“If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:24).

John Ortberg invites us to imagine the following scenario. Imagine a man and a woman on their wedding day. The decorations are amazing. The guests are joyful. The music is majestic. The dress is immaculate. The vows are moving. The pictures are picture-perfect.

Before the reception, the bride and groom finally get a few moments by themselves. That’s when the groom says to his new wife: “What’s the absolute least I can do to stay married to you?”*

What?! How do you think the honeymoon went!

I feel like this is sometimes how we approach our relationship with God. Lord, what’s the absolute least I can do to say I’m a Christian? Lord, what’s the absolute least I can do to get to heaven? Lord, what’s the absolute least I can do to get some sort of help or blessing from you?

But what kind of a relationship is that? Just like those newlyweds shouldn’t we strive for greater closeness, intimacy, strength and blessing?

When we just want to contribute the “absolute least” to the relationship, it’s as if we’re telling God that we would rather do life on our own, and that we think we know better than him about what is best for our life.

The apostle John uses the word “abiding” a lot to describe our relationship with God. It’s a close, personal connection. It’s permanent. It’s growing. It’s alive.

Today, let’s be honest with ourselves. Are we seeking to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Luke 10:27), or are we looking for loopholes and an “absolute least” level of commitment?

“If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.”

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Notes:

-“Purging the Antichrist from our Midst.” Click here. Sermon.
-*This scenario is told in: John Ortberg, Eternity is Now in Session (Tyndale House, 2018), 37.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.