Genuine Faith

Introduction

Well, good morning gentlemen it is a pleasure to be with you now preaching God’s word. Typically when writing a sermon you are to keep your congregations needs in mind , but since you neither familiar with me or my congregation I wrote this to a general audience assuming both the elect and the unbelievers would be present. With that being said, I’m going to pray and then officially begin.

Prayer

Good morning gentlemen, ready to study your bible again? Great.

The Real Introduction

My name is Justin and I just recently moved to Kansas City last week with my wife Adriana and our three wonderfully savage little boys named Jase, Gray, and Kian and we are excited about being here- slightly homesick but encouraged the Lord has gifted us a new wonderful family to do life with.

If you have your bibles why don’t you turn with me to

We’re going to jump right in because there is quite a bit of heavy text to cover here. So, I am going to do my best to articulate God’s Word as we study it together. As you are turning, OR if your dope and know your Bible well you can just look at me do this awkwardly, the book of 1 John is the first of 3 books by named, you guessed it- John. The narrtive of the trio focuses heavily on the centrality of Christ. That is to say if Christ be anything in your life- He must be everything as the great Spurgeon would say. And what is appealing, at least to me, about John’s writing style is he makes clear…very clear distinctions. He is a man who continuously draws lines in the sand and calls you to a side for your conviction and/or your encouragement. This also can make John’s work sometimes difficult to process or digest. But as we journey together with this heavy text, would you posture your heart along with me to receive it well.

Prayer for the Lord to reveal Himself through the gift of His word.

Let’s read:

- is everyone reading from ESV? I may ask you to fill in the blank as we read and I wanna make sure we all saying the same thing…if not its gonna be like and God/Jehova/Jesus/Lord/ said”

1 John 2:18–29 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. 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. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1 John

Compare and Contrast

Have you been in the middle of conversation. Something you were discussing and you were just completely passionate and even careful in how you were having the conversation and mid-thought someone new enters the space and while you trying to explain the complexities of your thoughts, in a very serious and careful way - you now look crazy to the new person in the room?

If you read this text and are lost or confused, hold on. There’s a lot of loaded terms and words here that

The Apostle John in this text is

That is kind of what we just did to the Apostle John. We just heard words like anti-Christs and abide by enough times it seems for a life time and John looks kinda crazy.really

That is kind of what we just did to the Apostle John. We just heard the word anti-Christs like 20 times and now it sounds like we’re gossiping about someone.

We’ve caught the apostle in the middle of what I like to describe as litmus tests which he began in Chapter 1. There are two tests specifically.

We’ve caught the apostle in the middle of what I like to describe as litmus tests which he began in Chapter 1. There are two tests specifically.

1. The first was a moral test.

The moral tests

- To see if those who believed had lives marked by two things. Love for Christ and neighbors and the second obedience to the scriptures. He was echoing when Jesus says your fruit prove to me that you are my disciples.

2. The second test we stumble on here, is a doctrinal test.

- To also evaluate your view of sin and your view of Christ.

The goal for John in- really this entire book, not just this chapter, is to find out who among him were believers of the One True Risen God... In essence he was doing a G-check. You know what that means? Checking to see who is a real one- to see if those who claim Christ- are actually for Christ. To see who is really about this faith- this walk with the Lord and who wasn’t.

Now, this idea of drawing a line, of separating one side from another isn’t unfamiliar with John’s writing style at all. He is a man after my own heart, he is a man of contrasts. To John, and to really to the rest of Scripture- there is no gray area of faith. There’s affirming Jesus as the Christ or there wasn’t. He contrasts walking in the light and dark in chapter 1, love and hate in chapter 2, sonship and worldliness in verses 15-17, and here he contrasts truth and error regarding your view of Christ. If you are wondering what John will do with those whom he has seen is of the fold, what he would do with you and I in this very room who claim Christ and have lives marked by Christ he will do the one thing we we need daily: Remind us of the anointing, calling, salvation and sanctification in our hearts. He draws lines to encourage and convict.

My oldest son is going to be 4 this weekend, and our conversations are sometimes more deep than I think he knows. As I call him to a life of love and obedience he confesses the problem with a life like that constantly. He says “Daddy I don’t want to.”

Two nights ago, Jase, longing for my attention asked me to play with him. When I asked Him what did he want to play he said puzzles. So seeing it was almost dinner time we sat at our dinning room table and put together some puzzles. When it was time to eat, I told him it was time to put the puzzles away. With the saddest face on he ignored my command to clean up and instead got down and walked to the living room. I called him over and I said, I asked you to clean up- it’s time for dinner. Why would you disobey me? His answer, because I don’t want to clean up I want to keep playing with you.

Aren’t our lives similar? Knowing the time which we live (as John says “it is the last hour), knowing our commands to holiness before the Lord- our sin, dressed in cute pouts and our own sinful disposition, leave us forgetful of our true identity. We do what we want when we don’t do what we must.

