# 15 2021 Dev. 1 Jn.2:17. Eternity! Read verses 15-29 first. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
1 Jn.2:17 “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
In the second half of chapter two John gives his people and gives to us as well, three warnings: be careful as you live in the world, be intentional in proclaiming Christ and be righteous.
Vs.15-17 We live in this world but we are not of the world. Does that mean we live in a bubble away from all the problems and deceptions of this world? No, we live here and we are to engage with the people around us, God calls us to change the world around us. It seems like an imposable task but by the power of the Holy Spirit the world can be changed and does change one person at a time. Amen! John warns us about the influences of this broken world. Coming off Holy Week and Easter we see the disregard for the true meaning of this religious calibration. Only 5% of Christians see Easter as important. We are to influence the world and not allow the corruption and deception of this world into our lives or into our churches.
Vs.18-28 John is concerned about those who have fallen away from the fellowship of believers, Like Paul, John is convinced they are in the last days. In-fact, Jesus announced that we are in the last days, but as we now know, our time is not God’s time. We now have the lowest percentage of people claiming church membership, around 49 %, all religion is in decline today. Does that mean we are in the last days? John also mentions the antichrist as all those who deny God and Jesus as the Christ, Christ as the Savior of the world. Today, particularly during a crisis, God comes to one’s lips, Jesus, not so much.
This is an important issue for the church: Vs. 24,25 “As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.” What have we known from the beginning? This simple truth: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (Jn.3:16-18).” As followers of Jesus we need to be intentional in proclaiming Jesus as our Savior, use words if necessary.
John recognizes that all followers of Jesus are sinners, we don’t want to hear it but it is a reality in this broken world. He also gives us the answer to achieving righteousness in this place and time: When we are born again, new creatures believing in Christ, we take on His Righteousness. Thanks be to God!
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