Not By Works
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Amen! Abiding in what we have heard from the beginning is the mark of genuine conversion. 1 John 2:19 is really a key verse, "They went out from us, they were not really of us. If they had been of us they would have...what?...would have remained with us." True Christians then are identified by abiding. And if someone doesn't, if they go out, reject, deny, they went out because they were not of us, if they had been of us they would have remained with us. Remaining, staying, abiding is the mark of a genuine believer. Some people turn "abiding in Christ" into some upper level spiritual experience that only super saints do, yet the Greek word for "abide" is "meno" which simply means to remain, tarry, not to depart, continue to be present.
Verse 24, "As for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning...if what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in the Son and the Father." We see confirmation and then down in verse 27 - But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
*In 1 John 4:13, we read - By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
Reading through the entire chapter of 1 John 2, we see in verse 6 - He who says (or claims) he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. In verse 9, we read - He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. In verse 11 - But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. *So John points out that there are those who "claim" to abide, "claim" to be in the light, yet walking in darkness, hating their brother and not practicing righteousness proves otherwise. *I see continuing to abide as real evidence of being a child of God. Genuine believers and make believers are contrasted throughout the chapter and "if" passages provide confirmation and not type 2 works salvation.
*In 2 John 1:9, we see two camps. Those who transgress and do not abide in the doctrine of Christ do not have God" and "those who abide in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. -- "unbelievers and believers contrasted."
2 John 2:9 (AMPC) - Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God; but he who continues to live in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ [does have God], he has both the Father and the Son.
Verse 24, "As for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning...if what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in the Son and the Father." We see confirmation and then down in verse 27 - But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
*In 1 John 4:13, we read - By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
Reading through the entire chapter of 1 John 2, we see in verse 6 - He who says (or claims) he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. In verse 9, we read - He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. In verse 11 - But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. *So John points out that there are those who "claim" to abide, "claim" to be in the light, yet walking in darkness, hating their brother and not practicing righteousness proves otherwise. *I see continuing to abide as real evidence of being a child of God. Genuine believers and make believers are contrasted throughout the chapter and "if" passages provide confirmation and not type 2 works salvation.
*In 2 John 1:9, we see two camps. Those who transgress and do not abide in the doctrine of Christ do not have God" and "those who abide in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. -- "unbelievers and believers contrasted."
2 John 2:9 (AMPC) - Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God; but he who continues to live in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ [does have God], he has both the Father and the Son.
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In John 10:27-28, we read - My sheep hear My voice, (not some of them hear His voice and some of them don't hear His voice) and I know them, (not some of them He knows and some of them He doesn't know) and they follow Me. (not some of them follow Him and some of them don't follow Him) And I give them eternal life, (not some of them He gives eternal life and some of them He doesn't give eternal life) and they shall never perish; (not some of them will never perish and some of them will perish) neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (not some of them will never be snatched out of His hand and some of them will be snatched out of His hand)
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Grace comes through the Holy Spirit and you don't have the blessing that Jesus had when the Holy Spirit rested upon Him and later upon the disciples in the Upper Room, the apostle Paul on the Damascus and millions of Born Again Christians across the world, down through the ages, and like I just said without the Holy Spirit you do not have grace, and your whole man-made edifice comes falling down because it is built on sand and not the whole Word of God.