Click here for this week’s REMAIN.
Click here to watch the service replay.
REVIEW
Because of Jesus, we are loved by God and welcomed into an intimate relationship with Him—we call Him “Abba, Father.” In this passage, John helps us understand what life with the Father truly looks like.
John tenderly addresses believers as “my little children,” guiding them into a clearer vision of abiding love. Many of us love God but struggle to trust His love, acting as though we must earn it—like standing beside a full well and believing we must build a bucket and rope to draw the water, when it is instead a spring ready for us to partake. Jesus, our Advocate, stands with us like a faithful older brother, securing our relationship with the Father.
John says if anyone sins, not when. This means it is possible to walk in holiness while also living with deep assurance of forgiveness. Failure does not define us. Grace meets us without despair, holding together both warning and hope.
Jesus is our propitiation—the finished sacrifice that satisfied God’s righteous response to sin. Because of this, our relationship with God is not only secure but meant to be ongoing and experiential.
Knowing God is not about rule-keeping but relational awareness. Just as we learn the culture of a family or workplace, abiding with God shapes how we live from the inside out. An abiding life bears fruit. When we persist in known sin, it often signals a lie we’ve believed—and invites a gentle course correction through honest conversation with Jesus.
God’s love is perfected in us as we abide, not by striving but by union. Jesus Himself shows us the way: walking closely with the Father, seeking His help, following His lead.
Abiding with God is meant to be joyful and unforced—like falling into step with someone you love, and who loves you.
REMEMBER
Abiding with God isn’t about striving or rule-keeping—it’s about resting in His love, walking humbly, and letting truth replace the lies we believe.
REFLECT
Where might I be striving to earn God’s love rather than humbly receiving it as a gift—and what would it look like to rest in union with Him instead?
Are there areas of my life where my walk with God feels “off,” possibly revealing a lie I’ve believed about God, myself, or sin? What might Jesus be inviting me to talk with Him about honestly?
How does humility shape an abiding life—where am I willing (or resistant) to let Jesus correct, forgive, and lead me so I can walk as He walked?
READ
Revisit: 1 John 2:1-6
Read Ahead: 1 John 2:7-11
REHEARSE
By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 1 John 2:3
RESPOND
Father,
Thank You that we are welcomed into Your love through Jesus.
Where we’ve been striving, teach us to abide.
Where we’ve believed lies, lead us into truth.
Give us humble hearts that walk closely with You,
resting in grace and learning to live as Jesus lived.
Amen.
RELATE
Ask Jesus to bring one person to mind whom you can bless without being noticed. Over several days this week, pray for them by name and look for one or two small, concrete ways to show kindness—through encouragement, generosity, or help—without explaining why or expecting anything in return. Let your abiding with the Father quietly overflow into love for others.
