Guard and Abide

06/26/22

Pray

Read Passage: 1 John 2:18-27

This is the Word of the Lord.

Intro/Illustration

June has been quite the spectacle. In the midst of what our country has referred to as Pride Month, we just had the overturning of Roe v. Wade. And sure enough, if you have access to some smart device, you will see a wide spectrum of responses. As Christians, this is without a doubt a time to pay attention, to listen, to reflect and to respond from a premise that you recently covered back in 1 John 1:9.

*Read 1 John 1:9*

I feel it necessary to share this reminder, that there is still hope for the homosexual, for the abortion supporter, for the abortion doctor, for those whose hearts are still stained by sin and death.

With everything going on, you cannot help but be reminded that there is most certainly a clash between opposing truth claims.

Just last week, I came across a post on social media where an old friend of mine was venting out their frustrations with what they at least perceived to be outdated perspectives from Christians towards everything going in Pride Month, going so far as to state that “the Bible has been re-written and mistranslated so many times.” Their conclusion was that any arguments to be presented on these matters from Scripture were invalid and void on the sole basis that “it is not the truth.”

This person is not the only one, who identifying as a Christian, makes these sorts of claims that we cannot trust the foundations of our faith as they are presented to us in the Scriptures because what we perceive to be in the Scriptures is simply not the truth.

This is most disturbing if true.

It’s disturbing because if there is anyone who should know the Truth, it is the Christian.

Now up to this point in 1 John, we have seen the apostle put emphasis on the Christian’s calling to love one another, as is so fitting for those who abide in the true Light. John’s audience were men and women who knew God and, through God, overcame the evil one. On this whole premise, John then strongly advocates for a separation between Church and world.

There is a clash in culture between these two domains, one that concludes only in destruction and one that has no conclusion; it is eternal.

Now from here, the Apostle John turns his attention towards an upset occurring within the congregation of his audience. John addresses what appears to be false believers, or what he refers to as antichrists, who are promoting and spreading distortions of Christian teachings regarding Jesus Christ.

And now John seeks to provide reassurance to his audience, that Christians can indeed rest assured that they do in fact know the truth.

So in our passage today, I believe John will be answering the following question for us:

In the last hour in the last of days, how do we, as the Church, faithfully respond to the false teachings of these spiritual contenders of the Christian faith?

Primary Claim

For John, he makes it very clear that this is a time where we must guard ourselves from false teaching and have God’s truth abiding in us.

Basic Development

To begin unpacking all of this, we’re going to go over three points that John presents to us today.

Point 1 (vv. 18-19), In the last hour, we must be aware of the fact that there will be and are many antichrists.

*Read v. 18*

I would like to first draw our attention to fact that John clearly feels it is urgent to emphasize the time of which the Church abides in; it is the last hour.

This description of being in the last hour is not exactly unique to John. Elsewhere in the New Testament, we see this season also described as “the last times” or “the last days.” There is a consensus from the New Testament writers that since the arrival of the Messiah, we are near the end in which Christ will return to His bride.

Now as His disciples, this is exceptionally good news for us, and yet John urgently calls us to be attentive to the fact that while we are so close to spending our eternity in our true home with our Lord, we are in fact surrounded by immense danger.

As I mentioned before, John has transitioned from this warning of becoming enamored by the world. It follows that in light of this warning, we are then introduced to the antichrists, a group of Christ-deniers who are not to be confused with the Antichrist, a mysterious and powerful, evil figure that has not yet been revealed.

Though they are not the same, the description that John applies to this group of false converts is fitting, as these were a people presenting a counterfeit Christ to the congregation.

In v. 19, John gives us a little more clarity on these antichrists.

He goes on to say,

*Read v. 19*

In listening what John is saying here, my mind goes back to what Jesus had spoken about concerning His return in Matthew 24.

If you go with me briefly to Matthew 24, starting at vv. 4-5, we’ll find that our Lord tells us to,

*Read vv. 4-5,11-12*

To be sure we are promised some hard and dangerous times.

In fact, when I think of the growing opposition facing the Church, in my obsession with Lord of the Rings, I can’t help but think of King Theoden’s words at battle of Helms Deep, “Now my heart is doubtful. The world changes, and all that once was strong now proves unsure…”

Or to give you the Peter Jackson translation,

“What can men do against such reckless hate?”

It’s easy to be given over to pessimism, especially when all we have to do is turn our phones or TVs.

