If someone were to consider your nature, who would they think you resemble?

Last week the exhortation was to remain or abide in Christ.

This new section exhorts readers to continue in him in light of his return.

Here John teaches that if you have been born of him, you will be like him, doing what is right because Jesus is righteous.

Righteous: a state of being right, or right conduct, judged whether by the Divine standards, of what is right. Said of God, it designates the perfect agreement between His nature and His acts (in which He is the standard for all men)"— Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

When we believe in Christ our lives and our natures are transformed to resemble his righteousness.

When Christ appears we will be made fully like him.

Until then we continue in him, transformed by his love, becoming more and more like him and less like the world and culture around us.

It is Jesus who transforms us and makes us righteous.

Jesus was and is without sin.

Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven and removed from us so that we no longer live by it.

It is Christ‘s righteousness that transforms and purifies us putting us in right relationship with God.

To live in Christ is to no longer live in sin.

You will resemble who you follow.

The children resemble their father.

You will resemble your father.

To continue in Christ is to be transformed by his righteousness as we remain in him.

That means that instead of just trying to do all the right things, we build a right relationship with him.

How is God speaking to you through his word today?

LUST OF THE FLESH = desires for physical sin
LUST OF THE EYES = desires for visual / mental / emotional sin.
PRIDE OF LIFE = stuff / possessions.