May 28 | 1 John 2:28-3:3
- Beth Voltmann
- May 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 1
DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Continue in Him
By Beth Voltmann
"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears
we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming."
(1 John 2:28)
He is coming! My heart skips a beat just reading that. I want to be confident and unashamed when Jesus returns for his people. I want the same for my four grown children and spouses. I want that for my grandchildren. And, I want that for you as well.
Our passage says that the Father has lavished such great love on us that he calls us his children. We are children of God! What does that look like in this world of sin? How do we glorify and reflect God in our thoughts, words, and actions?
One key lies in the verse above. God the Father gave His one and only Son as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Notice the encouragement, “And now, dear children, continue in him...”.
John’s writings inspire and teach us how to live as the children of God. He used the Greek term menō, translated here as “continue”, to train believers to walk in righteousness and purity. Here are some more examples from scripture of ways menō is used to define a committed life of faith:
John 8:31(NIV) – Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."
John 15:4 (ESV) – “Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
1 John 2:24 (NIV) - As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.
Hold to – Abide – Remain – Continue
Am I...holding to the teachings of Jesus? Abiding in the Vine? Allowing the message that I heard from the beginning to remain? Continuing in Him?
As I reflect, I am reminded of this exhortation from Paul, translated from a different Greek verb, but reinforcing the precept:
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for loving me. Thank you for saving me. I repent for the times I have wandered away, and I ask that you would, yet again, purify my heart. Continue to teach me what it means to be your child. I pray for my family, my friends, and the entire family of faith. May our hope be in Jesus and may we be confident and unashamed at his coming. To God be the glory!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BETH VOLTMANN
After moving to Ohio in 1997 with my husband and four children, I developed a hunger for God’s Word through adult teaching and women’s Bible study at UALC. My passion is to help others understand Scripture so that they may grow in their desire for more of God and experience the new life offered to us through Christ Jesus.
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