In the first two verse of this section, John mentions those who were with them and then fell away- but then goes on to say- they were not with us at all. Drawing a line of true faith. Them brothers were here and said they believed but they didn’t because they didn’t really have any fruit. This is a call back to . A test of your moral posture, obedience to scripture by the power of the Spirit. BUT this is NOT our posture here this morning. We all are here, imperfect, but here. Flawed with sin, yet righteous before the Lord in His house and John says in verse 20:

1 John 2:20–26 ESV

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] as in distinction between the ones in verse 19 and verse 20.

Let’s look closely at two words (anti-christs and abide) that seem to be the labels or postures of the two types of people which John is contrasting.

I want to talk first about anti-christ because it feels uncomfortable and gross. The word feels messy.

The word anti-Christ in it’s Greek antichristos means one who is against or seeks to replace Christ. Or more simply as any lexicon would tell you antichrists means a bad-person or false-witness. So this context is not designated to a single person like we see in verse 18, but also like in verse 18 is describing a multitude of people. Basically anti-Christs here are those who deny that Jesus is Lord and we know because of

1 John 4:3 ESV

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

That word spirit is another term for attitude. Dr. John MacArthur defines the anti-Christ concept “as an attitude or way of thinking”.

I find this definition super helpful because it removes the mysticism of who and what antichrists are. It is simply, those who reject Christ. But if we are being completely honest, this hurts a bit. I mean, it hurts me. In my sin, in my wickedness, when I choose to seek my way over the Lord’s I am functioning anti-Christ. But notice how there isn’t a single condemnation for all people in this text. Only those who do not abide in Christ. It is not all doom and gloom from in this book. There is beauty in this message. There is light to drive out darkness, Sonship for the cast out, redemption for the broken, sanctification for the wicked, healing for the dead, wisdom for the ignorant and freedom for the bonded.

Where do you fall in this text? Are you hostile, anxious, cold to the good news of Jesus coming down to heal and restore a broken and dead people to Himself. Are you a son, grafted into the fold of God abiding in His good pleasure? On which ground do you stand?

1 John 2:27–29 ESV

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. 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. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1 John 2:26

Closing: Abide in Him

The other side of the line, is in high contrast as John puts it, to being anti-Christ. Those who “Abide in Him”. Abide in it’s literal definition means to cling to or to stay with. John’s final instruction to His people here is to cling to what we know about Christ (v.27) which leads to us walking in righteousness and holiness (v.28), prepared for the final judgement (v.29). You catch that? Cling to the truth of Christ because that truth leads to a life anointed and enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in righteousness and holiness or in other words- as would put it- to bear fruit.

Our state: Dead in sin.

God died for the ungodly, at the right time.

Making us, family with, ending the enmity between us and God makes family instead of enemies. But then seals us, anoints us with

Verse 27 emphasizes belief in Jesus as Lord. The King of all things, redeemer of His people, conqueror of sin. This is what the text has in mind for what it means to abide in Christ. To know and to believe. And not once in the text have we separated true doctrine. belief and trust in the Risen Christ as the conquerer of our sin and right living. Life and doctrine can never be separated. True doctrine informs right living and right living corroborates true belief in the Risen Jesus. This is the sweetest news! The sweetest honey and the freshest milk.

Walking the walk assures us of our salvation because it shows we reflect the character of God our Father. The “him” in verse 29 is about God the Father, and it is only those who practice righteousness who have been born of God. Just as children resemble their parents, so too will we be a people who mimic the Father as we experience His goodness, grace and glory.

Coram Deo

Verse 28 tells us that we will not be ashamed at the second coming if we abide in Christ. While our own efforts are not what get us into the kingdom, they do reflect that we have been born of God, and they enable us to look forward to final judgment with confidence, knowing that we are His people. If you do not look confidently toward final judgment, ask yourself what side of the line do you stand?

If that answer is anti-Christ- you are not without hope brothers. This blessed assurance of faith can be yours this morning. Repent and believe that Christ has regarded you as lost no longer. Repent and believe that Christ has made you new, that Christ took the place of you and suffered the penalty of cured death for your sins so that you may be righteous before the Lord on that day. That glorious day. When every eye will see Him coming on the clouds. Sealed with the promised holy spirit you can walk in newness today, and be glorified with the Son in the coming day.

Pray out. Thanking God for His word, it’s encouragement and rebuke. Thankful for our time. Bless the critique and my heart to receive it well.

The goal for John in really this entire book, not just this chapter, was to find out who among him were believers of the One True Risen God. In essence he was doing a G-check. Checking to see who is a real one- one who is really about this faith- this walk with the Lord and who wasn’t. Now, this isn’t unfamiliar with John’s writing style at all. He is a man after my own heart, he is a man contrasts. To John, and to really to the rest of Scripture- there is no gray area of faith. There’s affirming Jesus as the Christ or there wasn’t. There’s light and dark in chapter 1, love and hate in chapter 2, sonship and worldliness in verses 15-17, and here he contrasts truth verse error regarding Christ.

Let’s look at this more closely