“TO THE ENDGAME” 

“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.”

1 John 2:19

People in churches come and go.  Regardless of denomination, preaching and worship styles, and other factors, attrition is a reality in any church. In my years of serving in the ministry, I have seen people come, go, and come back. But there are some who leave the church completely and never return. I have also heard about people who broke away from their home church and started another.

Things like these are not new; they have been going on as early as the church’s infancy. In fact, John and his readers saw such cases. Talking about the false teachers, he describes them as people who “went out from us,” not a reference to the local church, but to the Apostolic circle of which John was a part. He explains that they did not belong to them, as evidenced by their departure—not only physically, but also doctrinally. It appears that those false teachers were once friends or colleagues of John.

The false teachers could not persevere in faith, fellowship, and truth. They have failed a critical test of discipleship: endurance. They may have spent some time with John and the church, but their exit proved that they were not true believers, to begin with. Not only did they abandon the faith, but they also denied Jesus Christ and deceived others.

Persevering in the Christian life proves whether or not our faith is true. But our abiding is not the result of our strength or ability to endure suffering. Instead, it is a testament to God’s faithfulness because He did say that no one can snatch us away from His hand. He is the One who makes sure that we do not deviate from the truth, allowing us to cling to Him to the endgame.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:6

Will you endure to the end and remain faithful to Jesus Christ?

Pursue the Savior today!