1 John 2:18-23
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Good Morning and welcome to Confessors of Christ Church!
Today is an exciting day in the journey through 1st John
One of my favorite aspects to preaching through entire books of the Bible is that you can’t avoid anything.
Whether you want to talk about it or you don’t want to talk about it, well we are going to talk about it!
Today we are going to hit one of those topics!
We going all end times, anti-Christ, last days, and blood moons!
Well, not blood moons, but the astronomy side of me got a little excited.
Ever since we discovered we are in the last days, which was 2000 years ago, by the way, but more on that in a minute.
Christians have been captivated about what it all means,
How it is going to be played out, and what we should be looking for.
Not only does end time discussion peak our interest, it is also very profitable.
End times talk can make you pretty rich, even if you have no clue what you are talking about.
Tim LaHaye who wrote the Left Behind series sold 80 million books, and is worth 20 million dollars.
John Hagee wrote books and made whole ministry outreach based on the end times.
On his website it states: “If you are wondering how long it will be until the Savior’s return and what we can expect before His arrival, this is the perfect series for you.”
If you want to know the answers, all it will cost you is $20.00 plus shipping for his CD.
While this is certainly a fascinating and intriguing topic, we must not give into theories, made up concepts, or wild speculations.
Today’s message is more about not being deceived than it is about the AntiChrist.
Today’s message is more about assurance in the faith that you have then the one who will captivate the faith of the world.
Today’s message is more about testing your own salvation than it is about testing the current events for clues into the end times.
The way we can have certainty and not be led astray is by knowing what God says concerning this topic through Scripture.
If we get our understanding from those trying to make a buck, we are already heading in the wrong path.
Do not let people who are famous, have a large following, book deals, or platforms be your determination of truth.
As beautiful as it may sound, we are not to let our conscious be our guide.
But, instead let God’s Word be your guide on discerning what is true and what is not.
Which is what we will be doing together, this morning.
John is certainly going to have us look at the Anti-Christ and antichrists.
John is going to tell us that we are in the last days and goes as far as saying the last hour.
John is going to give us tests to help us know who is true and who is a liar.
He will encourage us who are in the faith to hold fast to the faith while giving us reasons why others abandon the faith.
But John wants to make sure that we are not deceived and give us assurance that if we are in the faith, we will not be deceived.
Ultimately, John will tell us the truth of Christ vs the lies of the anti-Christ.
If you are ready, as I know I am, then do not delay in opening our Bibles or turning them on if that is your preference.
We are going to be in the first letter of John, the second chapter and reading verses 18-23 together.
Then we will break down each verse and see what is truly being said and try to weed through the phony and the fake.
These are the infallible and inerrant Words of God.
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
These are the words of God.
John is not deviating from His overall purpose in the letter to address a side topic here.
John is fully and purposely continuing His letter with a focus on giving the true believer assurance in His Faith
While simultaneously separating those who are false believers into realizing that they are not in the faith.
John did this by first and foremost declaring God to be the standard or the light.
If we do not see God as the standard, and looking to God as our standard then we are in darkness.
More specifically, we are not a true Christian believer but have been deceived.
If we look to God as light, if we look to Jesus as our Savior, if we walk according to the commandments, and if we confess our sins.
John says that we have assurance in our faith and Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
Then last week, we were given the warning to make sure that we do not live according to the desires of our flesh.
The lust of our eyes.
and The pride of life or have pride in what we have and what we do.
If we are doing this, then the love of the Father is not in us, and we love the things of this world, Over the love of the Father.
John is going to continue to give authentic believers a warning, while also bringing clarity to what is truly happening around us.
John is going to help us see why some walk away from the faith.
John is going to help us understand why some are opposed to Christ.
He will also confirm that there is one that will come who is the Anti-Christ.
Let’s not delay and let us now turn to our first verse in chapter two beginning in verse 18
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.
John begins with his beloved greeting of endearment towards those who are reading this letter.
We have gone over this a couple of times now but it is meant as a father telling his children what is important.
But, one thing that I want to add, is that John also uses this phrase to introduce a new topic.
