The Anointed-Ones vs. The Antichrists: Your Battle in the World's Last Hour
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The most critical question you and I, and this whole world faces, is not what job should I take, whom shall I marry, what hobbies shall I pursue. The most critical question we face as a church is not how do get through this pandemic, how d we arrange the furniture, what order of worship do we follow. No, the most critical question this world and this church, and every person in it faces: is what do we believe about Jesus Christ!? What do I make of Him? How do I relate to Him? What do I do with Him? As those Christian in and around Ephesus, Asia Minor, faced a crisis with division and false teaching, as they had doubts about their faith, others should I leave too, others just tired; John is writing, not like his gospel remember to show them how to be saved, to have eternal life. But remember he is writing to assure them in the salvation they already have, so that they can mature and grow - have true and full fellowship and joy. And remember so far we’ve seen two tests, he gives these believers - Light test, ethical, walking in purity, knowing how to deal with sin by ongoing-ministry of Christ, and the love test - as abide in Christ, not loving the world, consumed by its pride and sinful lusts, but loving God and particular brothers and sisters.
Well now John administers a third test that we are to take grant greater assurance, fuller joy and fellowship. Just as essential claim a believer, follower of Christ, light/purity and love - relationship changed by gospel; but the third test is test on belief, theology, doctrine. And not just any belief, but the core belief - what do you believe about Jesus! We live in a day of doctrinal minimalism - all have our opinions and theories, theologies, doesn’t matter what you believe as long as sincere; no one agrees, no one knows. But John lifts up one belief one doctrine as the test and he says this test is set in the biggest battle of world history; of course battle between light and darkness, of course battle between love and hate - but there will be no victory on those fronts of purity and love - unless radical change driven by victory in this third battle in our world and in our lives and in Christ’s church. And John says that has everything to do with the battle between anti-Christs and the Anointed going on in our world now today!
Key Truth: Those accepting Jesus Christ, are anointed in His Spirit, receive His Truth and will stand in victory over Anti-Christ.
Let’s first let John gives us a spiritual map of the battlefield of our lives in the last hour of this world in which we’re living.
A. Identify & Locate the Antichrists
I’ve used this quote before but Cedars of Lebanon, be careful of who you are enemies are, define you even more than your friends. If you are against people who like organs, don’t lifek organs, who were bright colours, who sing quickly, sing loudly, who come down on this side of fine point of theology - that issue will come to define you. John and Jesus say - just because someone isn’t for you, or for one of your finer points of doctrine, can’t be against them. But if they are against Christ, that is a big, big deal. There are lots of people who don’t know Christ, even grew up in the church, never really presented real Christ, and the real gospel - we are for them, and we must love them. But John is saying, behind the backdrop of the struggles of the church, there is an enemy and he is not just ignorant of the gospel or Christ, he is at work in this world and in Christ’s church - and he is actively against Christ. This person, this office, sets himself up within the church - and the word anti - can mean against, but it can also mean - instead of, to put along side, to replace - this person tries to take Christ’s position. Who is this real enemy of each Christian and the church? Was he around in John’s day 2000 years ago? Is he around today, or is he only to found at the very end of time? What does John say?
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.
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.
First on the question of who? John says they have heard of him. When and where? Daniel’s visions - 4 kingdoms, fourth was Rome, crushed and then a little horn - speak boastful things make war against God's people. Had a type foreshadow in time of exile, Antiochus Epiphanes, who turned over the Jerusalem temple to the worship of Zeus in 167 BC. (Dan. 11:31; 12:11- But that was before Christ and from the third kingdom Greece. But the boastful little horn of Daniel, the desolation of abomination who sets himself up in temple, that both Daniel and the Lord Jesus warns of, that would come from a decaying Roman Empire Rome.
Daniel identifies this actual antichrist one will rule both from the city of 7 hills, after Rome has been overthrown. But he also will influence from within the church? After 70 AD and Emperor Titus and Roman Empire’s sack of Jerusalem, the NT writers including from the Gospels say a “final man of lawlessness” who opposes every so-called god or object of worship, will take his seat in the temple, the NT chruch of God - and exalt Himself as God on earth. 2 Thess 2:4, Revelation 19:20, 2 John 7 . Revelation 13 says there will a civil authority to this climactic manifestation of evil and opposition to Christ’s Kingdom, but also a within the church authority to anti-Christ’s activity. And John in saying these believers have heard this and have been taught this. They and we are are to be on the lookout for that kind of anti-Christ and the final antichrist!
