Exploring 1 John: Abiding in What was Known
Exploring 1 John: Abiding in What was Known
1 John 2:24 - Surround yourself with the “force field” of abiding in Him and His Word.
”As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.“
1 John 2:24 NASB1995
John tells his flock that they should let that abide in them that they heard from the beginning. I know we have studied this word, but let’s take a look again at the word abide.
Abide comes from the Greek word μένω or ménō, which has the following Biblical usages; G3306 is used 120 times in the New Testament, including three usages in this one verse alone:
to remain, abide
in reference to place
to sojourn, tarry
not to depart
to continue to be present
to be held, kept, continually
in reference to time
to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure
of persons, to survive, live
in reference to state or condition
to remain as one, not to become another or different
to wait for, await one
We are to remain, stay, hold out, stand still, endure, be present, live, and not become different if we abide in that which we heard in the beginning. Here is what Enduring Word says about this abiding:
Therefore: In light of the danger of the spirit of antichrist, we protect ourselves against the spirit of antichrist by abiding in the original, core Christian message (that which you heard from the beginning). As we walk in the simplicity and power of that message, we will not be led astray.
Humans, by nature, are almost always attracted to something just because it is new. We almost always think of new as better. But when it comes to truth, new is not better. That which you heard from the beginning is better.
The apostle Paul communicated the same idea in Galatians 1:6-9, where he warns against going after a new gospel and emphasizes the importance of continuing on in the original gospel that Paul taught.
This is difficult because we are tempted to be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Ephesians 4:14). We often itch for something “new” and “exciting” even if it departs from that which you heard from the beginning.
Which you heard from the beginning: This does not describe whatever teaching any Christian might receive when he is newly following Jesus. The beginning, for these believers, describes the time when they were under the teaching of the apostles, which is now recorded for us in the New Testament.
Simply put, we abide in what is from the beginning when we stay close to our Bibles. If that was your environment when you were a young Christian, wonderful. But if it was not, then put yourself in that environment now.
Notice that the commentary references Galatians for another example of how the apostles like Paul and John warned us against going after a “new” Gospel. Humans love things that are new and believe that new is better. This might be true for the next generation iPhone, but it is not true for the foundational doctrines that Christians believe. John tells us quite nicely in the intro to his Gospel what was there at the beginning and we should abide in that Word that was with God and was God. Many churches today want to adopt every new thing, from the latest worship rock tune (that may or may not be aligned with the Word) to electronic projections to on-line Bible studies. Those are probably ok for the most part, but when churches decide to adopt the latest cultural fads and social causes as their top priority, then they have stepped away from abiding in what was there from the beginning and have embraced antichrists.
Not only should we abide in the Word from the beginning, but we should finish well, too, and not let up on where we live. I liked this example from Precept Austin from Brian Harbour, who is a retired pastor who leads a sermon seminary:
You don't know the name Bobo Holloman, and there is a reason for it. Bobo Holloman was a baseball player, a pitcher. He was one of the young players Bill Veeck brought up to play for the St. Louis Browns a few decades back. Hollomon kept bugging Veeck and the manager for a starting assignment, and they finally gave him one against the Athletics. Everything the A's hit was a rocket, but everything was right at somebody, so instead of hits they were outs. In the eighth inning, the second baseman made a miraculous play to rob the batter of a hit. With two outs in the ninth, the first baseman caught a screaming line drive down the line. The game was over. Hollomon had a no-hitter, the first twentieth-century no-hitter achieved by a pitcher in his first major league start. What an incredible start to his career. Great days were ahead for Bobo Holloman.
Not really. Fact is, he never even pitched another complete game and by the end of the year he was back in the minors, never to see the major league again. Bobo Holloman started well; he just didn't finish well. That happens to restaurants. There are about 555,000 restaurants in the United States with new restaurants starting each year. But more than half of all new restaurants fail within the first three years. They start well; they just don't finish well. That happens to churches. There are approximately 375,000 church congregations in the United States. About 80% of all U.S. churches have either leveled out in attendance, are declining, or are dying. They start well; they just don't finish well. That also happens to "Christians." From the time of Paul's reference in his second letter to Timothy about Demas—"Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me" (2Ti 4:10)—the church has been plagued with the problem of people who claim to have faith but whose faith fizzles at the finish.
Great story! When we abide in Him, we start AND end in Him, and He will abide in us! King Solomon is a classic example of a man who started off strong, but fizzled in the end because he kept listening to his many foreign wives and concubines instead of to God. Abiding is an active state of being and should be safeguarded through reading the word, acquiring wisdom and using discernment. It is the difference between being a non-disciple, a false disciple and a real disciple of God and the Son. To finish this, here is a great excerpt from a sermon by John Piper discussing John 8:31 (this verse leads off this excerpt):
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.” The word “abide” is simply the word “remain.” It doesn’t carry in it any special spiritual connotations in itself. It means remain in his word. Don’t leave it. This doesn’t mean that you can’t lay your Bible down and go to your work. No. Abiding in the word of Jesus means remaining in that force field of the word. It means not leaving it.
Abide means not ceasing to be persuaded by its truth, and never elevating any other truth above it.
Abide means not ceasing to be attracted by its beauty and value, and never seeing anything as more beautiful or more valuable or more attractive than the word and the Lord it reveals.
Abide means not ceasing to rest in its grace and power — never turning away as though greater peace could be found anywhere else.
Abide means never ceasing to eat and drink from the word as the bread of heaven and living water, as if life could be sustained anywhere else.
And abide means never ceasing to walk in the light of the word, as though any other light could show the secrets of life.
This is what it means to be a true disciple. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.”
John spent his whole life defining what it means to be a disciple, then an apostle of Jesus. This means to abide!
My next devotional examines 1 John 2:25 - The promise of eternal life.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Please help me to abide in the truth, the beauty, the value, the grace, the power, the sustenance and the light of Your Word, always. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
The Blue Letter Bible was accessed on 4/24/2024 to review the lexicon for abide.
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Precept Austin was accessed on 4/24/2024 to review the commentary for 1 John 2:24.
John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For more than thirty years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis. He is author of more than fifty books, and his sermons, articles, books, and more are available free of charge at desiringGod.org.
In all cases of republishing, the following attribution must be included:
By John Piper. © Desiring God Foundation. Source: desiringGod.org