2 John / Question
2 John says, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God” (2 John 1:9). By contrast, “whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9). The statement makes abiding in the teaching the dividing line for having God in this letter’s terms (2 John 1:9).
In 2 John 1:8–9 the writer urges the readers to stay alert about themselves so that what has been achieved is not lost and so that a “full reward” is received. He then draws a sharp line: the person who goes beyond the teaching about Christ and does not stay within it is described as not having God. These verses come after the letter’s warning that “many deceivers” have gone out into the world, especially those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh (2 John 1:7).
These verses assume that a Christian community can build real progress that is worth guarding. The danger is not only outside “deceivers” (verse 7) but also internal drift: the readers can “lose” what has been accomplished if they stop paying attention (verse 8).
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with 2 John 1:9, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
9Whoever transgresses and doesn`t remain in the teaching of Christ, doesn`t have God. He who remains in the teaching, the same has both the Father and the Son.