And so hear very carefully what John is saying. We know its the last hour because the OT prophesied that when Christ comes, this kind of opposition would begin to come to Christ’s kingdom. John in his gospel says of Jesus going to the Cross, now is the hour. Didn’t mean a literal 60 minute hour, but the season predicted in the OT for salvation. Everything in regards to salvation of Christ and setting up of his kingdom worked - nothing left remaining now but for - salvation to applied and Christ to return. So in a similar way here, John with the new Testmaent writers says, now we’ve entered not just the hour of salvation, but the last hour of this world. That season between Christ’s resurrection and ascension to heaven’s throne, when evil has been defeated but not yet completely conquered, and Satan is desperately seeking to deceive the world and damage God’s people,. This is the last hour between Christ’s accomplishing salvaiton, and all His elect receiving it - and Christ return - this is the last hour. Not the last minute or last second, but the last period of world history.
And John is saying, be on the look out for a one last time big time antiChrist is coming, that will be like the last minute or last second, but in this time now that Spirit of Antichrist is at work in many mini antichrist let loose. But where? That’s in v.19. John's focus is not on the one last manifestation of Antichrist, but on present day Antichrists at work right now in Christ’s church in every age till the end.
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.
This is clearly not Hitler or Gorbachev, or a PM, or President. This is one who holds or held a position in the church. They were one of us. Some people think that there have been golden ages of the church. The apostolic church, during Reformation, or Great Awakenings. Don’t believe it. Christ always taught - his church from the disciples with Judas to the very last day, have true grain and the weeds mixed together. Just having you name on the roll not a guarantee, some appear so moral, so smart theologically, prove themselves not to be true believers. While others who had such moral and struggle and plagued with doubts and uncertainty - so clearly true believers. But these antichrists are those who go out from the true historic apostolic church and why? We have to look ahead to John description of what they believe:
1 John 2:22 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.
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.
These subtle and dangerous false teachers, wolves in sheep clothing, they are less crazy Waco cult leaders, they aren’t supernaturally empowered beasts and dragons attacking the church. They were people who didn’t have belief in Jesus as the Son of God. They don’t have Jesus who bring us to union with God the Father. They were people who only looked upon Jesus as a mere human, and they had other ideas about some spiritual Christ who was only some spiritual being. And that Christ that spiritual being only appeared to human, he wasn’t truly God and truly man; One Savior with two natures beautifully united working our salvation. There were two different natures and two different persons. And John is saying this isn’t just a difference in theories or opinions. This cuts out the heart of true faith in the living God. It’s not a theoretical question, its practically about whether the Person Jesus Christ, the true Son of God incarnate, the God-man who alone could atone for our sins, reconciles us to the Father - brings us into that kind of love-relationship with God, whether that has happened: Listen to 1 John 2:23
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
Already in the time of the Apostles, within the church, false leaders rising up - put themselves and their spiritual ideas of religion, in the place of the living Christ. And they say “I and my practices are the way to be right with God. You don’t need the apostles teaching on Jesus Christ and His Person and His work at the centre. I am now the one on earth that can do that for you.” These false teachers probably were not denying there was a man Jesus, nor were they denying the Fatherhood of God. But they were denying Jesus as the Son of God, Jesus as the way to really be right and know the Father.
And John is saying: You have a choice to make! Is Jesus as the Christ the Son of God, your brother, yet your king - is his Cross, is His ministry from heaven wit en now - is that the Centre that is all-sufficient , is that salvation? OR is just finding some groovy human teaching, some religious practices which really substitute for Christ - what I’m going to live by.?
Can you divide the human body vertically—slicing through the brain and leaving the heart on the left side—and live? So too, you cannot divide the Father from the Son and the Son from the Father. Father, Son, and Spirit (the humble member of the Trinity, least often mentioned in John’s letters, whose job it is to lift up the Father and the Son) are one.
John is saying the last hour, the end times now are marked by this battle of the Antichrist in all ages within the church, and they will leave the apostolic teaching, and they will seek to bring a whole bunch of people who think they are Christian, but have only had a taste of Spiritual things, never genuinely converted with them.
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.
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.
We ought to grieve when true Christians have a disagreement, come to different conclusion on non-essentials and chose to leave. And there are times that when in good conscience Christians must follow their heart and belief in the Word, led into a different fellowship. Sad but reality because of both sin and just plain inadequate light see things dimly. But that is totally different than this. When one denies Christ and seek s to have others follow in Christ denying - it is not a sad parting, and one wee should just tolerate, but it is a necessary spiritual battle - it is apostacy and we can have no real Christian fellowship, though we love them and seek to bring them to Christ! John doesn’t use false tolerance to say you can believe whatever you want about Jesus, we all worship and follow the same God. No John says the battle over who Jesus is and what he does is vitally important - and the one who denies Jesus has fallen for the Ultimate Lie!
