Abiding in the True Gospel: 1 John 2:24-27

[Announce text]

Please look with me in Scripture at 1 John 2: 24-27.

[Scripture introduction]

John the Apostle, son of Zebedee wrote to the churches in and around Ephesus regarding the recent departure of false teachers from the Ephesian church. John encourages believers to love God and one another and reassures them that they are in the Son. The theme throughout the Johannine Epistles is Christian assurance and continuing to walk in love and truth.

[Re announce and read text]

1 John 2:24–27 “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”

[Prayer for illumination]

Pray with me as we ask God to guide us in the study of his Word.

[Introduction]

C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road.” For the church, the way forward is the way backward — a constant return to the gospel according to scripture.

The purpose of John’s writing is this:

1 John 2:26 “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.”

[Proposition] The main point of this sermon is to provide you with Three Essential Truths of the Gospel that will protect us from the deception of false teachers.

John’s solution for the church is that: We must abide in the essentials of God’s truth which includes God’s Word, God’s Spirit, and God’s Savior.

1. Essential Truth #1: We Must Abide in God’s Word.

1 John 2:24–25 “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.”

[Analytical Question] What is the message you heard from the beginning?

[Explanation] The truth concerning the person and works of Jesus Christ. In our pluralistic world, where it seems like everyone has their own personalized Jesus and gospel message to excuse their sins, only the true gospel will last forever.

[Explanation] The true gospel is that in Christ, God did for us what we were utterly incapable of doing for ourselves, and all we can do is receive it by faith. Our problem was worse than law-breaking. We were condemned and dead. In response to our condemnation, Jesus lived the perfect life we were supposed to live and then died the death we were condemned to die in our place. In response to our death, Jesus infused new life into us through his resurrection.This is the true gospel. It teaches us that God saves us and blesses us as a free gift of unmerited grace, and in response to that, we do good works.

[Illustration] Paul addressed this issue to the Galatians where Judaizers were teaching a different gospel (Gal. 1:6), a perverted gospel (v. 7), and a contrary gospel (v. 8).

[Analytical Question] Why are we to abide in (remain in, stay put in) this message?

[Subpoint 1] The Imperative (v. 24a)

As Christians, God commands us to remain in His Word and for His Word to remain in us. In other words, it is not meant to go in one ear and out the other. God’s Word should abide in us, meaning His Word should take root within us, and change us from within. Three ways to abide in God’s Word:

We must hear God’s Word.

John is telling us, in order to avoid being tossed to and fro with every form of doctrine, we must remain in the hearing of God’s Word.

For many of us here today, disciplining ourselves to hear God’s Word means attending church where the Word of God is faithfully preached. But I must warn you this morning, that simply attending a hour or two of church services each work where many learn to become professionals at paying lip service will not protect you from the evil lies from false teachers. Merely listening to God-inspired words is not the point.

The purpose of all methods of Bible intake is obedience to what God says and the development of Christlikeness.

By way of illustration, Jesus once said, Luke 11:28 “But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Let me give you one more illustration of how important it is to hear and obey God’s Word.

In chapter 3 of the Book of Revelation we hear Jesus’ message to the church at Sardis.

Revelation 3:3–4 “Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.”

Jesus is very direct in His message to the church. You’ve heard and received God’s Word at the moment of your salvation, but you’ve departed from it, you’ve abandoned it, you’ve traded it out for a worldly message and your spiritual growth for some of you is struggling because of that choice. So position yourself under the hearing of God’s Word is one way to abide in God’s Word. The second is...

We must read God’s Word.

John was writing to the first century church whose physical access to the scrolls was limited. Today we have the 66 books of God’s Word at our fingertips whether its in print or electronic form. We have more access to God’s Word today than at any point of history, and sadly the biblical literacy rates are at an all-time high.

A USA Today poll showed only 11% of Americans read the Bible everyday. More than half read it less than once a month or never at all.

A Barna Research Group poll revealed only 18% of professing Christians read the Bible everyday, and 23% of professing Christians have never read the Bible.

By way of illustration, Jesus often asked questions about people’s understanding of the Scriptures, beginning with the words, “Have you not read…?” Jesus assumed and we should as well, that those who profess to be Christians should know their Bibles.

