2 John 1: 9
Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
The Apostle John is, besides Jesus, the expert on abiding. In this passage he shows us that we should also abide in Jesus’ teaching. He makes a rather strong statement here. Anyone who does not abide (hangout, remain, live in persist,) in Jesus’ teaching does not have God. Okay, wow! Now that will shake up a person’s theology. There are “Christians” all over the world who do not pursue Jesus’ Word and thus, his teaching. John says clearly that unless we are living in Jesus’ teachings then we don’t have the Father. One would then have to ask whether or not we have salvation. How can you have salvation without the Father?
Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7: 21). That is a truly frightening verse, is it not? It means there are people running around thinking they have their ticket punched for eternal life with Christ in heaven but who are instead deceived. They are not truly members of the family. We must allow ourselves to be adopted by the Father. That must mean more than just repeating a prayer. Ultimately we must choose our life in this world or His life. Unless we submit to the Lordship of Christ what meaning is there in calling him Lord, Lord?
We are entering into the final days. God is calling His children to Him. This is a time for entering in to His presence. There will be a separation of people but the good news is that we each get to choose what group to be in. Today’s message isn’t meant to frighten you but rather to invite you into the deep. It is time for all of God’s children to enter into a fully committed relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. Hearken to Jesus. Abide in his teaching, abide in his word.