Contrasts with The Fellowship

1 John 2:18 CSB

18 Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour.

INTRO—

[[WUV: I Bowed on My Knees - GVB]]

“Dear Children…Fathers…Young Men…don’t love the world...”

For this important reason— “I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.” (2.26)!

**WHY? — because it would harm The Fellowship.

…and just so we’re all clear, the contrasts between the world and the church include...

Not the Church but the World...

“Antichrists”

1 John 2. 18 “Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour.”

… 1 John 2.22 “Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son.”

= ‘against Christ;’ against the one, true Christ (Can’t make Jesus in our image)

“Deserters”

1 John 2.19 “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.”

= ‘exit, leave (from within), depart’

[contrast…clarity, remnant]

“Liars”

1 John 2.22 “Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son.”

…& “Deceivers” — 1 John 2.26 “I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.”

= (1) ‘cheat, false’ … (2) ‘mislead, lead astray, make to wander away’

John is highly vocal and consistent in his usage of this term (liar) as being outside the family of faith.

“Deniers”

1 John 2.22-23 “Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.”

= ‘refuse (to acknowledge), reject, refuse (to agree)’

[contrast…confess the Son & the Father]

“Unrighteous”

1 John 2.29 “If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him.” (by contrast, everyone who doesn’t do what is right…)

= ‘wrong-doing, sin, injustice’

“sin” — 1 John 5.17 “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that doesn’t lead to death.” (also 1 John 1.9)

[contrast…live (speak & do) righteously]

So, the Church…

["The Real”]

“Knows the Truth”

1 John 2.20-21 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.”

= [know] ‘understand, see, remember’

= [truth] ‘genuine, authentic, sincere’

“Sincere” — 1 Timothy 1.5 “Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” (without hypocrisy)

“Remain in the Son and the Father …(forever)”

1 John 2.24-25 “What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.”

1 John 2.27-29 “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him. So now, little children, remain in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him.”

= [remain] ‘abide, stay, dwell’ (not just “for a visit”)

“Loved by the Father”

1 John 3.1-3 “See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.”

= ‘loving concern…affection, wanting the best for the object of affection…love’

CONCL—

1 John 3.3 “And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.”

Take precautionary action...

…& corrective action.

1 John 3:3 CSB

3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.