John says, believe their profession, test by works, but when the leave us, when they leave the apostolic teaching, that is when we know that denying Christ they leave His church - that they are of is SPirit of AntiChrist. Another time we will examine who that initial spirit of Antichrist is , and what his final manifestation will be; but do you see John’s concern for the battle within the church in his day and also now in ours? You know doubt, know people who are influenced, maybe even following such teaching and teachers who set themselves up as Christ on earth. Maybe even recognize a man on earth, as the Vicar of Christ. It is not all those people who are the Spirit of Antichrist, but those teachers and that teaching. We are love those people and point to real living Christ for their salvation. But we are to be aware of this teaching, that there will be real leaders who manifest this Spirit of Antichrist and we can’t give them an inch. But what are we to do?
And here I really hope you see how John is encouraging you to assurance, fellowship and joy by taking this doctrinal test.
B. Those Who Confess the Son Share His Anointing
If you could really see this world and Christ’s church through the lenses John was given - it’s a great big scary world. It’s a world out of fellowship with God, ignoring and rebelling against God, spinning out of control. But does John seem scared or obsessed about the antichrist? No. He he has so much positive teaching. he has a strategy to overcome the Antichrist? Is he like a doomsday street preacher, only says - The End is Near. He says, dear children - come to me listen God is in control , the Son your King and Shepherd hasn’t left you orphans, come to you establish his kingdom, of love and truth. He overcomes not by geopolitical maneuvering, nor military rattling of swords. But how by the sword coming out his mouth which is the word of God, Overcome by the testimony of his people to the gospel and their suffering love of the Saviour!
Listen to how John identifies and locates the other side of the battle lines. Yes there are Antichrists subtle false teaching that twists the Word of God. They today use same language, same Bible , but they turn people away from the living Christ, and instead only offer an empty religion, that full of luxuries of Babylon. But John with confidence says, of those who confess the Son.
1 John 2:20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
There are Antichrist in this world, and there is the living Christ physically in heaven, but spiritually coming to all who confess His name. But look who else John says is in this world, the other side of the battle line. It is people like you and me who are CHRISMS -
You probably know the word Christ -simply means anointed used many times in the OT - pouring out of oil or water - symbol of receiving the Spirit for special task. It sets a side, separates a person for the work of the LORD. John is saying, just like Jesus God Incarnate in His baptism received the Holy Spirit equip and separate him to specific task. Sharing in Christ, now in our human nature, our whole being has been anointed by His Spirit too. There are antichristos, and then people like you and me - who are chisma - anointed in Christ!
That’s what a genuine Christian is. The reality of their physical baptism point to, happens in their soul -that spiritual washing and anointing through faith in Christ. The name Christ-ian literally means little Christ, little Anointed one. And the NT alls Jesus the Holy One, he has anointed you and me - and its not super spiritual-religionist false teacher who have real deep knowledge! Its you and me - you really Know Christ - that's the knowledge that counts - the mystery - Christ in you the hope of glory. Christ for whom, to whom, in whom all things exists, by whom world is being redeemed.
You were anointed with water n your physical baptism, but that points to the true believers spiritual-baptism in the Spirit. John's description of this is exactly parallel to Jesus promises of this in JOhn 14, 17
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.
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.
Do you hear how you and I pass this test? It’s not just that you intellectually know Jesus is Christ Son of God. It that you trust Him to be so, lean into Him, enter into mutual indwelling He has with His Father. In your new birth, regeneration, given the status of being in Christ. And that’s were John application comes it. Just like a marriage you can grow apart even though you have that status.
Just like in MARRIAGE you can grow apart, 7 year itch. end up with Marriage ROCKS. START & Keep INVESTING IN EACH OTHER. Start a date night. Weave lives together with words, spend tie together. So too in Christ. We ought to go deeper with him. Our relationship with him ought to head in a positive direction rather than wither through neglect. Clearly John is concerned that some believers may experience just that, and a withering relationship with Jesus is an extremely precarious spiritual situation. Just as we might encourage a married couple to invest in their relationship, so believers ought to invest in their relationship with Christ. As the Spirit teaches us, let us remain in him.
This is so clearly a fulfillment of the promise of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:33-34
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
This is Jesus saying, when I breathe my Holy Spirit into you, when you are born again and regeneration - I will lead you by my Spirit into all truth, teach you everything you need to know - through the Words of the Apostolic testimony. This isn’t saying, you won’t need any preaching or human teachers any more. John is saying you don’t need these spiritual guru’s in the place of Jesus & His Word. You don’t need preachers just coming up with new novel human ideas and gimmicks. No the Spirit will work within you - with the Word of the Apostles.
