THE MARKS OF THE RIGHTEOUS--1st JOHN 2:18-29

THE MARKS OF THE RIGHTEOUS

1st John 2:18-29

Introduction:

What are we looking for in the believer? What marks him as a strong, determined and faithful Christian is a society that has disdain for him? God has given us some marks to look for in the faithful believer. They are not hard to find because they stand out so that everyone can see them.

I. A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IN CHRIST.

A. Jesus said, “Ye must be born again.” John 3:3, 5-6 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

B. Works don’t impress the Lord, Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

II. HE KNOWS THE TRUTH.

A. The truth makes us free, John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

1. The preaching of the truth, 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

a. It is foolishness to the fool (“them that parish”).

b. It is life to the wise (“but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”).

2. The Believing of the Truth, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”

B. There is no lie in the truth and the believer knows it, 1 John 2:21, “I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

1. God cannot lie, Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

2. The believer trusts the Lord, that is, he has faith, Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

3. He has believed the report, Romans 10:16, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?”

III. HE THAT DOES RIGHTEOUSNESS.

A. The “eyes” have it, 1 John 2:15-16, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1. The average professing Christian today cannot be distinguished from the world.

2. Separation is a foreign word to him, 2 Corinthians 16:16-18, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

IV. HE THAT ABIDES.

A. He stays when others leave, 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

1. Because he is a born-again believer, 1 John 2:29, “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.”

2. He is not seduced by the world, 1 John 2:26-27, “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”

B. He is constant and firm is his service, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”

C. He is rooted and established in Christ, Colossians 2:6-7, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

CONCLUSION

It is not difficult to see the mark of a faith Christian. We have mentioned some here, but there are more yet. I trust that these marks are seen in your life as a professed believer in Jesus Christ.