Truth Matters
Light, love and the love of God series • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 54:19
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As long as I’m sincere, it’s OK
As long as I’m sincere, it’s OK
We are looking at a very serious topic tonight regarding truth, or may we say truth or consequences? Truth matters and that is our focal point tonight.
“It makes no difference what you believe, just as long as you are sincere!”
This is a philosophy of many today and even in John’s day that has led many astray.
Things to ponder tonight.
Is sincerity the magic ingredient that makes something true?
If the above statement sincerity is true, than the nurse who gives medication to a patient who has a reaction to it, becomes violently ill and dies, it is OK, because the nurse was sincere.
A man hears a noise downstairs in the middle of the night, grabs a weapon and heads down stairs believing it is a burglar, shoots to find out is his child, but that is OK because he was sincere.
Those are extreme, and it would be ludicrous to accept that type of belief system. Just because you sincerely believe something it does not make it truth. If you have faith in a lie, it will have consequences. Faith in the truth is never misplaced or misaligned.
IF you have not figured it out yet, Light, love and the love of God series is about authentic Christianity, about knowing the truth and walking in the truth and being able to discern the lies from the truth.
Through John God has given some warnings, made some appeals so far.
About conflict between light and darkness (1Jn1:1-2:6)
About conflict between love and hatred (1Jn2:7-17)
Tonight we are going to look at a third one:
About the conflict between truth and error (1Jn2:18-29)
It is not enough for the believer to walk in the light, to walk in love, he must walk in the truth.
John in our section tonight delves into, explains the tragic consequences of turning from the truth. He speaks of the seriousness, the gravity of the matter and the eternal nature by using a couple of terms.
“The last time (last hour)” and also “antichrist (antichrists)”
Both of these terms should make it clear to us, as it did the recipients of the letter then that Christians were and are living in last days, days of crisis that they/we must guard against error.
Last time, last hour is a term that reminds us that a new age has dawned on the world -Wiersbe
Darkness is past, true light now shineth (1Jn2:8)
Since the death, burial, resurrection Of Jesus, God has the true way, new way of things going on. From the Jews to the whole world .
From the O.T. which prepared the way to the cross, to the cross that prepared the way for us to be reconciled to the Father. From the reconciliation with the Father to the promised return of the Son for the reconciled (the church). God has completed the work of salvation on the cross by the Christ, nothing more must be done to save sinful man.
The term last hour, last time has confused many a people, but in looking at the times used in scripture this last hour describes a kind of time, not a duration of time. (i.e. latter times 1Tim4)
The second term “antichrist” is used only by John (1Jn2:18, 22; 4:3, 2Jn7)
The description of the term is seen in three ways.
a spirit in the world that opposes or denies Christ
The false teachers who embody this spirit.
A person who will head up the final world rebellion against Christ (common belief)
The spirit of antichrist is nothing new or just something, someone to look forward for. The spirit has been around since Satan declared war on God (Gen3). The spirit of antichrist is behind every false doctrine and every religious substitute for the truth, the realities that the Christ has in Christ.
There is the Antichrist you find (1Jn2:18) too and many will relate this to the man of lawlessness found in (2The2:1-12); and there is varying thoughts on this, but what we can know is that there are antichrists now and the antichrist spirit today that wants to give us something other than the truth.
So, does what we believe matter? Yes! Truth matters, we need to know and believe the truth so we can detect when a lie is presented to us.
John gives us three marks of the false teacher (an antichrist) who is controlled by an antichrist spirit in our passage.
He departs from fellowship with us (1Jn2:18-19)
He denies “the” faith (1Jn2:20-25, 4:1-6)
He tries to deceive the faithful (1Jn2:26-29)
These are the things we are looking at tonight.
He departs from fellowship
He departs from fellowship
As we start looking at the signs, the marks of an antichrist, antichrist spirit that was prevalent then and is today too.
18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
Questions from the scripture
(Not on screen below so can leave scripture on the screen)
Who is John speaking to (v.18)?
What is the subject matter being addressed (vv.18-19)?
If you were to sum up (vv.18-19) in your words what would you say?
The “us” we see in (v.19) without a doubt is the fellowship of believers (the church). As hard as it may be to look at, admit and believe is that not all who come to church are the church and a member of family of God.
Things we can look at to check ourselves, evidences of an authentic Christian.
Because we love the brethren (1Jn3:14)
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
(expand very briefly)
We share in the divine nature (2Pt1:4)
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
(no reason to expand on this)
We are indwelt by the same Spirit (Rom8:14-16)
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
When we agree on the things we are to have in common, love, divine nature, Spirit we will want to love and serve one another as the church (consider Act2:41-46); not on the screen) they were obedient to the same word , added to the same body (v.41) devoted to one another (v.44) , and had one mind (v.46)
The counterfeit Christians went out. That does not mean that everyone who stays in is saved, already covered that, but going on is a mark of a counterfeit Christian. Staying in and in common fellowship is a mark of a genuine Christian.
You may consider the parable of the sower (Mt13:1-9, 18-23) a hard truth you can find here. In summary the sower goes and sows seeds (the word) on different soils (road, rocky places, among thorns, and some on good soil) but it is the one who produces fruit are the ones who are truly born again.
It is not enough to have the word, they all had that, it is not good enough to a salvation experience (baptism) and yet not be a child of God. Remember the ones John is talking too were among them, don’t you think they displayed many characteristics of a genuine Christian? The reason they left in our passage is they were not really with,they were not genuine, they were fakes, they were imitations and the love of Christ was not really in them.
