What Does “Does Not Have God” Mean in 2 John 9?

Summary

Grace in Focus – Episode Summary
Date: May 6, 2026
Title: What Does “Does Not Have God” Mean in 2 John 9?

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Episode Overview

This concise episode tackles a key interpretive question: In 2 John 9, when John writes that someone “does not have God,” does this imply a believer risks losing their salvation due to doctrinal error? Hosts Bob Wilkin and Ken (joined briefly by Sam Marr) unpack this “problem passage,” emphasizing the Free Grace perspective that distinguishes between justification (salvation) and sanctification (ongoing spiritual growth and reward).

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener’s Question and the Broader Debate (01:00–02:14)

• Question Context: Listener Norm is debating someone who argues 2 John 9 teaches believers can lose salvation over doctrinal deviation.
• Resource Note: Bob and Ken explain why Second John may be harder to find on their website and commit to addressing it more.

Bob Wilkin: “As we'll see in this episode, Second John is very closely related to First John … almost everything we see in Second John we can trace somewhere back to his first letter.” (01:42)

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2. What Does “Does Not Have God” Mean? (02:14–06:06)

Text in Focus:

“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.”

• Ken’s Explanation:
  • Second John “is about don’t support the bad guys”—warns against supporting false teachers.
  • “Having God” does not mean being born again; it refers to being in fellowship and having God’s support and blessing.
  • Losing this support is about broken fellowship, not about losing salvation or the indwelling Spirit.
  • When supporting or aiding false teachers (e.g., financially or practically), believers forfeit God's fellowship—not their salvation.

Ken: “God the Father and God the Son are behind us. Whenever we are sound in our doctrine, they're supporting us, they're protecting us. But whenever we depart from sound doctrine, then we don't have God… in terms of their support.” (03:21)

• Practical Application:
  • The warning is especially for churches who might host and resource traveling teachers spreading error.
  • “Greeting” false teachers refers to actively blessing or supporting them, not basic civility.

Ken: "If you're sending money to somebody who...teaches work salvation, well, you're supporting false teachers." (05:23)

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3. Assuring Salvation: Security in Christ (06:41–08:35)

• Reiteration of Security:
  • Even believers who stray in doctrine remain eternally secure—John 3:16 and John’s Gospel are cited as proof.
  • Salvation means eternal life that cannot be lost; "does not have God" refers to loss of support/reward, not salvation.

Ken: “But he's still born again. Right? Because John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world... who believes in him will not perish, but has everlasting life ... We're secure.” (07:10)

• Audience of the Epistle:
  • The “elect lady and her children” refers to a local church—real, regenerate believers able to be misled if not vigilant.

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4. Discipleship v. Salvation: Abiding in the Word (08:35–11:37)

• Not All Believers Are Disciples:
  • John 8:31: “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.” This underscores the distinction between being a believer (saved) and abiding (walking in discipleship and fellowship).

Bob Wilkin: “It's not about having salvation or not, but this is about being good disciples, about being followers of Christ.” (08:46)

Ken: “A lot of people say there's no such thing as a believer who's not a disciple, Right? Well, Jesus contradicts that here.” (11:00)

• Nicodemus as Example:
  • Nicodemus believed but did not abide (initially), showing believers can lack experiential freedom and fellowship.

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5. Biblical Warnings and Eternal Security (11:37–13:00)

• Scriptural Warnings:
  • Both Old and New Testament warn believers they can fall morally or doctrinally, resulting in discipline/loss of reward—but not lost salvation.

Ken: “If everlasting life could be lost, then it's got the wrong name.” (12:52)

• Closing Encouragement:
  • Keep engaging others graciously; the key is to keep “grace in focus” and remain clear on core gospel truths.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fellowship, Not Salvation:

  “'Does not have God' ... means to be someone who is in fellowship with God the Father and God the Son.” — Ken (03:15)

• On Encouraging Discernment:

  “This is a preventative prescription, not a redemptive prescription.” — Bob Wilkin (09:20)

• On the Permanence of Salvation:

  “Once we believe in Christ, we're saved forever. Once we're saved, we're always saved. That what he gives us is everlasting life.” — Ken (12:40)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:00 Listener question introduction
• 02:14 Reading of 2 John 9 and initial explanation
• 03:21 Fellowship with God explained; practical applications for the church
• 06:41 Assurance of salvation; warnings about supporting false teachers
• 08:35 Discipleship v. salvation, John 8 and abiding in the word
• 11:01 Distinction between believer and disciple
• 12:40 Warnings to believers and assurance of eternal life

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Takeaways

• “Does not have God” (2 John 9) warns believers about losing fellowship and divine support, not about forfeiting salvation.
• Eternal security is guaranteed for all who believe, but experiential fellowship and reward depend on persisting in sound doctrine and practice.
• Churches must exercise discernment in whom they support to avoid inadvertently facilitating the spread of false teaching.

