Warnings & Assurance

We continue our exposition of the 1st letter of John

Today we will be looking at ch-2 V18-26

Our topic for today is Warnings & Assurance

Nuestro tema de hoy es Advertencias y Garantías

1 John 2:18–27 Warning Concerning Antichrists

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. 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.

Lets come before the Lord in prayer

In our last sermon we saw

The world John warns about is not creation or people, but a value system that opposes God and centers life on self rather than on His will.

The world seeks to capture our hearts through three main avenues: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. ( arrogancia)

The real danger is not only what we do, but what we begin to love, crave, and normalize in our hearts. That becomes the object of our affections

The way to overcome love for the world is not merely trying harder, but loving Christ more—because a greater love pushes lesser loves out.

In our passage today we are going to be looking a different kind of warning.

A warning against a teaching that attacks the very heart of the gospel message.

John will present to its audience in this portion 3- Warnings & 3-Assurance (Garantías)

Lets look at V18-19 for the first Warning

1 John 2:18 “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.”

1 Juan 2:18 Hijitos, es la última hora, y así como oísteis que el anticristo viene, también ahora han surgido muchos anticristos; por eso sabemos que es la última hora.

The first thing we need to address is the meaning of the phrase ‘the last hour.

Lo primero que debemos abordar es el significado de la expresión «la última hora».

John said it was the last Hour about 2,000 years ago.

Therefore John is speaking theologically not chronologically

meaning this term the Last Hour means the entire period of time between the first and the second advent or coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

This is a consistent teaching in the NT

we see passages like

2 Timothy 3:1 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.”

2 Timoteo 3:1 Pero debes saber esto: que en los últimos días vendrán tiempos difíciles.

in the same way

1 Peter 1:20 “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you”

1 Pedro 1:20 Porque Él estaba preparado desde antes de la fundación del mundo, pero se ha manifestado en estos últimos tiempos por amor a vosotros

It is the time we are currently living— Its caled the last hour because the only appointment God has to fulfill in his calendar is the return of Christ

John is evoking in his readers a sense of imminence and urgency, reminding those who follow Christ to remain aware.

Juan está evocando en sus lectores un sentido de inminencia y urgencia, recordando a quienes siguen a Cristo que permanezcan atentos.

And the purpose of this call to be aware is that the antichrist is coming and now many antichrists have come

This is where theology matters. Doctrine matters. What we believe, why we believe it, and how we proclaim those truths truly matters.

One of Satan’s primary tactics in his futile attempt to destroy and distort the church is to infiltrate it with false teaching.

Una de las principales tácticas de Satanás, en su fútil intento de destruir y distorsionar la Iglesia, es infiltrarla con falsas enseñanzas.

Paul talking about the false apostles in

2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

2 Corintios 11:14 Y no es de extrañar, pues aun Satanás se disfraza como ángel de luz.

In a similar way he warn the Galatians

Galatians 1:8–9 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

Gaatas 1:8-9 Pero si aun nosotros, o un ángel del cielo, os anunciara otro evangelio contrario al que os hemos anunciado, sea anatema. Como hemos dicho antes, también repito ahora: Si alguno os anuncia un evangelio contrario al que recibisteis, sea anatema.

John gives them a name that highlights who they are and what they are about

En esta sección, Juan les da un nombre que destaca quiénes son y de qué tratan.

Who are these antichrist?

They are not demons, but people who seek to distort essential doctrines of the Christian faith.

John gives us significant details of who they are in V19

1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us;

1 Juan 2:19 Salieron de nosotros, pero en realidad no eran de nosotros,

They had once been part of the visible church.

They began within the church and, for a time, gave the impression—only the impression—that they were truly united to Christ.

They were probably showing up every Lord’s Day.

They were probably partaking of the Lord’s Table.

They were probably listening to the preaching of the Word.

“Even though they outwardly belonged to the church, their departure revealed…”that there was no genuine saving faith indwardly

V19 for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.

V19 porque si hubieran sido de nosotros, habrían permanecido con nosotros;

This implies that those who are truly saved will never abandon Christ, for they will be kept by his grace

Jude 24 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,”

Judas 24 Y a aquel que es poderoso para guardaros sin caída y para presentaros sin mancha en presencia de su gloria con gran alegría,

They abandon the fellowship

Ellos abandonaron la comunión

But they went out, pero salieron

that it might become plain , a fin de que se manifestara

φανερόω phaneroō - reveal Their departure had a divine purpose.

to reveal that they all are not of us.” para revelar que no todos son de nosotros.

Leaving the fellowship proves that they did not belong to the church

1-Assurance (Garantías) begins in V20-21

1 John 2:20–21 “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.”

1 Juan 2:20-21 Pero vosotros tenéis unción del Santo, y todos vosotros lo sabéis. No os he escrito porque ignoréis la verdad, sino porque la conocéis y porque ninguna mentira procede de la verdad.

