Read 1 John 2:15-29

Unfortunately we see it all the time. People who were once on fire with God suddenly seem to drop off the face of the earth and even revert to their past ways of life. If you’re anything like me, the question pops up in your head of, “Were they even saved in the first place? How could someone walk away from something so beautiful?” John was writing this letter during a persecution when they were seeing many people fall away from following Christ out of fear. What does the Bible say about “once saved always saved”? How do we not get discouraged when family and friends walk away from Jesus?

• In what way does verse 15 describe the two directions someone can go who have encountered the gospel?

If we place the fulfillment of needs in this life as more important, that will ultimately determine their path.

• How do verses 16-18 describe the consequences of putting too much merit in worldly things?

One of the symptoms of people who think this world is more important is they think there’s time to deal with eternal things later. The person who has eternal things as their most important thing thinks we’re running out of time!

• In what way have you seen and/or experienced this to be true in our world today?
• What sense of urgency is communicated in verse 18 and how does it relate to living our spiritual lives “on the fence”?
• In what way does verse 19 address the theme of “once saved always saved”?

“If you will not grow in your faith (2 Peter 1), you have forgotten that you are saved from your sins, not that you weren’t, but you won’t remember it, and you will struggle with the assurance of your faith if you will not walk with Him.”

• What do verses 20-21 say about what our commitment should be like even in the face of defectors? What hope do we have?

A question to ask yourself is this: If Jesus were to come back today, would you need a little more time to get things together or would you eagerly anticipate His return and be confident and unashamed for the inspection on your life?