34. 1 Jn218-28 Truth vs Falsehood Pt 7 The Means of Victory in Our Conflict P2

Truth vs Falsehood Pt 6: The Means of Victory in our Conflict Pt 2 - Abiding

1Jn 2:18-28 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. (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. (20) But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. (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. (22) 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. (23) No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. (24) 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. (25) And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. (26) I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. (27) 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. (28) And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

Last month we saw in the first part of this verse the command to ‘let what you heard from the beginning abide in you’. This letter is one of those great texts on spiritual warfare and it is different from the familiar texts of Eph. 6 and 1 Peter 5 in that it gives quite the detailed description of the false teaching, wrong practice, and attempt to deceive the believers into following their lies and false teaching. These tactics are alive and well today and are being used to great effectiveness in the rise of churches that have perverted the true gospel for personal gain. The true gospel of which tells of the Father’s love: 1Jn 4:9-10  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  (10)  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The true gospel which the person and offices, the atoning sacrifice, the justifying righteousness of the God-man mediator proclaimed. The wondrous beauty, the incomprehensible goodness and glory of the gospel of God is proclaimed, embraced in faith, and confessed by those who believe. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. The Father ordains salvation, the Son secures it, and the Spirit applies it. The proof of which is seen in it abiding in and bearing the fruit of salvation.

What does ‘abide’ mean? It is permanent residence in a place and a close, intimate relationship with those whom we are abiding.

General Observation:

In the part of verse 24 we see an ‘if, then’ statement. This can be a conditional statement, or it can be a declarative. But it doesn’t have to be one or the other. It can be both. Providing that you meet the required stipulation the other will follow. The truth remaining and operating in the soul as a vital principle, exerting a practical power in the life, is a means of maintaining communion with the Son and the Father. There can be no saving knowledge of Christ except through the means of the gospel. There can be no fellowship with Him but by believing and cleaving to the gospel. A faith that is in pursuit of Christ by right application and obedience to His word.

Jas 2:14-26  What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?  (15)  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  (16)  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  (17)  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  (18)  But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  (19)  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!  (20)  Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?  (21)  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?  (22)  You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;  (23)  and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.  (24)  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.  (25)  And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?  (26)  For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

The second observation is: abiding in the message is abiding in the Son and the Father. This is inextricably linked to one another. If you are not abiding in the gospel, you are not abiding in the Son and the Father. You may claim you are abiding in the Son and the Father but if you are not abiding in the Word you are deceiving yourself. It is interesting to note the verb abide in 2nd person singular. John is addressing each individual within the context of the body of Christ. We are not saved corporately, redeemed corporately, justified corporately, or adopted corporately. The Lord’s choosing is not His throwing a blanket net to see whom He may catch. To each of us He knows us by name. We are saved individually and brought into the household of God which is the church of the living God. It points to God’s personal relationship to us individually as well as corporately and our relationship with the Triune God is individual as well as corporate The implication is personal responsibility. This means that being a part of a truth teaching, gospel preaching church without personal pursuit of God in His word means that you are not and cannot enjoy what the fullness of ‘abiding in the Son and in the Father’ means. When we gather as the people of God we only bring with us as an offering of worship, the sum of our pursuit of the Lord in the course of the week.

There are 3 Points this morning. 1) Abiding’s affect 2) Abiding’s Result 3) biding’s Reward

I. Abiding’s Affect

The first affect is salvation. Paul said Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, then the Greek.

The Spirit works renewing and regenerating us. Tit 3:4-7  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,  (5)  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  (6)  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  (7)  so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We are given the faith to believe. Eph 2:8-9  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  (9)  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We are set free from the dominion of sin. Rom 6:6-7  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  (7)  For one who has died has been set free from sin.

And made a new creation. 2Co 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The effect of our salvation? Now I will give the necessary qualifying statement that whatever obedience and fruit we bear as believers is simply by the power and work of the Holy Spirit in us. But there is stated the human responsibility to act upon the these things that we have heard.

1) We walk as Jesus walked. 1Jn 2:4-6  Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,  (5)  but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:  (6)  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

2) We have His mindset - Php 2:5-8  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  (6)  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  (7)  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  (8)  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

3) We do not habitually dwell in sin. 1Jn 3:6  No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

4) We continue in His Word - Joh 8:31  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

5) Bear fruit consistent with our confession - Joh 15:5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Col 1:10  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

II. Abiding’s Result: You too will abide in the Son and in the Father.

Think for just a moment what this text is saying. There are two sub points. 1) Abiding in the Son 2) Abiding in the Father

1. Abiding in the Son -

This speaks specifically to abiding in Christ. First, abiding in Him is the source of our fruit-bearing. It is abiding in Him that our prayers for fruit-bearing will be answered. We abide in His love. Abiding in Jesus and His love cannot be separated from one another. We are immersed in the sea of the infinitude of the 2ndperson of the Godhead and all that He is. In love, He set aside His glory, took the form of a bond-servant, and was obedient to the point of death on the cross.

1Pe 2:22-24 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. (23) When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (24) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Paul says in Romans 5 that one will scarcely die for a righteous person though for a good person, one might die. But we are far from righteous and there is no one good, not even one. This Jesus, endured the company of sinful mankind, endured the dispersions and insults caste at Him, disciples, who were, if we are being kind, were sometimes dumb as a rock. I can say this because it takes someone as dumb as a rock to know one. Despised and rejected, scourged and crucified, He bore our sins on the tree. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. This joy was not for the return to His glory but for the redemption of the people whom He loves. Even now after all He has done, He lives to make intercession for you.

The hymn ‘Before the Throne of God Above’ is a beautiful picture of Christ’s love for you working in Heaven.

1 Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea, a great High Priest whose name is "Love, "who ever lives and pleads for me. ,My name is graven on His hands; my name is written on His heart; I know that while in heav'n He stands, no tongue can bid me thence depart; no tongue can bid me thence depart.

2 When Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there who made an end of all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free; for God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me; to look on Him and pardon me.

3 Behold Him there, the risen Lamb! My perfect, spotless Righteousness; the great unchangeable I AM, the King of glory and of grace! One with Himself I cannot die; my soul is purchased with His blood; my life is hid with Christ on high, with Christ my Savior and my God; with Christ my Savior and my God!

2. Abiding in the Father

Abiding in the Father is abiding in all that He is. We are immersed again in the infinitude of the God the Father. It is because of love the Father sent His Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins and fulfill in Him all the requirements of the law. He was pleased to put Him to death for the sake of those whom He has loved before the foundation of the world. He sent the Holy Spirit in the name of His Son that we would not be left a vagabonds or orphans upon the earth. He has made His Spirit to dwell in us, sealed in the Holy Spirit of promise that make us irrevocably His. He ransomed us by the blood of His own Son, cleansed us, clothed us, and adopted us, calling us His beloved children. His Spirit , whom He has given, intercedes for us according to the will of God.

Rom 8:29-30 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (30) And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Rom 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Rom 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the larger context we see that we are immersed in the Triune God. Abiding in Him we are surrounded, guarded, protected, kept, loved. In the flood of anti-Christ’s and their false doctrine we are kept by the power of God. Who has words that adequately convey praise, adoration, and glory to our God in whom we abide.

III. Abiding’s Reward – this is the promise, eternal life.

This is the encouragement for us to remain faithful in the word that heard from the beginning. The promise is made on this backdrop. Heb 6:17-18 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, (18) so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

This eternal life would not mean anything unless it was the promise of being with our God. That is what life is. Paul told the Athenians that in Him we live and move and have our being. If now, how much more so to be in His presence forever.

Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”