1 John 2 - Remain in Jesus
John 15:5-8 says, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”
Amen. Let’s believe that with our whole hearts today.
John says that those of us who claim to believe in and to know Jesus Christ must prove it. We don’t prove it by how smart we are, how we dress, what politicians we emulate, what cars we drive, what private jets we fly in, or what position we’ve attained. No, he says we prove our faith in and allegiance to Jesus - our love of God - by our obedience to His commandments (1 John 2:3-6). They will know we are Christians by our love in action.
Christians are waking up. We are tired of the celebrity pastors, the big gaudy shows of wealth and religiosity, and the cult of notoriety. Good. Jesus makes it plain that if we chase after the world we can expect no satisfaction and that we indeed will do nothing of eternal value - branches cut off, piled up, and drying out of the fire.
I’m thankful for the revival I see in young and old all over the world. I think we see it in our political systems as well. People are tired of being controlled and lied to by the elites - in every realm of society (including the church). People are tired of messed-up priorities in the church. Many are more worried about looking respectful than being right before God. They want the role, but they care not for the responsibility that comes with it. Shameful.
John says we are to obey Jesus and to “live as Jesus did” (2:6). It’s a tall order, to say the least. But God’s Word always encourages us to wholesome thinking and good living. John gets really practical for those like me who are a little thick. To live as Jesus did means we love one another (2:7).
We live in the light (2:9). That means we stop living in darkness. We have God-given freedom in Christ to sin no more and to live in the light. It is a day to have no hatred for anyone. To remind each other that our sins are forgiven through Jesus. And to prove that we are Jesus’ men by how we act like Him in everything we say and do. Yes, that means rejecting evil in every part of the day - morning, noon, and night. And we stand up for those who need help. We selflessly yield to others and love others by doing what is inconvenient to us so that they may benefit.
John was no pretender or Pollyanna. He knew the power of temptation and the reality that some will not remain in Christ. People will tempt you today. We may be tempted to cut corners, treat people harshly, favor the rich, brag about our accomplishments, and get ahead by putting ourselves ahead of others. How often do we make decisions based on what we get out of something rather than what the Kingdom gets?
This passage tells us that we will be tempted by what we see and the opportunity to possess more. We know that. But are we prepared to reject the world’s offerings and to remain in Christ?
John reminds us of the emptiness of the world’s offerings. The world offers cravings for physical pleasures, everything we see, accomplishments, and possessions. They are not gifts from the Father (2:16). We know from experience that they are evil and empty. They are not satisfying; the things of this world are indeed fading away.
John emphasizes the contrast between the love of this world and the love of God. The world says get all the stuff you can and all the pleasure now as you can’t take anything with you when you die. But Jesus says that what we do here on earth has eternal consequences and that “anyone who does what pleases God will live forever” (2:17).
What we do now - how we prove our love for Jesus has an eternal impact. We know that, but will we live our lives as Jesus lived his earthly life? We are to love one another. That’s our encouragement from John. There is no position, worldy achievement, or accolade that ever comes close to having the Spirit of Christ rule and reign in our hearts. I’m thankful for my brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m thankful for all the servant leaders who encourage others to honor God and - as John encourages us here - to love others and obey Jesus as He builds His Kingdom.
Amen.
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