Day 522: Old but true - 1 John 2 vs 24 - 29

24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.  25 And this is the promise that he made to us - eternal life.

26-27 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie - just as it has taught you, abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his  coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. 1 John 2:24-29 English Standard Version

We live in days when the focus is all on things that are new. The latest smartphones, newest fashions, and sadly, the up-to-date trends in political correctness. Old words are changed to have new meanings, and old customs (like marriage) are cast away like old clothes for new lifestyles. Something similar was happening nearly 2000 years ago when John wrote the letter we are looking at. What was he calling Christians in those days to cling to? (vs 24)

He was urging them to hold fast to the gospel message that he and the other apostles had first preached to the world. This letter was written more than forty years after Christ had ascended to the Father. A lot can change over forty years! Even though John was confident that the Christians he was writing to knew the truth, he still felt the need to urge them to hold on to it. Why was that? (vs 26-27)

There were people who were trying to deceive Christians by twisting the original message the apostles had preached from the start. They were changing words to have news meanings. They were also teaching that it was quite ok to live ungodly and promiscuous lives. We see that from vs 29.

How true this still is in 2021. We now have major Christian denominations teaching that marriage can be between two people of the same sex. There are Church leaders pushing for interfaith agendas where prayers are encouraged to the 'gods' of all religions. Many who claim to be Christians see no problem with killing children in the womb, or watching pornography. They scoff at Christians who still cling to the old truths of the Bible. But John's words in vs 29 clearly teach that only those who seek to live righteous lives are truly born of God. Christians who reject such righteousness have been deceived.

The pressure to reject old Bible truth in favour of new ideas is immense. Even in the West people are being arrested and losing jobs for teaching what the world denounces as bigotry. What is the encouragement for truly born again believers in the midst of the venom they're facing? (vs 26-27)

They have an anointing from God that keeps God's truth in focus. This surely goes back to Jesus' words in John 16:13 when He said to the disciples: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” That would be the Holy Spirit who God gives to every one who believes on Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the only Saviour of sinners. Those who abide in Christ will have the Spirit of truth abiding in them and will see through Satan's deceptions.

Is this important? Does it matter if people choose to differ on things like sexuality, or whether Jesus is the only way to heaven? What would you say the answer is in light of vs 25 & 28?

There is an eternal life to gain or to lose. When Jesus Christ returns there will be a final separating of 'wheat and tares', of 'sheep and goats', of the redeemed righteous and the unsaved unrighteous! The prophet Jeremiah said to people in his generation “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16) That's just as true for our generation.