Abiding with God – Forever Right Now


1 John 2:15-17
15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

It is interesting that we should read these words during the week before Christmas. If ever there is a time when we can become wrapped up in the world, it’s now. Consumerism and greed have hijacked the serenity of the Savior’s birth. The commercials, product jingles, and a galloping case of the ‘gimmes’ have become a noisy gong that demands our attention. The world wants us to pay attention and bow down. John’s words ring with truth as he warns us against love for the world.

The shocking line in this passage for me is “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Because the world is immediate and touchable (so very touchable) it is beyond tempting. We are quick to excuse our fascination with the world as “okay” because it’s not sin. But the slope is slippery and suddenly we find ourselves enamored with that which is not of God. John’s warning needs to ring regularly in our hearts and minds. For me, that helps to put the brakes on that fascination.

Verse 17 brings it all back into sharp focus. “. . . whoever does the will of God abides forever.” There’s a promise attached to this concept and it is connected to the Father Himself. We abide forever with God. That is pure bliss for in my better moments I can think of nothing greater than His presence. It is there that I want to abide forever. These three verses are connected in thought to the ideas that John puts forth beginning with verse 12. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake. I am forgiven and that is the birth of my abiding with God forever. It’s here – now. This abiding doesn’t begin later, after my death but is a part of my life right here, right now. It began in my baptism and is still alive right now. I abide with Him forever – present tense. Love that.

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