidence grows. The believer sees Christ as the One who finished the work of salvation. His righteousness becomes their assurance. His obedience becomes their standing. His return becomes a moment of joy rather than dread.

Paul models this confidence in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, where he speaks of fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and keeping the faith. He knew a crown of righteousness awaited him, not because he earned it, but because the Lord promised it. He then adds that this reward is for all who love Christ’s appearing. This is the confidence of the believer.

Colossians 1:4-5 reveals that faith and love grow from the hope stored up in heaven. Colossians 1:21-23 explains that Christ has reconciled believers so He can present them holy and blameless before Him. This reconciliation is relational. Believers stand before Christ with confidence because He has already secured their acceptance.

Revelation 22:20 shows the heart of the church. Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon." The church replies, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." This is the cry of a people who know they belong to Him. They look forward to His appearing because their identity as God’s children is settled.

The future kingdom is real. It is a future hope, a future reward, and a future world that will not resemble the broken world we know now. The church is a people set apart, longing for this kingdom and living now in obedience to their King. They believe Christ came in the flesh. They believe He will return. They love their neighbors because they represent Christ here and now. The believer who abides in Christ understands that confidence is not fragile. It is secured by the One who has promised to appear.

Fruit of Righteousness (1 John 2:29)

1 John 2:29: "If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him."

John ends by showing how this confidence shapes everyday life. When a believer abides in Christ, righteousness becomes the natural outflow. This is not about earning God’s favor. It is the evidence that the believer is connected to the righteous One. The life of Christ begins to shape their behavior, their desires, and their direction. The fruit does not create the life. The life creates the fruit.

This is why believers can recognize Christlike qualities in one another. You can see patience, kindness, gentleness, humility, and purity. You can see a heart that values holiness and rejects sin. This righteousness is not perfection, but direction. It is the consistent movement toward holiness because the believer is rooted in Christ.

This fruit is described clearly in Galatians 5:22-26. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control all appear in the life of someone who belongs to Christ. Romans 8:12-17 expands this by showing that believers are children of God led by the Spirit. The Spirit teaches them to cry out, "Abba, Father," and confirms that they are heirs with Christ. Even their suffering becomes a confirmation of their identity as they turn from the desires of the flesh and face the rejection of a world that does not accept Christ.

Righteousness grows because the believer abides in Christ. It is the natural product of a life rooted in the righteous One. It is the fruit that shows someone has been born of God.

Conclusion

What cannot be overlooked is the trickle down or domino effect that a person's belief about Jesus has on their life. John lays out a clear chain of cause and effect. Each link leads naturally to the next, and together they reveal why confidence before Christ matters so deeply.

First, false teachings always begin by distorting who Jesus is. They attempt to change His identity, minimize His work, deny His incarnation, or redefine His mission. If the enemy can alter the believer’s view of Christ, he can destabilize every part of their faith.

Second, distorted teaching produces distorted confidence. When Christ is reduced or reshaped, the believer’s assurance becomes unsettled. Confidence before God does not come from emotion. It comes from knowing the truth about Christ. When that truth is weakened, confidence collapses.

Third, when confidence collapses, the believer begins to shrink back from Christ instead of drawing near. Shame grows where confidence fades. When believers no longer rest in Christ’s finished work, they fear His appearing rather than anticipate it.

Fourth, right belief produces abiding. Abiding is the steady resting of the soul in Christ’s identity and work. It anchors the believer to the truth and keeps them from drifting.

Fifth, abiding produces confidence. The believer who abides in Christ stands before Him with joy, knowing their acceptance is secured by His completed work.

Sixth, confidence produces righteousness. The life rooted in Christ displays the fruit of Christ. This righteousness does not earn acceptance. It flows from acceptance. It is the natural outflow of abiding.

This is the chain John wants every believer to see. Your confidence before Christ comes from knowing who He is and trusting in what He has done. False teachings attempt to break this chain by removing confidence in Christ’s completed work. But when you remain in Him, you can stand before Him without shrinking back. You can look forward to His return with joy. You can walk in righteousness because His life is in you. The work that saves you has already been completed by Christ. Your confidence, your assurance, and your hope are found in Him alone.

Scripture References

• Matthew 13:24-30: Jesus teaches the parable of the weeds among the wheat to show that false teaching grows alongside truth until the final harvest.
• 2 Corinthians 11:1-6: Paul warns that believers can be led astray from sincere devotion to Christ by those who preach another Jesus and another gospel.
• 2 Corinthians 11:12-15: Paul exposes false apostles as deceitful workers who disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, just as Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
• Hebrews 13:8-9: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so believers must not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings.
• John 14:15-17: Jesus promises the Helper, the Spirit of truth, who will be with believers forever and dwell in them.
• John 14:25-26: Jesus explains that the Holy Spirit will teach believers all things and bring to remembrance all that He has said.
• John 15:26-27: Jesus says the Spirit will bear witness about Him, and the apostles will also bear witness because they have been with Him from the beginning.
• Acts 2:32-33: Peter proclaims that the risen Jesus has been exalted and has poured out the promised Holy Spirit on His people.
• Galatians 3:13-14: Christ redeems us from the curse of the law so that we may receive the blessing of Abraham and the promised Spirit through faith.
• 2 Corinthians 3:14-17: The veil over the heart is removed in Christ, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
• Hebrews 5:12-14: Mature believers have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
• 1 Kings 3:9: Solomon prays for an understanding mind to discern between good and evil in order to govern God’s people.
• Romans 12:2: Believers are called to be transformed by the renewal of their minds so they can discern the good and perfect will of God.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22: Believers are commanded not to quench the Spirit, but to test everything, hold fast what is good, and abstain from every form of evil.
• 2 Timothy 4:6-8: Paul looks to his death with confidence, knowing the Lord will award a crown of righteousness to all who love Christ’s appearing.
• Colossians 1:4-5: Faith in Christ and love for the saints flow from the hope laid up in heaven.
• Colossians 1:21-23: Believers who were once alienated have been reconciled by Christ in order to be presented holy and blameless before Him, if they continue in the faith.
• Revelation 22:20: Jesus declares that He is coming soon, and the church responds with the prayer, "Come, Lord Jesus."
• Galatians 5:22-26: Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit and calls believers to live by the Spirit and keep in step with Him.
• Romans 8:12-17: Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God, adopted as His children and made heirs with Christ.