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For more resources, visit: faithalone.org

Transcript

[Bob Wilken]

The following is a listener supported ministry

[Sam Marr]

from the Grace evangelical society in 2 John verse 9. What does the phrase mean? Does not have God? Is this verse hinting that we can lose our salvation by some sort of doctrinal defection? Over the next few minutes, let's have a discussion about it and we're glad that you're joining us, friend. Here on Grace in a Ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org or. There's lots to learn about us there, including our free online seminary. Our application and registration period for the fall semester is now open and our annual national conference pre registration coming to an end here on May 7, a couple of days from now. So get online and get registered right [e-mail] now with today's question and answer discussion, here are Bob Wilken and Sam Marr.

[Bob Wilken]

All right, Bob, we've got a question from Norm and his question is on Second John. He says, I'm having a debate with a non free gracer or future free gracer. So that's there's some hopefulness here.

[Ken]

Amen.

[Bob Wilken]

He said he has suggested second John 9 says that we are not always saved. So we'll read that in a second. But he also says your search service on the website does not show any Second John articles and displays only First John. Are there no articles in Second John? Just for Norm and anybody else that's curious. There are a few blogs and articles on Second John. You got to type in Two John. I found a couple of them, but I guess this is a call for Bob and Ken to write some more on this.

[Ken]

All right.

[Bob Wilken]

But as we'll see in this episode, Second John is very, very closely related to First John. So there's a lot of almost everything we see in Second John we can trace somewhere back to his first letter and it's expanded on even more. So that's where we're going to go. But first, let me read this verse, 2nd John 9. He 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.

[Ken]

So he's saying that this future free Grace person that he's talking to looks at this verse and says this proves we can lose our salvation by doctrinal defection. Right? Losing our correct beliefs. A couple of things. First of all, Second John in Greek is not Second John. It's Beta John. First John is Alpha John. Second John is Beta John. Third John is Gamma John. And that helps me remember that second John. Beta John is about, don't support the bad guys. And that's what these verses are saying. And then Gamma John says, do support the good guys, the good teachers. Now, notice in verses, well, the verses that precede this. Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess. Jesus is coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist. Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we work for, that we may receive a full reward. John is saying, look, if you get deceived and duped by false teachers, we're not going to get the full reward we should have gotten for the ministry we've done among you. And then he says, whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. I would agree with Norm's friend that it's possible for a believer to do that. That's the whole point in John bringing this up. And he says, he who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. The question is, what does it mean to have God and to have the Father and the Son? Well, it doesn't mean to be born again. It does not mean the spirit of God living within us. It means to be someone who is in fellowship with God the Father and God the Son. So that it's kind of like saying, hey, Sam, I've got your back. I've got you. That means, I am promising that I'm going to protect you. I'm going to be there with you. God the Father and God the Son are behind us. Whenever we are sound in our doctrine, they're supporting us, they're protecting us. But whenever we depart from sound doctrine, then we don't have God, we don't have the Father, we don't have the Son. In terms of their support and notice. He goes on to say, if anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him. Now, this isn't saying if some Mormon missionaries come to your door, you're sinning if you invite them to sit down in your house and talk. This is talking about when they had traveling teachers in the first century. They would invite them to stay in their home, they would feed them, they would house them. When it says nor greet them. It doesn't mean you can't say hello to some people who are Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons. What it means is you don't pray God's blessing upon them. He who greets him, shares in his evil deeds. That's why I say 2 John is about don't support the bad guys. This is anybody that is departed from sound doctrine. And so if you're sending money to somebody who is a Protestant but they teach work salvation, well, you're supporting false teachers. And if you're supporting someone who, for example, does not teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again, then you're supporting people who are proclaiming false doctrine or people who deny many vital truths of scripture. For example, they don't believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. Well, that would be supporting people who are denying a fundamental of the faith.

[Sam Marr]

Just jumping in here to make you aware of our magazine Grace in Focus. It is a bimonthly, six issues per year, 48 page magazine, full color, and we want you to subscribe by emailing your name and your snail mail address to gesaithalone.org the subscription is free. It can be accessed electronically or it can be actually physically sent to you. If you live in the lower 48 United States, that's our Grace and Focus magazine. Send your name and snail mail address to Gesaithalone.

