Today's first reading opens with a rather harsh question: Who is a liar? And once again it is dealing with those who deny Jesus is the Christ.
On the surface that would seem to have nothing to do with any of us except it goes on to distinguish.
Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father...And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
Remaining in him is not as easy as it seems. It is not simply enough to not deny Jesus directly. We must remain 24 hrs/day in Jesus and allow his word to remain in us. If we profess faith on Sundays at mass, but on Monday we walk out of the house and effectively leave Christ at home. If we allow the anxiety about life to overtake us, and not trust in God, then we are liars. Our Sunday profession of faith becomes empty words.
Will any of us do it perfectly, all the time? Of course not. We all step away from time to time. Our confidence in God's love falters. But then we must remind ourselves. Every day and often more than once a day we must remind ourselves to remain in Christ.
