May 11, 2015 – I John 2:28-29

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. I John 2:28-29Abide in Him.  Live with, receive, acknowledge and accept are synonyms of the word abide.  In this verse, I see abide as living, loving and longing to be with Him.  I would not hide anything.   Just as I would do with a beloved guest, I would make them feel at home.Being at home with righteousness is being at home with God.  It means we have made a choice to be born anew to those things that please God.  That means living with honor, goodness, uprightness and virtue.  Calling evil wrong and calling good the way to follow.  Practicing righteousness means walking the talk.  Withholding myself for flirting with evil, is not righteousness.As a young teen in college, my language included some words sometimes known as ‘colorful’.  When the year came to the end, and I planned to return home, I had a mental picture of Mom’s face if I used the extra words I had learned.  Even so, we can do the same at any age.  We think of our Lord and we know how to live righteously  deep in our heart.Abide in Him is living a life buried deep in love, gratitude and forgiveness, not condemnation and anger.And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.  If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.  I John 2:22-25