On confirmation day, my pastor spoke the words of 1 John 2:17 over me in the language of the King James Version. Now, more than 60 years later, those words have more meaning than ever.

As a child or young confirmand, many of us may have felt the world seemed safe. But life happens, and we grow to realize it’s a fallen world. By God’s grace, that fact leads us to the good news. Jesus is preparing

a perfect world for his followers. No need to despair. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world — our faith” (1 John 5:4). God’s will is that we rest our faith in the redeeming work of his Son.