Remaining in God's Word

So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. 1 John 2:24-25 NLT

With so much confusion regarding diversities in belief, John calls the attention of those who claim they believe in Jesus and that He alone is the Savior. In the midst of this Christ-denying clamor, believers should be strong in their conviction. John tells his readers that the way they can be steadfast and firm in their faith is by remaining “faithful to what [they] have been taught from the beginning.” John is referring to the gospel to which he proclaimed to his readers. “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us… This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you” (1 John 1:1,2, 5). He tells them to cherish and treasure the message they have heard. The Word of God must reside in their hearts so that in every decision they will make, they will be guided by God’s Word. John reiterates what the Psalmist said about having God’s Word hidden in one’s soul. “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). This is how we value our intimacy and fellowship with God; by spending regular time meditating in His Word. Fellowship with God through His Word pulls us away from the love and the things of this world. “Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! (Psalm 119:34-36). Those who are in Christ will remain in His Word for they enjoy having fellowship with Him not just here on this side of life but also in the life to come. “And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us” (1 John 2:25).

Blessings,