John (1 John 2) is reiterating his theme about abiding. Abiding means to stay near, to spend time with someone. To me abiding reminds me of physical closeness, like snuggling with tour honey. Here though John is talking of abiding with God who we do not see. John no longer sees Jesus either yet he abides with him too, part of the Godhead, sitting at the right hand of God in heaven. And yet He is still present to us very near all the time. John is assured of that.
This letter is to believers. God always abides with us, who have accepted him as savior, by the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus.
John is teaching these Christians what it means to be a devotee of Christ. It is not at all like being a devotee of a pagan temple god like Artemis, for example. It requires more and yet it returns much more. When John speaks of abiding he is telling these former pagans of a new type of lifestyle.
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