CONTINUE IN HIM 

1 John 2:18-29 / Keywords 2:28

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

 

Warnings Against Denying the Son

2:18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.[a] 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.

26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

God’s Children and Sin

28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

Footnotes

a. 1 John 2:20 Some manuscripts and you know all things

1. John warned them of antichrists who would infiltrate the church with false teachings that deny Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Though they joined the congregation, they did not belong to the fellowship of believers because they did not personally accept Christ. We should not be discouraged or influenced when someone abandons their Christian walk.

 

2. Those who don’t accept Jesus as the Son of God don’t know God though they profess to. We must be alert to false teachings of our time and not be swayed by them. We must hold onto the truth that was planted in us that Jesus is the Son of God who died for us on the cross, was resurrected on the third day, ascended into heaven, and gives us eternal life. This apostle’s creed in our hearts protects us from false teachings of the antichrists.

 

3. Lastly, we must continue in Christ, with real hope that Jesus will come again and find us doing what is right. Then, we can be confident and unashamed before Christ. We can’t do this by our own strength, but only through relying on Jesus’ righteousness and being guided by the Holy Spirit (27).

 

Prayer Father, thank you for sending Jesus your Son to lead me to righteousness. Please help me to continue in Jesus.

One Word Continue in Jesus, relying on his righteousness and Holy Spirit