You see there is a difference

The difference between the antichrists who departed from the church and the true believer is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

This anointing refers to the receiving of the Holy Spirit REGENERATION!!

This is a great reminder

this is a great comfort

that because you are indwell by the spirit of God you will persevere you. and present you blameless before himself.

Not only were they indwell by the Holy Spirit but John continues to say —

and you all have knowledge.

y todos vosotros lo sabéis

οἶδα (oida) means “to know.” The word originally comes from a verb that means “to see.”

The idea is that because someone has seen something in the past, they now know it with certainty in the present.

So this word often describes a knowledge that is clear, certain, and understood—not just information, but true understanding.

Así pues, esta palabra describe a menudo un conocimiento que es claro, cierto y comprendido; no solo información, sino una verdadera comprensión.

When we look at scripture —

“The work of the Spirit of God in the life of the believer is truly fascinating to consider.”

The Spirit regenerates the believer (new birth). John 3:5–6

The Spirit indwells every believer. 1 Corinthians 6:19

The Spirit sanctifies the believer. Galatians 5:16

The Spirit illuminates the truth of God’s Word. 1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”

1 Corintios 2:12 Y nosotros hemos recibido, no el espíritu del mundo, sino el Espíritu que viene de Dios, para que conozcamos lo que Dios nos ha dado gratuitamente,

The Spirit assures believers of their salvation. Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”

Romanos 8:16 El Espíritu mismo da testimonio a nuestro espíritu de que somos hijos de Dios,

John is assuring them that they possess the understanding and wisdom necessary to distinguish the lies that were emerging within the church.

Juan les esta asegurando que ellos tienen entendimiento y la sabiduria necesaria para distinguir las mentiras que estaban surggiendo dentro de la iglesia

Look at V21 of our Passage

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

1 Juan 2:21 No os he escrito porque ignoréis la verdad, sino porque la conocéis y porque ninguna mentira procede de la verdad.

Now John moves to the second warning

Now John will gives us more clarity theses antichrists

1 John 2:22–23 “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.”

1 Juan 2:22-23 ¿Quién es el mentiroso, sino el que niega que Jesús es el Cristo? Este es el anticristo, el que niega al Padre y al Hijo. Todo aquel que niega al Hijo tampoco tiene al Padre; el que confiesa al Hijo tiene también al Padre.

John clearly describes the antichrist as he who denies that Jesus is the Christ and who denies the Father and the Son

To separate Christ the Savior from Jesus the man was a hallmark of , Docetism comes from a Greek word meaning “to seem” or “to appear.”

It was a false teaching in the late first century that claimed Jesus only appeared to be human but was not truly human.

Docetists believed:

Jesus did not have a real human body.

His suffering and death only seemed real, but did not actually happen physically.

They affirmed His deity but denied His true humanity.

In short: Docetism teaches that Jesus was God but only appeared to be human,

In other words, they were denying that Jesus was the Messiah.

in His second letter he is more clear bout this antichrist— look what is says

2 John 7 “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

2 Juan 7 Pues muchos engañadores han salido al mundo que no confiesan que Jesucristo ha venido en carne. Ese es el engañador y el anticristo.

From these statements we can deduce that John’s opponents—these antichrists—had strayed from sound doctrine— from the traditional understanding of Jesus Christ

This is a very dangerous thing

To abandon such an important understanding of Jesus Christ.”

“Was Jesus simply a human phenomenon—a man through whom God spoke? Or was He a divine phenomenon, a visitor from above, the One who brought God Himself into human history?”

This is not a question of hearing God’s voice in Jesus

they are denying the incarnation of Christ

When you deny that Jesus came in the flesh

you deny the father

When people deny what God has plainly revealed in His Word, they must be recognized for what they are—liars, antichrists, and false prophets.

That may sound harsh to some, but what is at stake here is eternity.

“The deity of Christ, His Spirit-wrought incarnation, and His identity as God’s Messiah-Son are not truths that can be sacrificed for the sake of peace in the church.

There can be no truly Christian unity where these truths are not embraced.

It is John’s deep concern for Christ’s honor and for the salvation and safety of His people that caused him to write in such a manner.

He moves now to 2 assurance

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.”

1 Juan 2:24-25 En cuanto a vosotros, que permanezca en vosotros lo que oísteis desde el principio. Si lo que oísteis desde el principio permanece en vosotros, vosotros también permaneceréis en el Hijo y en el Padre. Y esta es la promesa que Él mismo nos hizo: la vida eterna.

“This second assurance gives direction to the audience to abide in what they have heard from the beginning.”

I believe this is meant to reinforce the truth that Jesus came in the flesh, the very truth the antichrists were denying.

