What does it mean to remain in Christ, and why does it matter for the day he returns? In this episode of The Tree Church Bible Study, Pastor Stacey Crawford is joined by Mick and Pastor Chris Reed as they study 1 John 2:24-29. Together they talk about remaining faithful, abiding in Christ, and the hope that lets believers face the future without fear.
One Thing Guaranteed
The episode opens with a question. If you could have one thing guaranteed to happen in the next year, what would it be? Mick keeps it practical. For the first time in their married life, he and his family have no car payment, so he would love a year with no vehicle problems. Pastor Chris says that besides the people he is praying for to be saved, he would love to finally run 100 miles. He attempted a 100-mile race this year and did not finish, and he admits he has not fully recovered from that one yet.Pastor Stacey jokes that she could say a trip to Disney World, but that is already happening next summer. Her real answer is about her daughter. As her daughter enters the preteen years, Pastor Stacey hopes she keeps a great group of friends and continues to find success in what she is doing.
Remain Faithful to What You Were Taught
Pastor Stacey recaps last week's conversation about truth and lies and introduces this week's focus, the abiding hope we have in Jesus. Then she reads verses 24-26 from the NLT. "So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship, we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray."She asks what faith John wants them to hold on to. Pastor Chris says it is the drum the group will keep beating through this whole study. Jesus is the Son of God, both divine and human, the Savior and Messiah who came to rescue us. Remaining faithful also means staying in fellowship with other believers. John's point is that we stay connected to the truth by staying connected to the community that holds it. Pastor Chris laughs that he lost his train of thought along the way, but he lands on that answer.Pastor Stacey admits that keeping an eternal perspective can be hard. From the outside, the world's way of living can look like more fun. Pastor Chris points out that when John says we enjoy eternal life, scholars ask whether he means now or later, and most commentaries answer yes. When we remain faithful and stay in fellowship, we begin to enjoy that eternal life even now.
When It Would Have Been Easier to Walk Away
Pastor Stacey asks each of them to share a time when going astray would have been easier than remaining in the faith. Mick points to college. Many people around him were searching for their own truth, and when the community around you is heading the opposite way, it tests your faith. What helped him was a strong foundation and outside voices he could go to as he tested what he believed against Scripture. That season deepened his faith.Pastor Stacey relates. Before transferring to Malone, she attended Kent State, a public university where it was easy to drift with the people around her. At Malone her faith became real and her own. Even as an adult, there have been times when prayers were not answered the way she hoped and walking away would have been easier. But she knew what Scripture says and what God had done before, so she chose to remain faithful.
Pastor Chris and the Weekend That Changed Everything
Pastor Chris shares a story from about a year and a half into ministry. He was overseeing media and tech, and he began to question whether he was truly called. He had believed a lot of lies and was starting to come apart. Pastor Matthew Johnson told him to go home for the weekend, decide whether he felt called there, and come back with an answer. Pastor Chris says it was not a firing. It was putting the decision in his court.That weekend he prayed honestly that he did not know what was going on with him. He does not remember a clear answer, but he remembers a deep sense that this was where he was supposed to be. Much of his struggle was the gap between his role then and the desire of his heart, which was biblical education, the work he does now. He sensed God asking whether he would let him develop him. On Monday he told Pastor Matthew he wanted to stay, and Pastor Matthew said he had thought so, but Pastor Chris needed to know it for himself.That was 17 years ago. Pastor Chris says The Tree Church is his life now. God could have redeemed it if he had walked away, but Pastor Chris believes he would have short-circuited all the growth God had for him. Pastor Stacey adds that remaining faithful brings glimpses of the reward now, even before we step into eternity.
The Spirit Who Abides in Us
Pastor Stacey reads verse 27. "But you have received the Holy Spirit and he lives within you. So you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know. And what he teaches is true. It is not a lie. So just as he taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ."She laughs that her sassy side imagines people reading this and deciding they no longer need anyone to teach them Scripture. That is not what John means. God fills teachers with his Spirit and uses them to teach us the truth we need.When Pastor Stacey asks what it means to abide, Mick says abide and remain are used almost interchangeably in the Bible. To abide simply means to stay connected to Christ. Pastor Chris adds that we often think of abiding from John 15, where Jesus says to abide in him. But here, the NRSV and ESV describe the anointing of the Spirit abiding in us. John reverses the order. The Spirit is the one who initiates and secures the relationship. If you desire to remain in Christ, the Holy Spirit will secure you there and help you even when you struggle.
Faithfulness Looks Ordinary
Pastor Chris also notes that John's warning matters, because we can step away. If we are not in God's Word, how will we know the truth? If we are not part of the fellowship, how will we stay faithful in it? He says following Christ is often unglamorous. We want spiritual highs, but remaining faithful means going to church, reading Scripture, and being in community with other people, again and again, until Christ returns. There is no silver bullet.Pastor Stacey agrees that following God can feel mundane, yet the more she does it, the more she sees God working. She is careful about what she watches, and she laughs that it is mostly cartoons, game shows, and cooking shows. Her mornings include a sermon, a podcast, and worship music, and she has noticed the Holy Spirit speaking to her through those ordinary habits. Pastor Chris adds that the Spirit can speak through almost anything, but not without that baseline of everyday faithfulness.
Confidence When He Returns
Pastor Stacey reads verses 28-29. "And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God's children." She jokes that John is using his circular reasoning again.Pastor Stacey found the passage humbling. God calls us his children, and when we abide in Christ, our confidence rests there. She read in the Psalms that morning that we are all going to die one day, which got a big laugh from the group. But because of our fellowship with Christ and with one another, we can walk through life and even into death with confidence.
Eternal Perspective Changes Everything
Pastor Stacey asks why eternity should stay at the front of our minds. Mick says, "I think eternal perspective changes everything." Without it, the subtle lies they talked about last week become even more believable. Generosity, tithing, serving others, and even the ordinary disciplines of faith do not make sense on paper. He compares it to working out. If there were no benefit in the end, most of us would not do it. With eternity in view, the sacrifices God asks of us are worth it.Pastor Chris adds that eternal perspective gives us hope. We live in a mixed time where we taste glimpses of eternal life, but faithfulness also has an everydayness that can wear us out. He explains that the word for Christ's return is parousia. It described the arrival of a king or dignitary, an exciting event that brought peace and wholeness. Christ's return will prove that the sacrificial way of life the world does not understand is truly the best way to find life.Pastor Chris also reminds listeners that for John there are two groups. For the faithful, the King's arrival is a celebration. For those standing in opposition, it is something to dread. But the New Testament always holds out a choice. Anyone unsure where they stand can repent, come to Christ, and remain faithful to him.Pastor Stacey says that is exactly John's point. Because of her relationship with Jesus, she is not afraid of that day. "I'm excited about that day because I can't wait to see Jesus face to face." But it is also a serious warning for anyone not following Christ. The everyday disciplines of abiding are what let us stand in confidence at the end of our lives.
Closing Prayer
Mick closes in prayer. He thanks God for the importance of abiding in him, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the challenge of keeping an eternal perspective. He thanks God for salvation and for a hope beyond anything the world offers, with the certainty that one day all things will be made right. Pastor Stacey thanks everyone for listening and encourages them to like, subscribe, share the episode, and check out the show notes.
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