Keys to Remaining in Christ
Read the Text: 1 John 3
Memorize the Text:
All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
(1 John 1:3, CSB)
Consider the Text: 1 John 3:23-24
One of the main themes throughout 1 John is the affirmation that believers can have certainty in their relationship with the Lord. The apostle provides several criteria and metrics for believers to evaluate their life. In 1 John 3:23-24, we find four charges to support a life that remains in Christ. These four charges include the command to (1) know Christ personally, (2) live out the Christian life in the community, (3) follow the commands of the Lord, and (4) experience the affirmation of the Holy Spirit.
KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY
John penned that we must believe in Jesus Christ in 1 John 3:23. This declaration indicates that we must believe in Christ as the needed sacrifice to deal with the eternal consequences of sin and that he is the only needed Savior. These statements of belief reveal the only avenue for redemption comes through a personal relationship with the Lord and that no alternative exists. The personal relationship occurs when the individuals admit their sin and condition before the Lord, believe in Christ as Lord and Savior, and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Therefore, for a believer to remain in Christ, the individual must first know Christ.
LIVE OUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY
John charged believers to live in a community with other followers of Christ. John knew the importance of Christian fellowship and community. The basis of this community did not exist because of similar worldly likes but existed from a genuine love for others in living out the commands of the Lord. In community, believers must love one another without exception because the call to love others comes from the Lord's directive. The presence of love for others manifests when living within a community of faith because the love reflects Christ. At the same time, the community of faith reaches into their community of this world because they seek to share the love of Christ with others and invite others to experience this love and community. Remaining in Christ is encouraged in this act of love that forms a community because it provides support and encouragement for one another.
FOLLOW THE COMMANDS OF THE LORD
John noted that those who follow Christ demonstrate their relationship with the Lord by obeying his commands in obedience. John used the term "keeps" in a structure that indicates an ever-present, continual action. Thus, the follower of Christ seeks to live out the commands of the Lord in every avenue of life and every moment of life. The ability to remain in Christ comes as believers keep the commands of the Lord because obedience builds one's trust and reliance upon the Lord. The more a believer follows the Lord, the deeper the relationship with the Lord becomes. Thus, to remain in Christ, a believer must obey the commands of the Lord.
EXPERIENCE THE AFFIRMATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The apostle declared that believers receive affirmation of their life in Christ through the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Spirit in the life of the believer provides conviction when the follower of Christ missteps, sins, and needs forgiveness. The result of conviction provides affirmation because it reveals a heart desiring to live for Christ. At the same time, the presence of the Spirit provides the needed strength to live in obedience and gives the needed guidance to navigate life. The presence of the Holy Spirit promotes remaining in Christ and works to keep one in Christ through conviction, strengthening, and guiding.
As you think about your life with the Lord, are you remaining in Christ? Do you know him personally? Are you living as an active part of the community of faith? Are you striving to live in obedience to the commands of the Lord? Are you living in the experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit? May today be a time of evaluating our effort to remain in Christ.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
