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We live out the Christian life, John says, between appearances of Christ. He appeared first to remove sin and to loose us from the works of the devil, and He appears again as judge and to transform us into His likeness.
But Jesus comes again and again, not just twice. Jesus came through and in the Spirit at Pentecost. Jesus came in judgment in AD 70. Jesus comes again and again throughout history as the King at the right hand of the Father to crush those who rebel against Him.
And Jesus comes every week as we appear in His presence.
Every Lord's day is a day of the Lord; every Sunday is a "parousia," another appearance of Jesus. He comes to us every Lord's day as the King reviewing His troops.
John says that everyone who hopes in God's coming "purifies himself, just as He is pure." Purity is priestly language, the language of the temple. Jesus comes each week as the great High Priest to inspect His temple, which we are.
This is why we confess our sins at the beginning of worship every Lord's day. If we are going to pass His priestly inspection, we need to be cleansed of all blemishes and stains. When we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That is the only way we can appear before His presence with boldness, and not, like Adam, shrink back in shame at His coming.
So, having our hope fixed on Jesus and His coming, let us purify ourselves, so that we may be pure, just as He is pure.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, November 12, 2006 at 07:51 AM
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