Abide: Week 21

Jul 4, 2011 by desiringvirtue

This Week’s Verses:

2:26. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

2:27. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Thoughts and Meditations:

John reminds these believers that they have no need for anyone to teach them while teaching them to hold fast to the truth they had been taught. It becomes clear that he means to emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit in protecting believers from false doctrine. What is more, they have the gospel message that they heard from the beginning to stand as a rueberic against false teaching.

Today we have the same resources at our disposal. We must judge all teaching through the lense of the Word of God and by the Spirit of God. Not only do we have these resources, but we are responsible to make use of them. According to John there is no excuse for bad theology or for being taken captive to false teaching. With the tools God has given us we can be confident in our ability to grow in all spiritual truth.

Related Passages:

“And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34 ESV)

“even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17 ESV)

This post is part of an ongoing series called Abide: Memorizing 1 John. I have been memorizing 1 John for four months now and you can read more entrees from this series by clicking here!