The Anointing

Introduction

Main Text

1 John 2:18–27 ESV

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. 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.

Hold On To Your Faith!

The answer to this false teaching is a simple one in the mind of the Apostle John. He wants you to hold on to what you heard in the beginning.

It reminds me of how he encourages the church in Revelation to return to their first love. You remember when you met Jesus? You remember how he changed your life? Return to that. Hold on to that.

Let what you have heard abide or remain in you. And if you do, you will receive the promise he has made to us - which is eternal life, verse 25.

One of the biggest battles in life is a simple one. It’s simply to hold on. Paul says stand firm. We tend to think God is expecting us to do these great and mighty things, and perhaps you will, but what he really wants is for us is that we would stand firm in our faith. He wants us to simply rest in our belief.

I was reading some stuff this week in my leadership class and one thing stood out to me in particular. The class this week was on “continuous improvement.” It’s the idea that we should never stop trying to find ways to improve ourselves and our team.

It quoted a verse I love:

Philippians 3:12–14 ESV

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I’ve heard this verse a dozen times. I love it. It’s very encouraging to me to keep pressing forward. But, it connected a verse to it that I didn’t suspect and that is what really hit me this week.

It connected this verse to a verse Paul wrote much later in his life.

2 Timothy 4:7 ESV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

So think about this for a moment. Paul encourages the church to run the race, press on toward the goal. Keep fighting, in other words. Don’t give up. And at the end of his life, he tells us that he did it. He accomplished it. He finished the race.

What was the race?

He says… “I have kept the faith.”

That’s the race. That’s the point. Keep the faith.

Now, if you are like me, maybe you’ve had times in your life that you actively ran from God. You either chose to run because you were deceived or confused or just felt a whole lot of shame, which was me. Perhaps you are feeling that way today.