Dear children of the Most High,
Today, let’s learn from John’s teaching to the church about how true believers will continue to abide in Christ.
Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. The one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
— 2 John 9
The word “anyone” that John opens with can literally be translated as “everyone.” This means John speaks to everyone who claims to be a believer.
The next phrase that John uses requires careful study: “goes too far and does not abide in the teachings of Christ.” With this phrase, John gives the church a clear teaching on the marks that identify a true believer. John says if anyone or everyone does not abide in the teaching of Christ, they do not have God.
Rephrasing John’s words here leads the church to conclude that a true believer is marked by their adherence to the teachings of Christ. If one does not abide in these teachings, then they are effectively an unbeliever.
It’s important to also notice that the tense John chooses for the word “abide” is one that is present but also continuous.
Abide: A primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy): – abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for) X thine own.
One commentator states: “The word ‘abide’ has the idea of constant adherence and warns that these fundamentals are not open to change or subject to the latest trends or philosophical fads.”
John’s phrasing here refers not only to a singular event in the believer’s life but to an ongoing, daily lifestyle.
This is consistent with Jesus’ teaching to his disciples on how people would identify them as true disciples. Jesus told them that the only way people would identify them as true disciples is if they obeyed His commandments:
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples;
— John 8:31
The phrasing that Jesus uses here is similar in its insistence on the continuation of this obedience and abiding in the teachings of Christ.
At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus gathered His disciples and gave them the Great Commission. In it, He instructed them to make disciples of all nations and then told them to teach those disciples all that He had commanded them:
teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
— Matthew 28:20
What we see here is that identifying a true believer is not by a mere profession of faith, checking a box labeled “Christian,” performing repeated religious acts, or simply being moralistic and trying one’s best to be on their best behavior. True believers, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, will produce the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit includes all that is needed to obey the commandments of Christ.
John’s next phrase establishes this reality: “The one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.” The same tense structure is used here as well. This abiding is not a one-time event. It is a whole lifestyle, continuous and consistent.
It should also be noted that as the believer is still in this body of death, there are times of heavy temptation, and the Spirit will strengthen the believer to overcome these temptations, especially as they grow in sanctification. However, there are times when the flesh is weak and becomes overwhelmed. When the believer ends up in sin because of such circumstances, the Holy Spirit is there to convict the believer of their sin. The attitude of the believer is one of repentance. The true believer will run back to God for repentance and forgiveness, and Christ is the advocate to the Father for the believer:
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
— 1 John 2:1-2
This is the reason why John states, “Anyone who goes too far.” This phrase “going too far” suggests that the individual ignores all the red flags and warnings against sin and decides to embrace sin instead of running back to Christ for repentance. In such cases, there is a high possibility that one who claims to have been a believer but goes this far was never really a believer to begin with.
Let’s ask ourselves these questions:
- What do we do in the face of temptation: Do we ignore all the signs, or do we lean on God for strength to overcome the temptations?
- What do we do when we sin: Do we ignore it and try to start over? Do we try to justify the sin based on circumstances? Do we run to Christ and appeal to Him as our advocate to grant us repentance and forgiveness of our sins?
- Are we abiding in the teaching of Christ: Is it a one-time event, or is it a lifestyle of consistently and continuously obeying Christ?
I pray this word reminds us to examine ourselves daily.
May grace be upon you,
Paul
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