How to Not Have God

(II John 9-11)

Mike Johnson

2 John 9-11 says, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”

Many today do not think it is essential for everyone to believe and teach the same thing about the Bible.  They might say, “You go your way, and I’ll go mine,” or they may also say, “You believe and teach what you want, and I’ll believe and teach what I want, and we will both get to heaven.

People who have this attitude must not have fully considered 2 John 9-11, which tells us we must abide in the doctrine (or teaching) of Christ, and if we do not do so, we do not have God.  The Greek word translated “transgresses” means, “to proceed, go forward: in a bad sense, to go further than is right or proper, equivalent to…transgress the limits of true doctrine” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). The phrase “does not abide” means about the same thing.  Both describe the one who advances beyond prescribed limits.

These verses help us to see the necessity of staying within the realm of the Bible.  We must teach and practice exactly what the Bible teaches: no more, no less (Rev. 22:18-19, I Pet. 4:11).  Those who do not do this do not have God (v. 9) and would be lost. This concept is so important.  In fact, according to the text, the seriousness of not abiding in the doctrine of Christ is such that we are not to even “receive” or “greet” a person who teaches false doctrine (See also Eph. 5:11).  It does matter what we believe, teach, practice, and even how we worship God (Jn. 4:24, Mt. 15:8-9).  We must “abide in” the doctrine of Christ.