Surely it was Jesus’ intention that we read God’s Word, Matthew 4:4 “But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

So be intentional about reading God’s Word is another way to abide in God’s Word. The third is...

We must study God’s Word.

The intended implications of hearing God’s Word, is to read God’s Word, as well as to study God’s Word. Don’t sit back and trust every teaching that is tossed around.

By illustration we see Ezra in the OT, Ezra 7:10 “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

Ezra devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Before he taught it to others, he practiced it himself.

God doesn’t expect us to sit back and receive whatever that comes from the pulpit blindly without being like the Bereans of Acts 17 who verified the validity of the message according to the Holy Scriptures.

R. C. Sproul said it painfully well: “Here then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.”

The principle to apply from this passage is that we the church are to know God’s Word, to live out God’s Word, and ultimately to share and teach others the beauty of God’s Word. The Great Commission is God’s charge to His Church.

[Subpoint 2] The Importance (vv. 24b)

The importance of abiding in God’s Word is that we’re abiding in fellowship with the oneness and solidarity of the Godhead of the Son and the Father. In other words, God the Father approves of our fellowship. This is where the Christian needs to be, not caught up and consumed with the affairs of the world.

False teachers do not abide (“continue”) in the fellowship. 1 John 2:19 “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.”

Here v. 24 says we should abide in God’s Word and by abiding in His Word, we will be spiritually strong. 1 John 2:14 “I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

There is nothing new under the sun, so these claims of new revelation, (ie., New Perspective on Paul, New Perspective on Jesus) are simply garbage straight from the pits of Hell. In other words, Christians are commanded to cultivate sound doctrine.

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

[Illustration] Charles Spurgeon said, “While we search after evidences and additional comforts we must not leave our simple trust in Jesus. Whatever sweep our knowledge may take as we advance in years, we must retain most fixedly the one and only center which is worthy of a regenerated soul, namely, our Lord Jesus. If the circle of our energies should encompass all the world, still must the heart stay with delightful continuance with the Well-Beloved. Immovable and steadfast we be, our willing soul unswervingly loyal to its sole object of trust and love, the one and only Lord of our whole being, the chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely.”

[Subpoint 3] The Incentive (v. 25)

The incentive is not that we must remain in God’s Word to acquire eternal life, but we remain in God’s Word because we already possess eternal life. How encouraging is it to know that for born-again believers, eternal life began at the moment of regeneration. What power we have over the evil one in knowing that even when we fall into sin, we are still in possession of eternal life. Church, there is power in knowing that the eternal life that we possess, Satan cannot and will not ever snatch it from our hands. AMEN.

[Application] The principle to apply from this passage is to let God’s Word that which you heard from the beginning concerning the incarnation of Christ, that which you heard concerning His life, and that which you heard concerning His death and resurrection (The Essentials) to abide in you as you abide in the Son and in the Father.

[Transition] This passage indicates that you should abide in God’s Word to grow spiritually in your walk with Christ as well as the protection it offers you against false teachers, but what else should we do?

2. Essential Truth #2: We Must Abide in God’s Spirit.

1 John 2:27a “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you.”

[Explanation] John reassures believers of the possession, and the power of the Holy Spirit that abides in them.

[Analytical Question] What is our greatest need from the anointing of the Holy Spirit?

The greatest need for the first century church mentioned here is also the greatest need for the 21st century church, and its our need for assurance.

[Explanation] Gnostics claimed to have the upper hand over the everyday Christians like you and me because they had restricted access to special knowledge. The confidence (assurance) of true Christians was damaged because these so called “Super Christians” lorded this privilege over them. John reassures believers by building them up in reminding them that they have the anointing from the Holy One, and the anointing that these Gnostics claim to possess is from the unholy one.

Church in difficult times it is good to be reminded of the many blessings that we have rather than to dwell on those we don’t have.

Encouragement and exhortation are the strengths of John’s ministry. Note a few other examples here:

1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

1 John 2:20 “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.”

What’s important for us to notice here is that in both verses the personal pronoun “you” is emphatic accentuating the contrast between believers and the antichrists. In other words, only believers are in possession of the Holy Spirit. At the moment of the believer’s conversion, the Holy Spirit has been poured out on you from the Holy One, which is Christ. In other words, knowing the truth is a gift of the Spirit.

