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

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

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).

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)

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)

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.

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.

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.

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)

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

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.

For more resources, visit: faithalone.org

Transcript

Bob Wilken (0:00)

The following is a listener supported ministry

Sam Marr (0:02)

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 away@faithalone.org now with today's question and answer discussion, here are Bob Wilken and Sam Marr.

Bob Wilken (1:00)

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 (1:13)

Amen.

Bob Wilken (1:14)

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 (1:42)

All right.

Bob Wilken (1:42)

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 (2:14)

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.