“There was a time in my life,” Stan commented one morning, “that something I read in the apostle John’s second letter jolted me and had a huge impact on my faith walk. And it continues to do so today if I pay attention. Again, a big ‘if.’”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Abiding in Jesus’ teaching,” he replied.
“How so?”
“John wrote that if I abide in Jesus’ teaching,” Stan said, “I will have both Jesus and His Father.”
“That sounds good,” I replied. “What about it?”
“How can I abide in Jesus’ teaching if I don’t know what He taught. And if I don’t spend time reading and praying about what He taught, how am I going to know so I can and will abide in His teaching.”
“Oh,” I replied, “that seems to make sense. It’s kind of like most everything else, if I don’t know what to do, how am I going to do it?”
“Exactly,” Stan said. “And that’s why it’s so crucial for me and my faith walk that I spend the time that is required for me to know what Jesus taught. If I don’t spend the time, I won’t know. And if I don’t know, there’s no way I can abide in His teaching.”
“Maybe,” I commented, “that’s why there aren’t as many people abiding in what Jesus’ taught as there should be. Maybe they don’t know what they’re supposed to know. You think that’s a possibility?”
“I not only think that,” Stan replied, “I’m convinced of it!”
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Bible verses to consider:
Any one 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 9.
Jesus therefore answered them, and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” John 7:16.
If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine. John 8:31.
You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right; for so I am. John 13:13.
And why do you call Me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus so all who believe will have life eternally with you when it’s time. Thank you, too, for His teaching in which I am to abide for as long as you keep me on this side of eternity. I confess that too often I do not abide in His teaching because I don’t know what He taught; and I don’t know what He taught because I don’t spend the time to know. Please forgive the foolishness of trying to live this life without knowing what Jesus taught. I ask you to help me in following every step of your lead in knowing what Jesus taught so I can, in fact, abide in His teaching. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in His name. Amen.
Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him so you can abide in Jesus’ teaching on this side of eternity? If no, why? What’s in the way? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with abiding in Jesus’ teaching? Do you spend the time needed to know what He taught so you can abide in those teachings? If you sense the need for change in what you know so you can abide, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 