“As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” (I John 2:24)

Our culture is always looking for something new: the newest phone, the newest computer, a newer car, etc. But unfortunately this mindset has subconsciously trained many of us to look for “something new” in religion too, which is not healthy.

God’s word and God’s truth have not changed. John tells his audience here: “Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.” John and the apostles had shared with these believers the teachings which Jesus had personally given them. These truths were permanent and unchangeable. They were not to leave them for something “new”.

This is a good word for us to remember today as well. Don’t let our modern consumer society unduly affect your religious attitudes, and tempt you to always be seeking something “new.” In religion, “newer” is not better. If someone brings you a teaching that is “new” after 2000 years of Christianity, you can be assured that it is at best misguided and at worst heretical. These words from God are for us today as well: “As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.”