It is a key to show us that something important is about to be said.
So, we must now look to see what new subject is being raised.
The subject that is being raised is that it is the last hour.
Then John gives us the reason for him declaring that it is the last hour.
Specifically that an antichrist is coming and many antichrists have come.
Because of this, we can have assurance that we are in the last hour.
That’s great, but what does John mean when he says last hour.
Especially in light that this is a really long hour.
I understand that time can certainly drag, but it’s been about 17 million hours since this letter was written. (I did the math)
So we can be certain that John was not being literal but figurative.
John is referring to a new age, one that included Jesus coming and will include Jesus returning.
He gives us this hint when in last week’s verse, verse 17, John said that the “world is passing away.”
So, here we have a time frame that isn’t a physical time, like an hour or a date, but a period.
This period that John was in, that John is telling those he’s writing his letter to were in...
And those who are reading this letter today, are in, is the period of the last hour.
Later in Revelation John will use the figurative language of 1000 year or the millennial, to represent a section of time.
I do not believe John is speaking of a literal 1000 years to come but figurative language of the time period we are in now.
Specifically the time between Jesus’s resurrection and Jesus’s return.
But, we will wait for a further unpacking of this when we go through the book of Revelation either next year or the year after.
The point John is speaking of is that we are in a time frame, an hour, anticipating the return of Jesus.
How do we know this is the case?
John now moves to tell us that.
“As you have heard, the anti-Christ is coming, so now many antichrist have come.”
There were many antichrists who were already present in John’s time some 50 years after Jesus was resurrected.
These many antichrists are a precursor for the one antiChrist that is to come.
They are not THE antichrist but still antichrists
We can use little “a” for antichrists (being plural) and a big “A” for the AntiChrist (being singular).
Just like we can use little “c” for Christians and a big “C” for Jesus as the Christ.
There will be many antichrists who will come in every generation leading to the AntiChrist.
But who are these antichrists and who is “The” AntiChrist?
It is absolutely necessary and essential that we seek a biblical understanding of who these antichrists are
Along with what these antichrists will do, so that we are not to be deceived and carried about by every wind of teaching
When we think of antichrist we think of wildly different things.
But at the core, antiChrist means “in the place of” Christ, or “against” Christ. (Repeat)
This is what antichrist actually means.
At the end of the day these are people who are either against Christ, or want to take the place of Christ.
They are actively trying to destroy the purpose and plan of Jesus, or
They want you to look to them as your Savior and safety.
They are essentially a denial of Christ or a substitute for Christ.
There is a difference between one who does not believe in Christ and one who is actively apposing Christ.
There is a difference between one who does not mind the things of God and those who are campaigning against God.
So, do not go around calling your unbelieving neighbors and co-workers and family members anti-christs.
But, do recognize when one is making a platform or a business, or a policy, that is against the one true God.
This was happening in John’s day and it continues to happen today.
In John’s day they had the gnostics.
In our day we do have many religious groups and many individuals that are opposed the biblical Christ.
As we look from generation to generation we can see many who would fall under the antichrist title.
Roman emperor Nero certainly falls under this category.
Martin Luther and many of the reformers in the 1500s and
The London Baptist Confession of 1600s call the Roman Catholic Pope, an antichrist.
I’ll share a few more later, but the list is vast, and there will be all sorts of antichrists in every generation.
All of these Antichrists are but a foreshadow to the Antichrist.
The Antichrist is the main adversary meant to deceive and cause chaos and destruction.
While there is very little time to give this topic a full unpacking I would like to read for you what Paul says about the AntiChrist
Then I want to show a couple of other spots that are helpful in understanding who the AntiChrist will be.
In 2 Thessalonians Paul gives us very strong indicator of what we are to look for and what we are to expect.
I won’t be putting this on the screen but if you want to make a note to read this in your quiet time, I believe it would be helpful.
Listen to these words in verses 1 - 12.
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
Let’s stop here for a moment.
First Paul wants us not to be alarmed, or deceived.
There will be a rebellion and the man of lawlessness or plainly put, the man of sin will be revealed.
