Should you witness to someone about your faith before examining yourself (2 Cor 13:5)? "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith" (13:5). Perhaps you don't care if "you indeed fail the test?" (13:5).

God has given man free will so he takes the stance of a permissive parent. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins" (1Jn 1:9). "He who does not obey the Son . . . the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).

God being everywhere requires leniency because of our flawed human nature. However it is only because "in Him we live and move and exist" (Acts 17:28) and "have been made complete" (Col 2:10). "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God" (2 John 9).

Proper decision making and behavior is a matter of obedience. The one who "abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked" (1 John 2:6). "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone" (John 12:24).

The word of God from the Bible is the way to abide in God. "'My words abide in you'" (John 15:7) therefore "the word of God abides in you" (1 John 2:14). "We abide in Him . . . because He has given us His Spirit" (1 John 4:13) therefore "the anointing which you received from Him abides in you" (1 John 2:27).