True, genuine Christians hold to the common truths
Bible is the word of God
Jesus is the Son of God
They are separated from God because of personal sin
Jesus is the only way to be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus and that He died as man’s substitute on the cross for the penalty of our sin.
That the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and finally
One day Jesus is coming to call the church home.
I could go on even more on this, but in the spirit of time I better move on. The next sign
He denies his faith
He denies his faith
Faith here is not just a faith, but “the” faith, saving faith, sanctifying faith, justifying faith. Faith that separates the Christian from the imitators, the antichrists and the like.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
Tonight going to bring in another section to tie this all together
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Now back to our original passage and we will be focusing on this and gleaning a little from the 1Jn4 passage too.
Who you believe Jesus is, matters. Consider who You believe and say He is.
If you believe he is a good example
If you believe he is a good teacher
If you believe he is a good man
Or do you truly believe he is God who came in the flesh?
John’s readers as we look at this passage know, believe and have the marks of genuine Christianity on them, let’s pull from the scripture now
What does John say you have in (v.20)?
What does John say you know (v.21)?
What are the signs of antichrist in (vv.22-23)?
What instructions does John give in (v.23)?
What are the results for you in (v.24)?
We can know that the anointing is the Spirit. The imitators call it something else, a special anointing a special knowledge. A separate anointing outside of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Consider this scripture (write it down, not on your outline)
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
You have the Spirit for without the Spirit you do not have the Christ.
The great assertion that the Christian, the genuine Christian has is
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
THe Christian operates and speaks and walks under the guidance of the Holy Spirit while the antichrists walk and talk under the direction and influence of the spirit of error, the antichrist spirit.
This belief that Christ came in the flesh is more than a confession, even the demons did that (Mk1:24) and they were not saved. True faith, genuine faith is personal faith in who Jesus is and what Jesus did for us on the cross. This is the one who possesses the promise found:
25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
A man is not saved by assenting to a church creed, or proclaiming a certain prayer. He is saved by trusting jesus and being witness to his faith in obedient faith (Rom10:9-10, 13; Act22:16)
(insert: deny the Son and you Deny the Father picture here)
Some believe in the Father but not the Son as the Son of God (JW’s)
And if you deny the Son you are denying the Father. For the Father and the Son are One (Jn10:30) -Genuine believers believe and honor the Father and the Son. If you leave Jesus out of your worship you are not worshipping as a genuine Christian.
So, be sure to know you are a genuine Christian by:
Test the spirits to see if from God (1Jn4:1)
Let God’s word abide in You (1Jn2:24)
You, abide in Christ (1Jn2:28)
Rest assured if you do, you have eternal life (1Jn2:25)
(Transition) A real tragedy is that many of the antichrists, false teachers, try to earnestly convert others to their false doctrine. This is another mark of an antichrist spirit that wants to turn men away from God’s truth.
He tries to deceive the faithful
He tries to deceive the faithful
Watch out! The antichrists are after the Christ like, the Christians. Truth matters, you need to know the truth so to recognize the lies, false teachings, false doctrine of the deceivers (antichrists).
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
What is the subject matter being addressed (v.26)?
Move slide back to (v.26)
Writing concerning those trying to deceive the believers
What are the reminders that the John gives the believer (v.27)?
Move slide back to (v.27)
You have an anointing (the Holy Spirit)
You have the truth
Bonus here are some instructions to abide, you notice that word used x2. So, what does abide mean?
What are the instructions given to the believer (v.28-29)?
Move to slide (v.28) again
Abide in Him
Have confidence
Do not shrink away
Move to (v.29) again
Know He is righteous
Practice righteousness for it proves you are born of Him
The false teachers, deceives according to some commentators are believed to not be focusing on the lost, but on the faithful to deceive them, to entice them, to seduce them away from sound doctrine to something else.
Scriptures used, referenced in this section (1Tim4:1, 2Cor11:13-15, 1-4, 4:1-2)
1 The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars.
We know that Satan is the father of lies (see Jn8:44) and that he desires to lead Christians away from the truth by teaching false doctrine. These deceitful workers, false apostles, disguising themselves as angels of light, servants of righteousness (see 2Cor4:13-15) deceiving like that which happen in the garden and that Paul warned the Corinthians about (2Cor4:1-4)
We need to be good Bereans and check to see if things are true, anyone can say they believe the bible but twist it to mean something other than what God meant
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
Satan is not an originator he is a counterfeiter. He is an imitator, trying to imitate the work of God. Speaking of counterfeit
He has counterfeit ministers (2Cor11:13-15)
Preachers of counterfeit gospel (Gal1:6-12)
Counterfeit gospel producing counterfeit Christians (Jn8:43-44)
Having a counterfeit form of righteousness (Rom10:1-10)
Truth matters, false teachers are peddling something other than the truth. It may sound good, it may be attractive and enticing, but the genuine Christian needs to know the truth, walk in the truth and not be swayed by anything but the truth.
Want to close out tonight with an encouragement using the word abide.
Abide in Christ, so can walk like Christ walked (1Jn2:6)
Love your brother and abide in the light (1Jn2:10)
Let God’s word abide in You and you will be spiritually strong (1Jn2:14)
If you know and do the will of God, we shall abide forever (1Jn2:17)
So, go, abide tonight in fellowship with God and with one another.
(Prayer) (Exit)