The AntiChrist is the son of destruction.
The AntiChrist is one who exalts himself as God over every so-called god and proclaims Himself to be God.
This is the AntiChrist that we must be aware of, but not afraid of, or worried about.
Why must we not be afraid, worried, or lose sleep over this topic?
Because we are in Christ and God is fully and completely in control and Jesus will Kill the AntiChrist.
Let’s see that next.
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
While Paul knew those reading would understand who is restraining the AntiChrist, Paul does not let us reading his letters in the future know.
But, we can assume that it is through the power and will of God and the timing of God that is putting things in check.
The lawless one, the Sinful one, will be revealed and Satan will empower this AntiChrist
Yet the AntiChrist will be destroyed by the coming of Jesus.
We who are believers will not be deceived by the AntiChrist only those who are not in Christ will be deceived.
This is why it is so important to have assurance of our faith.
If we have assurance of our faith then we have nothing to worry about in regards to the AntiChrist.
Remember this was my big point at the beginning.
John’s message is more about us not being deceived and to trust in Christ and our assurance in Christ than the enemy.
God will personally see to it that His children are kept in the light, while the children of the devil are kept in darkness.
What is sad is that groups of Christians are more concerned about the darkness than they are about the light.
Sure, we need to understand the Antichrist and the antichrists of every generation.
This is important and good, but our main focus should be on our King, not the one our King will destroy.
Our focus is on the victory not the adversary.
Our focus should be on Christ.....not the AntiChrist.
Let’s jump forward a couple of verses so that we can compare the truth of Jesus vs the lies of the AntiChrist.
Let’s go to verse 21
I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
This is a key phrase to John’s argument.
We will not be deceived if we know the truth, because we know the truth.
The Spirit is within us guiding us, opening our eyes, helping us comprehend, showing us the truth.
We have God’s preserved Word declaring and displaying the truth.
We will not fall for a lie if we hold fast to the truth.
Now John goes away from the truth to showcase the lies.
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
We are now revealed the antiChrist.
The one who denies that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.
The one who denies the Father and thus denies the Son.
Those who do this are the antichrists and will one day be the platform of THE AntiChrist.
Today, who do we have that would fall under this category of AntiChrists?
The teachers of Islam would be considered AntiChrists.
Muhammad was an antichrist and continue to teach that Jesus was a prophet, but not God.
Jesus was sent by God, but is not our Savior.
They also have a completely different mindset and idea of who the Father is as well that is contradictory to Scripture.
Thus, According to John’s definition, these would be considered AntiChrists.
The religion of Islam is against the biblical God and biblical Jesus.
But, it isn’t just those who claim other gods, but even those who claim to be Christians can be antichrists.
The Latter Day Saints aka the mormons in their doctrines and teachings believe that God the Father was once a man like you and I.
The Father was a very good man and earned godhood and then took a wife and we are all spirit offsprings of this God-Man-Father.
Jesus, is the first of this God-Man-Father’s children with his eternal spiritual wife and Lucifer was the second, making them brothers.
Yet, the Bible talks of Jesus being eternal and Jesus being the Creator of all including Lucifer.
Thus, though the Mormons claim to be Christians, they believe in a different, man-made God of Joseph Smith, and not the real God of Scripture nor the real Jesus of Scripture.
Thus even the church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints would be considered antichrists based on John’s definition and the beliefs and teachings that the LDS hold to.
They lead people away from the true Christ and deceive many even though they use the same words and phrases that we use.
They take Christian language and apply radically different definitions to them.
They are essentially denying the true Son and the True Father that has been revealed through the Word of God.
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
Whoever denies the true Son, denies the true Father.
Those who confess the true Son, has the true Father.
I now want to jump back a couple of verses and pick up back in verse 19.
The question comes up, after we began about the antichrists, a very important question.
This is a question that many, if not all of us, have witnessed personally, and John wants to give us an answer.
What about those who were with us, believed like us, acted like us, and walked with us, but now have left us?
What do we do about these people?
Are they deceived? Are they anti-Christs? How do we process those that leave the faith?
