“If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” – 1 John 2:24
Scripture reading: 1 John 2:24-27; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
As we were reminded of yesterday, fellowship with God outside of the truth that is Jesus Christ is impossible. Thankfully, we have been given two wonderful aids to bring us to understand and experience that reality. John encourages his readers to abide in those things which they heard from the beginning. This is a reference to the message that John had given to them as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and, by extension, points us to the written Word of God. It is not by accident that Jesus is called the incarnate Word (John 1:1) and that the Bible itself is called the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Fellowship with God is fellowship in His Word.
The second aid that John reminds us of is nothing less than that gift of the Holy Spirit Himself. Because of our naturally dead hearts, we need the Holy Spirit to take the truth that is revealed to us in the Bible and enlighten our souls with it. It is by the Holy Spirit that we actually are able to hear the voice of Jesus speaking to our souls and encouraging us in fellowship with Him and with the Father. It is solely the job of the Holy Spirit to do this. Jesus has indeed established teachers in the church, but none other than the Holy Spirit, Who can take what is preached and speak to our souls.
Suggestions for prayer
Thank the Lord for the Bible and for His Holy Spirit. Pray each time that you sit down with the Bible that the Spirit would make God’s truth effectual in your life.
Rev. Brian Murray is the associate pastor at Grace ARP Church and the Director of Gillespie Academy in Woodstock, Ontario. He has been ordained in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church since 2003 and he and his wife Melissa have four children. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.
