An Unchanging Gospel of an Unchanging Savior

11/24/25 Bible Thought (2 John)

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

The Christian doesn’t graduate beyond Jesus Christ. At no point does He become irrelevant or lose His prominence as the central figure not only of our faith, but of history itself.

In the book of 2 John, we see the apostle John writing to a local church and urging them to remain in the truth of the gospel. He celebrated that up to that point many were walking in the truth (2 Jn. 4) and he urged them to remain in it.

This was a big deal. Why? Well, many deceivers had gone out into the world (2 Jn. 7).

There were those who were antichrist—not the end-time antagonist necessarily—but those who were opposed to the mission of Jesus Christ.

In light of this, the apostle put forth a warning that is just as potent today:

“Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward” (2 Jn. 8).

Be careful. Be vigilant in your faith-walk. Don’t be deceived, even though deceivers abound. John further warns:

“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 Jn. 9).

From the first century A.D. until the present there has been no need for further revelation. God has spoken finally in His Son (Heb. 1:2). Formerly He spoke through prophets, but Jesus Christ is now the final message.

There is no updated gospel. There is no “latest and greatest” model. There is no update to Jesus Christ (see Heb. 13:8). There is no “new” New Testament. Christ is the final message from the Father—a message of God’s love and of hope for hopeless sinners.

There were deceivers then, there are deceivers now.

There are those who speak truth and those who spread lies. Just as eternity hinges upon what we do with Jesus, so the truth of a preacher’s message hinges upon what they say about Jesus Christ.

As such, we must be watchful of our inputs. In those days it was itinerant teachers, in today’s day and age it is largely online.

Now, while the internet gives us the great blessing of spreading truth it likewise gives a platform for deceivers. Truth-be-told, you can find someone, somewhere, who will tell you exactly what you want to hear if you have itching ears that need scratched.

I have heard absolutely egregious statements online that are just flat out heretical and insulting to God and His gospel of grace. Just this last week I heard a “reverend” share in a video:

“Is God queer...? Yes.”

I could tell by the hesitation in his voice he knows deep down that what he is doing is wrong and that he had just seriously crossed the line. Yet, he doubled down on his slander of the Most High, sharing about how God is gender-fluid, male, female, and all sorts of nonsense.

I rarely engage with this sort of stuff, but I did respond this time with a comment pointing to the fact that God has put His “preferred pronouns” all throughout the Scripture and not once is God referred to in the feminine. Not once.

Crickets.

He has built himself an online platform to spread things that are blatantly false for clicks and likes.

He would certainly agree with the claim that “God is love” but has probably never taught people that, “God is holy.” In fact, God is described in His Word not as love, love, love—rather God is praised incessantly as “Holy, holy, holy” (Is. 6:3; Rev. 4:8).

Both are essential parts of God’s nature that cannot be divorced from one another but let us not forget which one the Scripture is more emphatic about.

Certainly, these charlatans see salvation in much different terms. Many of them talk about salvation as if it is more of a social-justice concept and not reconciliation between sinful human beings and their holy Creator.

Let us not be confused: the gospel hasn’t changed.

For 2,000 years the message of good news has remained the same—God offers to us terms of reconciliation in His Son Jesus Christ. We were estranged from God, alienated from Him because of our sins, but God in His grace made a way for us to be saved from the judgment we rightfully deserve.

This is a message we don’t improve or move beyond. Without Christ there is no good news.

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Challenge for Today:

How intentional am I in vetting the resources or teachers I listen to?

We must guard our inputs and be sure that what they say aligns with what the Scripture teaches so as to not remake God in our own image and likeness.