John now answers.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
These are those who are still deceived and the truth was not in them.
For countless reasons, they joined in with us for a season.
They seemed excited about what it was we were doing, what it was we were teaching, what it was we were believing in.
But, then something happened. Something changed in them.
The next thing we know they have left, they have rejected the faith, they have rejected repentance, they have rejected Christ.
John is wanting us not to be confused, dismayed, or troubled.
John wants us to know that these were not of us.
Meaning: These were not true believers.
Well, how do we know who are true believers and who are not true believers we might ask? So John answers this, too.
If they had been of us, they would have continued with us.
True believers are those who persevere.
True believers are united in Christ and therefore cannot be pulled away from Christ.
Let’s remember what John said in His Gospel.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
“But John,” we might say, how is it that these were snatched out of the Father’s hand?
How could Jesus lose these that were with us?
John declares to us that though we thought they were with us, they were not truly with us.
They were here for fellowship with other people but not fellowship with God.
They desired community with other people but not community with God.
They wanted the benefits that the church could offer without the submitting to the elders of the church.
They hoped for the joy and purpose found in Christ while still desiring the false joys of the world instead.
John is telling us this so that we may not be deceived in thinking that Jesus or the Father had failed.
It is not that the Son or the Father failed, it was that they were not His sheep.
They were not of the same fold.
They were not children of God.
Thus they followed for a season.
Maybe a short season, maybe a long season, but eventually they fell away.
Does this mean we do not pursue them? Pray for them? Share the Gospel with them?
We 100% do because only God knows who’s names are written in the book of life, we do not.
Thus we share the Gospel continually and constantly.
But, just like John tells us of the AntiChrist and AntiChrists so we are not deceived, John tells us why we have assurance.
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
We have been anointed, meaning we have been given the Spirit who illuminate’s the truth.
In this context the anointing is about the Spirit, and every believer has the Spirit, thus every believer is anointed by God.
We now have knowledge and illumination to the mysteries of God through His revelation.
Specifically biblical revelation through the Scriptures.
Notice the context is to all believers, everyone that John is writing to, which is the church.
Now, I do not want to go down a rabbit trail, but I do want to briefly point out a flawed theology of the charismatic movement.
This movement speaks of their teachers, so called prophets and apostles, as having a special anointing from God.
A gifted teacher has a “special anointing” on their lives is how it is usually worded.
An extra helping of Holy Spirit so to say.
This is not what Scripture teaches us.
In the Old Testament God would pour out His Spirit on certain individuals and give them a unique anointing compared to others.
But, in the New Testament, as John is pointing out, and the last days that we live in, every believer has this anointing in full measure.
If someone tries to tell you that a speaker or a teacher or a false prophet has a special anointing of God,
then they do not understand their Bible and must be avoided.
John is telling true believers and not false converts, an incredible reality that they are to hold fast to.
The believer is one who has knowledge brought on by the Holy Spirit.
The believer is one who’s eyes have been opened and mind has been unlocked.
The believer is one who’s heart has been redeemed and has knowledge that did not exist before.
This applies to every believer.
Because we are anointed we have knowledge.
Because we have been anointed we have the Spirit.
Because we have been anointed we know the anointed one.
Get this, Christ is greek for anointed one and Messiah is from the Hebrew meaning anointed one.
Jesus is the anointed one in the sense of the ultimate anointed one.
Our knowledge is from the Spirit so that we can know this anointed one.
So that we can know who are the antichrists and the one day AntiChrist
So that our faith will not be shaken no matter what may come.
We stand fast and and stand strong against the enemy because we have the true anointing of God.
We have the Spirit, and thus we have Christ.
Yes, we need to be aware of what is happening around us but we do not need to be worried.
For us who are in Christ the worst that can happen to us here on earth is death, but then after death comes eternal joy to those who are in Christ.
We must not be deceived by all of the voices around us but be fixated on the voice of Christ.
Let me close with this:
Illustrations: Listening to voices (Noah’s Football Game) - We must listen to God and heed his warnings, but be grounded in what He reveals.