[Ken]

What he's saying in verses nine through 11 is that we are to support true teachers. That's three, John. We are not to support false teachers. And so if Norm departs from fundamental truth, then Norm no longer has God supporting him. He no longer has the Lord Jesus Christ supporting him in what he's doing. But he's still born again. Right? Because John 3:16 says, For God so loves the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but has everlasting life. And the Lord Jesus is quoted by John in John's Gospel to say, the believer will never hunger, will never thirst, will never die, will never be cast out. And no one can pluck us out of Jesus hand or the Father's hand. We're secure. And you see that of course, in the first epistle of John. For example, in first John 2, 24, 26, first John 5, 9, 13. It's all real clear even in this book. He's writing to a local church. He says, the elder to the elect lady and her children. Well, the elect lady and her children refers to a local church that's a chosen church, a chosen lady and her children. The believers whom I love in truth. In other words, these are born again people, not only I, but also all who have known the truth because of the truth which abides in us and will be with Us forever. So the people he's writing to are people of the truth, but that doesn't mean they're going to necessarily abide in the truth. So we've got to be careful because these false teachers are coming, verses seven and eight, and they can mislead the readers.

[Bob Wilken]

Yeah, And I think in John's Gospel, there's a relevant verse here, John 8, 31. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples. Indeed. And I think that's closer to what's being talked about here. It's not about having salvation or not, but this is about being good disciples, about being followers of Christ. And I think it's especially important that you highlighted that. Second, John is written to a church, not just individual believers, because this is especially important for a church. If you have a church, and in that time you had these traveling teachers going around, and your church lets in a bad egg, a guy who's gonna spread bad doctrine, then it's not just, okay, I let this guy in my house and gave him some food, and now he's gonna keep going. It's now my whole church is under attack by bad doctrine. And again, first, John goes into even more depth of this, of those who are saying that Christ didn't come in the flesh. And they are, what does it say? The spirit of the Antichrist or something.

[Ken]

And they're also called Antichrist.

[Bob Wilken]

Right. And so this is very, very strong language that John is using. This is writing to protect people that are already in a body. They're already been taught what they need to know. First John talks about them being overcomers. What he's doing is not evangelizing. He's not really even rebuking. He's trying to strengthen the churches that he's already planted so that they don't go astray. And in Paul's writings, we see examples of churches that went astray. And it's partially due to letting bad teachers in, bad doctrine in. And so John, this is a preventative prescription, not a redemptive prescription.

[Ken]

Two things I love the connection with John 8, 30, 32, going on a bit more, John says, as he spoke these things, many believed in him. The capital H believed in Jesus. And then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, well, notice it's not that they profess to believe in Jesus. John tells us twice, they believed in him. Same thing as whoever believes in him has everlasting life. Well, verse 30, many believed in him. Verse 31, Jesus said to those Jews who believed him. If you abide in my word, you are my disciples. Indeed, a lot of people say there's no such thing as a believer who's not a disciple, Right? Well, Jesus contradicts that here.

[Bob Wilken]

Well, and we see throughout John, we see Nicodemus, who Jesus evangelized very, very powerfully with John 3:16, I think the best evangelistic verse, but here, clearly in verse 32, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. I think Nicodemus is an example of a believer who was not set free. He was still enslaved to fear and to the law because he was afraid of the other Jewish leadership in the church or whatever it may have been.

[Ken]

The Sanhedrin.

[Bob Wilken]

Yeah, Right. And so he wasn't abiding and he wasn't one of Christ's disciples in that sense, at least at the time of John 3.

[Ken]

Yeah. And by the way, he mentioned that in verse 32, he says, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. That ties in directly with. With 2 John, because the beginning of 2 John is all about the truth, and it's all about. Even the section that Norm's asking about is about abiding in the truth. And by the way, one other point, Norm. If you read the Scriptures, Old and New Testament, it's clear the Bible is filled with warnings to believers about the dangers of falling away either doctrinally or morally. And there's no question but that if we fall away doctrinally or morally, we're going to be judged by God in this life, and we're going to be judged at the judgment seat of Christ after this life. But there's also no question that once we believe in Christ, we're saved forever. Once we're saved, we're always saved. That what he gives us is everlasting life. As one of my seminary professors, Dr. Charles Ryrie, loved to say, if everlasting life could be lost, then it's got the wrong name. So, Norm, keep up your good work talking to your friend who's a future free gracer. But great question, Norm. And let's all keep grace in focus.

[Sam Marr]

Be sure to check out our daily [e-mail] they are short and free, full of great teaching, just like what you've heard today. Find [e-mail] resources blog. We would like to thank all of our financial partners who help us keep this show going. All gifts are tax deductible and very much appreciated. If you'd like to find out how you can be a financial partner. Visit [e-mail] on our next episode. How to share the Gospel Quickly, not leaving anything out. Come back and join us again for that. In the meantime, let's keep Grace in focus.

[Bob Wilken]

The proceeding has been a listener supported

[Sam Marr]

ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.