I believe that John is making a point here which is aimed at the Gnostics in using this “anointed” and “anointing” Gk: chrisma which is only used here twice in the entire New Testament, because the Gnostics claimed they received a special anointing that gave them enlightenment and insight that other Christian didn’t have.

John says, the Holy Spirit is permanently with believers, for He has taken up residence in you. You have the touch of God, the favor of God, the ointment of God on you, which is the ointment of the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t run and hide from us when we sin, but He remains with us in our hearts.

[Illustration] 2 Corinthians 1:21 “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,”

[Illustration] Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Let’s move on...

[Analytical Question] What does it mean that we have no need for teachers?

This does Not mean we have no need for human teachers, obviously since Ephesians 4:11 teaches us that some are called to be preachers, some evangelists, some teachers, and some apostles. It is God’s Spirit that works through Bible teachers.

This means that we are not ultimately and completely dependent upon them because we have the anointing (Holy Spirit) which He gives us insight thru continuous teaching of the truth. The Spirit enables us to know the truth by “testing every spirit to see whether they are of God” (4:1). Christians have no need for dependence on false teachers. You don’t have to stand for it. You don’t have to fall for the lies. But let me make one thing crystal clear this morning, you don’t have the right to run off pastors and teachers because you don’t like their style or that they’re not tickling your ears enough with what you want to hear for this is not what this passage is teaching. Its saying you have the Spirit of Truth to know and to take action against those who willing pervert the teaching of God’s Most Holy Word.

[Application] The truth to believe from this passage is that the same anointing that inspired the author’s to record the 66 books of God’s Holy Word is the same anointing that all born-again believers possess today. The same anointing that Jesus possessed “to proclaim the good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to the set the oppressed free” (Lk. 4:18, Is. 61:1) is the same anointing that all born-again believers possess today.

[Transition] Christians are called to abide in God’s Word, to abide in God’s Spirit, and.......

3. Essential Truth #3: We Must Abide in God’s Savior.

1 John 2:27b “But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”

[Explanation] Believers, you possess the ministry of the Spirit of truth, promised by Christ. In other words, you have the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.

[Illustration] John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

John chooses to use the law of non-contradiction here which means something cannot be at the same time true and false. John first used this back in verse 21.

1 John 2:21 “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.”

In an overly complicated, typical Johannine fashion, he says, “I’m writing to you because you know the truth, and because you know the truth, you reject lies.” Essentially, you have a built-in lie detector.

Here is verse 27, John says, “You abide in Him (Christ)” because He gave you the ministry of Holy Spirit and you now know all things that are essential for salvation. With this anointing you know without doubt where you need to abide, so stay faithful, be not deceived. In the words of Paul, “Stay the course.”

[Illustration] John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”

[Illustration] 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

What encouraging reminder to the church, that we’re right where we need to be. We are fully equipped to distinguish the truth from the lies, for we will never be misguided with the Holy Spirit at the helm. Our redemption in Christ has been sealed with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Promise. This is a permanent gift given to us from God, the truth and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

1 John 2:24–25 “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.”

[Application] As encouraging as this passage is, this passage also teaches us an error to avoid. Casually saying that I have the truth, I have the Spirit, I have eternal life so God’s got it all under control, and I have no human responsibility, so I can live however I want to. Our human responsibility is to persevere in the faith. We’re reminded of this truth in John 8:31 where Jesus says, “If you continue in my Word, you’re my real disciple.” Paul says in Colossians 1:23 “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

[Closing Prayer and Invitation] John made the distinction between those who are true believers (thus giving them assurance) and those who are not (thus exposing them) by their beliefs. Just as the phonies of the faith departed, denied, and deceived, true believers are called to persevere by abiding in God’s Word, abiding in God’s Spirit, and thus abiding in Christ. How would you personally fare with John’s test? If you’re on the wrong road today, this is the call to return to the gospel. The proper response to the gospel is to repent of our sins (meaning to change our minds about how to enter the kingdom) and believe in the gospel now, because the kingdom of God is close at hand. The altar is open, and the invitation to trust Jesus has been offered. How will you respond to the gospel call?