ESOCS Devotional 12 December 2025 – He Who Does God’s Will Lives Forever
MEMORY VERSE: “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” 1 John 2:17 KJV
TEXT: 1 JOHN 2:12-29
I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 Therefore 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. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
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Man’s viewpoint of the world is very different from God’s perspective. Man likes to think that everything is going to continue on, as it has in bygone days; but God has purposed that the world, with all it passions and lusts, is passing away and will one day be folded up like a blanket.
The vain pursuits of this world and the deceptive pleasures of the life we once ‘enjoyed’ will perish in our memories with the ever-increasing march of time, as we discover them to be passing vanities. Solomon realized that when life is confined to the boundary of this present world system, it is futile, for this world is passing away – it is fading fast, while the one who does the will of God will be fulfilled in this life (for His grace is sufficient) and will live forever in the eternal ages to come.
There is a great contrast between the two statements in this verse from 1 John. The person who does the will of God will abide forever, while the one who does not do the will of God, by going after the transitory things of this fleeting world, which does not last, will suffer eternal loss.
The fear of the Lord and reverence for His name is the beginning of wisdom. How important, therefore, to invest our lives wisely in this world and to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose!” We’re the words of a young missionary who gave his life in service to God. How foolish, therefore, to go against God’s will for our lives, in order to hold on to the fading things of this world system that pass away, rather than doing God’s will by holding fast to the truth of His word and looking for our blessed hope and life everlasting.
The riches and poverty, pleasures and passion, beauty and bitterness, fame and shame, lusts of the flesh and the pride of life of this perishing world are short-lived; but the things of the Lord are permanent, pure, good, secure, and of everlasting value.
Let us beware – for the passing cravings of this life can subtly allure us away from God’s permanent path of purity and His secure way of wisdom. Rather, let us set out hearts on the things of God, for the one that looks away from the world to Jesus will never be disappointed.
CHALLENGES
- What has been your focus in life, worldly or heavenly things?
PRAYER POINT
- Father Lord, help me to always fix my eyes on you to seek things that are above.
FURTHER READING: Proverbs 11:1-6; 12:1-16; 1 John 3:1-13.
ESOCS Devotional 12 December 2025
