2 John 1-13
Thursday, 03 August 2023
“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.” -2 John V.9
The foundation of a Christian is defined in our key verse – it is the teaching of Christ. The distinctive mark of a true Christian is his resolve to stay within the boundary of Christ’s teaching. Jesus Himself stated this in Matt.7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
The purpose of a Christian’s life is to be conformed to the image of his master Jesus Christ (Rom.8:29). This will have to result in having the mind/attitude of Christ (Phil.2:5), demonstrated in his life by being a disciple of Jesus Christ. The mind entangled in the many affairs of this world and the will trained to please the self, have to be re-programmed to serve his Master and Lord!! This is possible only if we heed to what Jesus taught us in John 8:31 & 32: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
The teaching of Christ paves the way for a devoted Christian life! It is the strong fortress of defense of Christian faith in a multicultural society that waits for any chance to mock us. How sad it is when professing Christians go after temporal glories of money and popularity and leave the weighty principles of Christ, giving room for the world to ridicule us!
Let us come back to the roots! Let us come to the love and devotion and sacrifice and humility and simple living and faith which our Master has taught us and prove what it means to be a Christian!!
There are three fundamental areas that we will look into in which the teachings of Christ have greater relevance:
Relationships
· With God: “….’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’’’(Matt.22:37)
· With people: The second most important command Jesus gave: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matt.22:39)
· With close family members: “Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples. (Matt.10:37)
Resources
· Treasures in heaven: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, ….But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matt.6:19,20)
· Treasures on earth: “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17)
Rewards
· In heaven: The Bible states that “…each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (1Cor.3:8)
· On earth: Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age…..and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29,30)
A Christian who gives much heed to these areas will abide in the doctrine of Christ so that he/she will not stray away from the path our Lord Jesus showed us to walk in.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to stay in the principles of Your Word all through my life. Amen.