Do you see that along with the inward subjective illumination of the Holy Spirit, you have the Word of the prophets more fully revealed and confirmed - in Christ’s New Covenant Word of the NT, the testimony of the Apostles to Christ’s Person and Work and how his grace, salvation, and church ,and kingdom work. And so John instruction as you believe and rely on the Person and Work and Teaching of Christ as God -
1 John 2:24 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.
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 that brings us to the most wonderful conclusion of John’s instruction for what to do in the last hour, in this last battle of world age. It is also what to do as you past this test.
C. The Anointed-Ones, Get busy living Eternal-Life Now with Confidence
Dear friend, the pandemic, the media, the world as a system ignoring and rebelling against God, the ruler of this evil age , frantically tell you PANIC - everything is out of control, life doesn’t make sense, so just grab what you can, live for yourself , live for whatever passing pleasures you can eat drink for tomorrow we die! And in the middle of it all, the spirit of anti-Christ is trying to deceive you to live independent and without vital daily connection to Christ, His Spirit, His Word. To live without reference to His Kingdom.
But John says, that if we are abiding in this truth of Christ, if we are abiding in the Son and the Father, by abiding in His Word. Look, you abide like that daily THEN: 1 John 2:25
And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
Answer me this, and I can tell if you are living with assurance and joy and confidence, if you are maturing, if you have been anointed and set apart for God’s use in this world. What is eternal life to you?
It’s not heaven, nor is it the new heavens and the new earth. That’s just future installments of eternal life that you and iI are now to be receiving and living in. Jesus said He’s the bread the eternal ife that can done from heaven, you can have it now: in
John 6:47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
The anti-Christ isn’t at work so much by the Hitlers and Stalin of this age, Nor the wacky and demented cult leaders, like David Korresh, or the Jones-town massacre. He isn’t doing his greatest damage by Middle East politics. He is doing his greatest damage in the church, by deceiving people like me and you, so that they don’t live today and now in Christ and the new life, the communion the abiding with the Father and the Son in the power of the Spirit.
And so John concludes with that phrase again - ABIDE! , 1 John 2:28
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.
The Lord Jesus on the Mount of Olives had much to say about the very end of the world . His Apostles too and after these letters of John we will tackle the Book Revelation. But do hear the major concern of Jesus - when the Son of Man returns on the clouds of Glory - will He find faith on earth. DO you hear him saying: this is all going to happen, this battle will rage, won’t know the final minture and seconds of my return like theif in the night., but this battle of antiChrist is raging, so the instruction isn’t set the date, make a calendar of signs and wonders, the main instruction of Jesus and His Apostles - is daily be found ready, abiding, and doing God’s Word.
If Christ were to return tomorrow would he find you and me loving the world or loving him? Would he find us acting in our own power for our on selfish ends, or communing wih the Father and Son in the Spirit and in the Word . Will He find us isolated and fretting over the news of a broken world, shrinking back at the thought of his comiong. Or confident in the life that Jesus brings to us, fill us with, and sends out in this world to share with the decaying world around us!
Jesus in the book of Revelation is the One who overcomes by the two-edged sword which is His Word coming forth out of his mouth. And we read His instruction for the last days: Abide in this word, use this word - Rev 3:21
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
And in the middle of the book, we read that how you and I are to overcome Anti-Christ in this time:
Rev 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Rather than worrying about the specifics of when and how, we ought to be concerned to remain faithful as we expectantly wait and to proclaim Jesus to others while there is time left to do so. The specifics of when and how is God’s business; in fact, Jesus even says it is for the Father alone to know (Matt 24:36). Excessive attention given to when and how God will bring an end expresses a lack of trust in his sovereign goodness and perfect timing. All we need to know is that it will happen. Let God take care of the rest.
Dear Congregaiton of our Lord Jesus Christ,
In the church in John's day, just like in the church today, there were false teachers, the spirit of Antichrist at work in this world and directly ad indirectly attacking Christ’s church wreaking havoc. And John gives this doctrinal test: are you trusting the Living Jesus as Son of God through whom communion and eternal life comes? Is that at the centre of you new and daily life? John can’t lull people who are only Christian in name, and just spiritual or religious into a false sense of security. Real people that these believers were churching with were being deceived. John says, gives this test. Show this teaching, this doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints. If you truly confess Jesus as Christ the Son of God, if you stick with the apostolic testimony of Communion with God through communion in Christ, then it will sharpen our sense of being anointed. The same Spirit that empowered and equipped the Lord Jesus to do His mission. It is taught not to lull us into presumption and false security , but to clarify that Abiding in Christ can never fail, and it will always set us a part to battle by truth and love for Christ!