They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 1 John 2:19-20 Here were people who had once professed faith, and then they abandoned the faith that they once professed. They left the church. Abandoning the faith was evidence that these people were never true Christians. True faith perseveres, and continuing in the faith is the evidence that you really are a Christian: “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Heb. 3:14). Most of us know someone who has walked away from faith, and it is deeply disturbing for two reasons. First, you grieve for the person. Second, it raises the question, What if that happens to me? John answers the question by pointing to the fact that his readers had not abandoned their faith in Christ. Why had they stayed faithful when others walked away? The answer is: the Holy Spirit. The reason you’ve stayed faithful through all the pressures, trials, and discouragements, the reason you still love and serve Jesus today is the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. Do you know someone who has walked away from faith? How do John’s words encourage you to hold firm to the end?
