Remaining in Jesus Christ’s Love | Daily Devotion
“Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 9 NLT
Here, the apostle John states steadfast faith comes when we remain in fellowship with Jesus Christ, abiding in His teaching – and that relationship with Jesus Christ, allows us to enter God’s presence fearlessly, assured of His glad welcome – Ephesians 3:12. As Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one can enter God’s presence without Him – John 14:6.
Truly, lasting zeal abides in the presence of the Lord. Lasting zeal abides in the love of Jesus Christ and God the Father.
There is a reason why we are commanded to pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Satan wants to pull our focus away from Jesus Christ. Satan will even try and do it with good things that we justify, for instance serving the Lord or working for the Lord – it can become an outward action devoid of heart and mind. Many in ministry can actually forget why the church is in the world today, as they focus on tasks right before them – it’s the call to keep Jesus Christ at the center of logistics of any given task. Satan can also use the busyness of family to pull our focus away from Jesus Christ.
There is a lot to do in life that takes focus, thus the best thing to do is to talk to Jesus about what we are focusing on. That constant silent prayer, with our mind focused on the Lord, talking to the Lord.
Therefore, when we make a practice of praying without ceasing – that constant conversation with God throughout the day, about anything and everything, whatever is right before us or the stress that doesn’t seem to go away or asking Him for wisdom or praying for a friend or family member – we then remain focused on Jesus and we grow in our personal relationship with Him. And when we sin, we feel that heart check and we repent of sin.
This keeps us in fellowship with Christ and protects us from Satan who wants to get in between us and Jesus. This keeps us from following a path of compromise to the point our hearts become hardened to the voice of the Lord. This keeps us from false doctrines, as we are so in-tune with Jesus Christ we just know when something is not right, even when it is trying to persuade us.
The apostle John says here, “anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God.”
Thus, those who leave the Christian faith, who follow false ideologies – they for some time have lacked in their relationship with God, they did not take proactive steps to grow in the grace and knowledge of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ— 2 Peter 3:18, and they refused to recognize their sin and repent of it.
Jesus says in John 15:9-10 NLT, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.”
The main way, therefore, to remain in the love of Jesus Christ is to obey His commandments – the 10 commandments. When we begin to justify sinning and breaking the 10 commandments without repenting over our sins, we walk away from the love of Jesus Christ and from fellowship with Him.
We need to remember that we have an active part to play in remaining in fellowship with Jesus Christ and it is our coming up under His authority and His commands, seeking to live out His word.
Jesus said in John 8:31 NLT, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”
A disciple of Jesus Christ loves His word – loves His wisdom above all –and recognizes His wisdom supersedes mankind, as everything was created through Him.
A disciple of Jesus Christ has a relationship with both Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Today, what steps can you take to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
Prayer: Abba, thank You for telling us what we are to do to abide and remain in Your love – obey Your commands. Help us to obey Your commands today, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