1 John 1:1–2 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—”

1 Juan 1:1-2 Lo que existía desde el principio, lo que hemos oído, lo que hemos visto con nuestros ojos, lo que hemos contemplado y lo que han palpado nuestras manos, acerca del Verbo de vida (pues la vida fue manifestada, y nosotros la hemos visto y damos testimonio y os anunciamos la vida eterna, la cual estaba con el Padre y se nos manifestó);

In the midst of the confusion the church was experiencing, false teaching brought division .

Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.

Heard

Seen with our eyes

Looked upon

Touched with our hands

These emphasize the real, physical experience of Jesus by the apostles

The Nicene Creed is a short statement of Christian belief written by church leaders in AD 325 to clearly explain who Jesus Christ is and what Christians believe.

1 John AD 90–95→ Nicene Creed → ~230 years

Nicene Creed → Today → ~1,700 years

Nicene Creed was written to protect the truth about Christ and guard the church against false teaching.

More than two hundred years later, the same truths were still under attack.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,       the only Son of God,       begotten from the Father before all ages,            God from God,            Light from Light,            true God from true God,       begotten, not made;       of the same essence as the Father.       Through him all things were made.       For us and for our salvation            he came down from heaven;            he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,            and was made human.           

Creo en un solo Señor, Jesucristo, Hijo único de Dios, nacido del Padre antes de todos los siglos: Dios de Dios, Luz de Luz, Dios verdadero de Dios verdadero, engendrado, no creado, de la misma naturaleza del Padre, por quien todo fue hecho; que por nosotros, los hombres, y por nuestra salvación bajó del cielo, y por obra del Espíritu Santo se encarnó de María, la Virgen, y se hizo hombre;

Imagine how important this truth is—that 1,700 years later we still confess the same truth.”

John was a keeper of truth Just like the council of nicea / Juan era un guardián de la verdad.igual que el concilio de nicea

John wasn’t playing church; he was contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints

Juan no estaba jugando a la iglesia; estaba contendiendo por la fe que fue entregada una vez y para siempre a los santos.

To abide in this truth is to abide in Christ

V25 of our passage This is the promise that he made us ETERNAL LIFE!!!

V25 Y esta es la promesa que Él mismo nos hizo1: la VIDA ETERNA

3rd & final Warning is short but very important

Here is pastoral reason to write this letter

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

1 Juan 2:26 Os he escrito estas cosas respecto a los que están tratando de engañaros.

Deception distorts the truth about Christ. In this case a essential doctrine of the historical Christian faith

False teaching can appear convincing. They weren’t openly resisting the gospel message or rioting in direct defiance of the church.

Deception often comes from within the church.

Acts 20:30 “and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Hechos 20:30 y que de entre vosotros mismos se levantarán algunos hablando cosas perversas para arrastrar a los discípulos tras ellos.

False teaching leads people away from salvation.

If Jesus did not come in the flesh,

the incarnation never happened.

He could not truly represent humanity.

His suffering and death were not real.

there is no true atonement for sin.

the cross loses its saving power.

the resurrection has no real meaning.

the gospel collapses.

we have no true mediator between God and man.

Lets look at our 3rd and final Assurance

1 John 2:27 “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.”

1 Juan 2:27 Y en cuanto a vosotros, la unción que recibisteis de Él permanece en vosotros, y no tenéis necesidad de que nadie os enseñe; pero así como su unción os enseña acerca de todas las cosas, y es verdadera y no mentira, y así como os ha enseñado, permanecéis en Él.

John tells believers that they have an “anointing” from the Holy One, which refers to the Holy Spirit living in them.

Because the Spirit indwells every true believer, Christians are not spiritually helpless or dependent on false teachers to know the truth.

This does not mean believers do not need pastors or teachers.

Scripture itself teaches that Christ has given sheperds and teachers to the church to help instruct and build up believers (Ephesians 4:11–12). John himself is teaching them in this letter.

What John means is that the Holy Spirit enables believers to recognize the truth of the gospel and discern when something contradicts it.

The Spirit sensitizes the believer’s heart and mind so that false teaching about Christ does not ultimately deceive them.

The Holy Spirit always works in harmony with Scripture, never against it, because He is the one who inspired it.

As believers abide in the truth they received from the beginning—the apostolic teaching about Christ—they remain in Him and are protected from deception.

So let me close with this church

We are being bombarded from every direction with messages that distort the truth.

The world is full of deceivers

Even more tragically deceivers are also found within the professing Christian Church.

As believers we must cultivate a spirit of watchfulness

like Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””

Velad y orad para que no entréis en tentación; el espíritu está dispuesto, pero la carne es débil.

“Church, we live in a world full of voices, opinions, and messages trying to shape what we believe.

But God has not left His people defenseless.

He has given us His Word and His Spirit.

If we abide in the truth we received from the beginning and remain in Christ, we will not be led astray.

So hold fast to the gospel, test every message, and remain faithful to the truth of Christ.”

Lets pray