I John 2:24-29

Introduction

John had just let them know that they need to be ready for the coming of Jesus and now he is going to go back and hammer the issue of false teachers a little more, but first he will encourage them to remain in the truth, then he will warn them against deceivers, how to be confident in the coming of Christ and how to live as a child of God.

Remain in the truth vs. 24-25

Let that therefore abide in you

You might be asking what is “that” mentioned in the first part of verse 24 and the answer to that question is “which ye have heard from the beginning”

As believers the Word of God should abide in us. What the bible teaches us should abide in us.

Creation- if we can’t trust the Bible for the foundation of the world how can we trust it for our salvation.

Salvation- literally our eternity hinges on the Bible being true. We can trust what the Bible tells us about salvation, and that is that its by grace through faith. And the faith thats mentioned is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (his life, death, burial, and resurrection - the Gospel)

We can trust every word of the Bible, because every word is true and we should let the word of God abide in us.

Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee.”

When the Word of God abides in us we will live a life closer to God.

If what we learned from the beginning remains in us we will continue in our relationship with the father and the Son.

How do we strengthen our relationship with God? We spend time in the word.

John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

As believers we should continue in what we have learned from the beginning

2 Timothy 3:14–15 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The promise if we continue vs. 25

We are promised eternal life

Where does eternal life come from?

1 John 5:11 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Warning against deceivers vs. 26-27

John had done a lot of warning already about people who claimed to be something they weren’t

2 John 7 “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

The closer we get to Jesus’ return the more false teachers and deceivers there will be and we must be more on guard then ever.

I think its safe to say that every epistle written to the churches in the new testament warned against deceivers, and today we should be on guard and heed to the warnings of scriptures as well.

I know I say this often but we must be careful what we read, watch and listen too. I work with a person who watches a lot of “Bible” teachers on the internet and asks me what I think all the time.

Unfortunately its not just normal tv you have to watch out for now, there are false teachers that have flooded the internet and if we are not careful we will get sucked in to whatever kool aid they are selling.

1 John 4:1–4 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Like we talked about last week, we don’t study counterfeits to find counterfeits, we stud the real thing so we can spot a counterfeit bill from a mile away. The Same goes for Jesus, we study him and his word so much that we can spot a false teacher from a mile away.

Wiersbe said this “Satan is not an originator; he is a counterfeiter. He imitates the work of God.”

Satan has counterfeit “ministers”

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

Those counterfeit ministers teach a counterfeit gospel

Galatians 1:6–12 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

And the produce counterfeit Christians

John 8:43–44 “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Assurance of the anointing of the Holy Spirit vs 27

How do we keep from being deceived by a false teacher? We depend on the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Each believer has experience the anointing or unction like its called earlier in the chapter and it is the Spirit that teaches us truth

John 14:17 “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

We learn truth by relying in the anointing of the Holy Spirit on our life, but we must live a life that is yielded to the Spirit.

Notice that John tells them that they do not need any man to teach them.

We know that God called teachers and preachers, what John is referencing here is that we should test the teaching of men as you search the Bible yourself.

Ephesians 4:11–12 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

You shouldn’t just take my word for it, you should follow along in your Bible and let me know if what I am preaching is against the scriptures.

Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

Confidence in the coming of Christ vs 28

How can we have confidence in the coming of Christ so we don’t have to be ashamed?

We allow the word of God to abide in us

We abide in Christ

Our Standing in Christ vs. 29

Because of Christ righteousness, when we are born of him we assume his righteousness

Conclusion

The secret to a victorious Christian life is allowing the word of God to abide in us and us abiding in Christ