In today’s passage, in vs.24-28, the Greek word “menō” appears six times. In the NKJV it is translated “abide” each time. It is an important word for John. Over half of the 120 uses of this word in the NT are used by John (41 in the Gospel, 23 in 1 John and 3 in 2 John). The meaning of the word is not difficult, but it is important. In John 1:33 John said that God told him that the Messiah would be the One Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him. Our word is the word “remaining.” The Spirit descended on Jesus and then remained there. So, with the Christian. The believer has received Christ; now the command is to “abide” or “remain” in Him.
Remember the context. We are concerned with “joyous fellowship”
with the Father and the Son as well as with fellow-believers. So first, as we noted in the previous post,
when a person believes in Christ they come to know Christ in the truth. Now the command is to “remain” in that
personal and deep realization of Christ.
As John says here, the anointing which you have received from Him
abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you. If the gospel “abides” in you they you also
will “abide” in the Son and in the Father, and that is the essence of joyous
fellowship!
John says he is writing these things because there
are people trying to deceive his audience.
So, what happens if you give in to that deception? Certainly, you would lose joyful
fellowship. But do you also lose your
salvation? Do you revert to no longer
belonging to Christ because you have ceased to believe in Him? No. We
have already seen in 1 Jn. 2:19 that those who buy into the deception and deny
Christ are made manifest “that none of them were of us.” In other words, if you have the anointing of
God and know Christ, that will not change.
If it is “automatic” then why is there a
command to “let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning?” The answer to that question is bound up in
this word “abide.” We referred to John
1:33 earlier. The Holy Spirit descended
upon Jesus and then remained on Him.
Jesus was filled with the Spirit, and then continued to be filled with
the Spirit throughout His life and ministry.
So it is with us. By faith we
have come into a relationship with Christ.
By faith we continue in that relationship day by day, living out of what
Christ is in us. Not only do we have joyful
fellowship with the Father and the Son; we also bear fruit in our lives as we
abide in Christ. He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. … If you abide in Me, and My words abide in
you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. … If you keep
My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s
commandments and abide in His love.
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and
that your joy may be full (John 15:5,7,10,11).
(Note: We are going to set aside our studies in 1 John until after the first of next year. Beginning tomorrow we will consider some themes related to the Incarnation. Over New Years we will consider some thoughts from the Minor Prophets related to the current Israel-Hamas war.)
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