The message of hope is so powerful! A savior sent by God to free you from disobedience and every curse. A savior that will never leave you and help you every day and in every way. A savior whose love for you never changes.
Do you remember when you were first introduced to Jesus? Do you remember how your heart was nervous yet excited? Think about how excited you felt once you declared him to be your Lord and Savior. The weight of life lifted from your shoulder. The peace of God flooding over your being. The joy you had.
We all have our journey to take. We have mountain top experiences, plains of goodness, desert seasons, and valleys of disappointment. God is with us through it all, always there, arms open wide. Although, we always don’t see it this way. Our minds become a playground for doubt and unbelief. After seasons, the joy and excitement of our newfound love can wain.
We all are guilty of carrying the cares of this world. These cares are constantly surrounding us. It is so easy to believe they are our responsibility and burden to bear. We often forget the Lord wants us to give them to him. We allow our circumstances to keep our focus. Unless we are intentional, we only allow ourselves a weekly church service to be encouraged. Monday returns, schedules consume our time, all the while our relationship with God becomes a weekly service. Slowly, the fire and excitement of our newfound love become a warm ember.
1 John 2: 24 – 25 tells “So you must be sure to keep the message burning in your hearts; that is, the message of life you heard from the beginning. If you do, you will always be living in close fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And he, himself, has promised us the never-ending life of the ages to come!”
Read that again. The key here is “You must be sure to keep the message burning in your hearts.” It is our responsibility to build a relationship with God. Each of us is responsible to keep our focus on this new love. No different in any new relationship, it takes spending time together and being intentional to develop a knowledge and understanding of a new friend.
The next portion of 1 John is just as important to our understanding. It continues in verse 26 with, ” I’ve written these things about those who are attempting to lead you astray. But the wonderful anointing you have received from God is so much greater than their deception and now lives in you. There’s no need for anyone to keep teaching you. His anointing teaches you all that you need to know, for it will lead you into truth, not a counterfeit. So just as the anointing has taught you, remain in him. And now, dear children, remain in him, so that when he is revealed we may have joyful confidence and not be ashamed when we stand before him at his appearing.”
It is a warning like many Jesus gave us. We are to be careful that no one leads us away from the truth. We truly are living in a time where those who can be deceived will. Those who are seeking a message that makes them feel good could miss the Holy Spirit’s warnings. Also avoiding sections of scripture that God gave us to keep us safe and protected.
Look back at the promise, “But the wonderful anointing you have received from God is so much greater than their deception and now lives in you.” Holy Spirit is greater, he lives in you. This is why our relationship is so important. Holy Spirit is with us. He has a voice. He has treasure and information for you to set you apart and move you ahead of any obstacle.
Look at the next portion, “There’s no need for anyone to keep teaching you. His anointing teaches you all that you need to know, for it will lead you into truth, not a counterfeit. So just as the anointing has taught you, remain in him.”
This is not saying you don’t need to go to church. We need one another. Gathering together is important. We are to sharpen one another like iron sharpens iron. We have Holy Spirit, the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, the same spirit that was with Jesus when he ministered on the earth, and now we have him to help us do the same things that Jesus did. We cannot do life without him! He is here to teach and train us, to show us what the Father is doing, to move forth in power when we obediently speak out life and healing over those around us. In these moments, we don’t have our pastor or leaders holding our hand. No, we are living the life God has set before us and need to be ready to help others. I get so excited about this. It is time to be intentional in our relationship with the Lord!
We are reminded twice in the scripture above to “Remain in Him.” Another warning, don’t get carried off with the cares of the world! It is time to be focused on the heart of God, to bring the Holy Spirit into every part of our day and every decision, to examine our hearts and motives to ensure they are pure.
Often God is blamed for a lack of action, not listening and responding to our prayers, bringing hardship and suffering, and more. Is this really what the Word of God is telling us? I have found this not to be so. I see God giving the earth to mankind. He has given us the freedom to make our own choices. The word of God says anything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Yet, when the consequences of one’s poor choices arrive, many shift the blame to God.
I don’t want to be deceived so in no particular order I want to go after the following:
Wake up. Take responsibility for my actions. Clean up any mistakes. Examine my heart. Fall deeply in love with the Lord. Honor God with my life. Be intentional with my time. Ask the Holy Spirit to show me the truth, teach, and correct me. Be obedient. Declare the promises of God. Watch the power of God flow like never before!
