Sometimes believers have treated the doctrine of the return of Christ as though it were an escape valve from having to face the harsh realities of life. These say, “No matter that ungodliness is everywhere apparent, no matter that men and women are suffering from persecution and hunger, no matter that the church is unfaithful to God’s written revelation of His will and ways; soon Jesus will return, and nothing else will matter.” Some unfortunately have even rejoiced when conditions in the world have gotten worse; for, they say, “It is a sign of a not-too-distant second coming.” But this is wrong, and John at least will not stand for it. What happens when a Christian actually understands that Jesus is returning and that he must give an account before Him? The answer is that he “purifies himself,” even as Christ is pure (1 John 3:3). Moreover, it is the one who understands these things who is most often down in the heart and heartbreak of the city, working to bring the liberating power of the Gospel to broken men and women, and in the far reaches of the world in order to tell those who have not heard the Gospel about the world’s Savior.
In the last words of chapter 2, John says that it is by doing righteousness that the one who is really born of God demonstrates that he is born of Him. The idea here is of inherited family traits. God is righteous. Consequently, everyone who is born of God must show traits of that righteousness.
Thoughts of the return of Jesus apparently led John to reflect on the certainty of the final outcome of the Christian’s salvation and of the love of God which lies behind it. Moreover, as this is so meaningful and so wonderful, John immediately bursts out into praise to God for the greatness of His love in thus making us His children. Here the words imply great astonishment, as though the love of God is so unparalleled in human experience that John cannot even tell from whence it comes. It is beyond explanation. On the other hand, it is not at all an impractical thing; for the love of God determines both what we are now and what we shall be.
First of all, the love of God determines what we are now, and what we are now is God’s children. It is not just that we receive the designation “children of God,” though that is also true. John does not want his phrase to be understood as implying that limitation. We actually are children of God by the new birth, and we are that now. This was God’s intention for us as His people from the beginning, as we shall see.