Players and Pretenders

Introduction

1. Conversation I had with an inmate. (Santeria faith) He tells me, all truth is relevant, all religions lead to one place (heaven, utopia, God). We all come from different background, customs, and upbringings. Therefore, we all should do what we have feel is right. We have no

2. Truth is truth. Does not matter what I feel about it. Does not matter what I think about it. Does not matter what the majority feel about it. Truth is always the Truth. We must stand, walk, and remain in Truth and not allow anything to pull us from it.

3. The text we are going to look at, today. Is considered, by many scholars, the defining purpose in John writing this letter. We see the Church split and the reason for it false teachers.

John is going to encourage the Church two directions. A negative direction (Do Not) and a positive direction (Do). Do not follow false teachers, Do remain in Truth.

1 John 2:18–28 (NASB95)

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

Prayer

I. The Players and the Pretenders (vss.18-19)

1 John 2:18-19 “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”

Antichrist

Coming, have appeared

Antichrist, many antichrist

who is the antichrist

vs 22. This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.”

Jesus was a good prophet (Jews and Muslims both say)

Spirit of the antichrist:

1 John 4:3 “and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.”

Last Hour (greek: wpa, meaning time frame) could mean long time as in a season of life or short time.

We know it is the last hour because of the antichrist

The antichrist could not come unless their was first the “Christ”

The last hour spans from the time of Christ until his return (vs.28)

Results of the Anti Christ

vs 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”

The split showed who was really members of the body of Christ

John shows that there are two types of “churches” on this earth today

One is made up of Christians and christian actors.

The other is the true body made up of Christians

Johns “church” just had a split of the actors and the true Church

Self-test

John has already in this letter, given a couple self-test one can take to see where they truly stand with God

test of obedience, test of love

Now he give a perseverance test: Do you remain/abide in the body.

John shows that there are two types of “churches” on this earth today

One is made up of Christians and christian actors.

The other is the true body made up of Christians

John teaches Eternal Security (If/than)

If they had been of us, they would have remained with us

II. You know The Truth (vss. 20-23)

1 John 2:20-23 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.”

You have an anointing

1 John 2:27 “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”

You recieved it, it remains in you, it teaches you, it is true, and you abide in Him

Word of God or Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit inspired man to write The Word of God. Say it is a little of both maybe a picture of the Trinity here?:)

You know the Truth

JESUS IS THE CHRIST

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

No lie is of the Truth, Truth and lies are incompatible

If you deny Jesus, you do not know God the father!!!

III. Remain in the Truth (vss.24-27)

1 John 2:24-27 “As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”

Greek μένω Meno: Abide/ Remain/ Stay/ Reside

Let what you herd in the begging Remain in you

The Gospel. Jesus is the way the Truth and Life no one comes to the Father but through him

If what you herd from the beginning Remain in you, you will Remain in the Son and in the Father

As for you…the anointing (Holy Spirit) Remains in you

Not everyone who herd the truth in begging, recieved his anointing

Since the Spirit Remains in us, we have no need for any one to teach us?

John is writing them this letter, teaching them.

What he is refuting here is the idea of some people having some higher knowledge of God, mysticism.

I can always test anything I learn to see if it is, Confessing Jesus or not

Remain in Jesus.

John 15: 4-7 ““Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

IV. Have Confidence (vs. 28)

1 John 2:28 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”

Jesus is coming back

When he comes back, you will either be

You will have confidence because you REMAIN in him

You will shrink away from him in shame.

“This end time perspective is important because what a person believes about the future has a great influence on how they think and live today.”

Conclusion

Are you a Players or a Pretenders

You know the Truth

Remain in the Truth that you know

Have Confidence

In summarizing this text one author wrote: “Thus, the primary application of John’s message in this passage must be the recognition that there is such a thing as heresy and sometimes it can even come from those who profess to be Christians.”

So What?

Study the Word of God, listen to the Holy Spirit. Abide in Jesus in everything you do.

Measure every teaching against The Life and Work of Jesus the Christ.