Yet if I am not mistaken, for those of us who are Christian, we do serve a God who is sovereign, who does sustain His people.

In fact, if we continue in Matthew 24:13, our Lord and Savior Himself gives us the following promise,

*Read v. 13*

And there it is. The enduring Christian is the true Christian, the Christian that remains steadfast in the body of Christ, despite all the opposition coming our way, that Christian who perseveres to the end is the true Christian.

True Christians, let us not forget that we are indeed in the last hour; we must beware of the many antichrists who are out and about, seeking to infect the Church with their deception.

Point 2 (vv. 20-23), In the last hour, we must guard ourselves from the teachings of these antichrists.

Illustration

As a missionary to the military, I’m incredibly blessed that every week I can hang out with some of the most amazing people you could ever find trapped at Naval Station Great Lakes. If you’re not familiar with the Navy culture, there is a reason why Naval Station Great Lakes is often referred to as Great Mistakes by the sailors. It really is just one of those locations that nearly every sailor hopes to God Almighty they’ll never get stuck at.

Now due to the nature of this Navy base, for those who don’t know, this is a training command where many sailors who have just graduated from boot camp go to learn how to do the job that they joined the Navy to do. So that means for, as a missionary at this installation, I get anywhere between a day to a couple of months to engage with these men and women in uniform.

So you can imagine how excited I get when I come across a sailor stuck at the base for more than six months.

Last week, I got to have a two-hour conversation with a sailor named Hayden at one of our discipleship meets and this kid was struggling with his Christian identity. He was wrestling with some very hard questions and criticisms and assertions that contradicted everything he has come to know about Jesus.

I think many of us can be sympathetic to that.

I believe John especially was sympathetic to that.

Here we have John warning this congregation of the immediate danger stemming from these antichrists who have come out from their midst, adamantly reminding them that despite the falling away of these false converts, these Christians have remained.

But to what does John identify as being the source of their faithfulness? What keeps these Christians from falling away from the bride of Christ?

Looking here at vv. 20-21, he tells his audience,

*Read vv. 20-21*

You have an anointing from the Holy One.

What a peculiar thing to say. What exactly is this anointing that John is speaking of? And in what way is this anointing connected to what these Christians know?

I will admit that this has been somewhat of a headscratcher for theologians throughout the ages.

There are some who have come believe that this anointing is itself the very Word of God, though not the Word preached before the congregation, but the Word received by faith in our hearts, living and active, thanks to the work of God the Holy Spirit.

I think this perspective is most convincing.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come to us, God’s people, and teach us all things, helping us to remember everything Christ had spoken.

In fact, it is one of the many ministries of the Holy Spirit to testify about the legitimacy of Jesus Christ’s identity.

In John 15:26, we find Jesus telling His disciples that,

When the Holy Spirit comes… “He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

Now think about that.

If the disciples were qualified to testify about Jesus because they had been with him throughout the duration of His three-year ministry, how much more valuable is the testimony of the Holy Spirit who was initiator of Jesus’ very conception, as we see in Matthew 2:18.

So, if it is through the Holy Spirit that these Christians have come to know the truth about who Jesus is, it follows that any contradicting claim against Christ is a merely lie.

*Read vv. 22-23*

This is and forever will be how we distinguish the Christian from the false convert. All you must do is evaluate their belief regarding who Jesus Christ is.

Who is Jesus Christ to you?

For the Christian, for those of us who submit themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, confessing Him as their King, the One who has come, not to abolish what the Scriptures have spoken, but in His affirmation of the Scriptures, fulfilling them, through this Jesus Christ, the God-man, we can trust that we have God the Father, the sustainer and protector of our lives.

But to those who reject the Lordship of Jesus Christ, this is merely a futile proclamation of war against God.

This is why, as Christians in the last hour, we must guard ourselves from the false teachings of those who reject the authority and Lordship of Jesus the Christ.

Where then do we go from here? If it was John’s objective to make these Christians aware of the danger that comes from these antichrists, these false converts, to distinguish them from what it is they believe about Jesus, what then are we supposed to do.

Point 3 (vv. 24-27),In the last hour, God’s truth must abide in you.

Looking at vv. 24-27,

*Read vv. 24-27

The very Gospel truth, by which us Christians have clung tightly to in faith, this is the truth that must drive you.

At no point, brothers and sisters, were we meant to be sustained by clever arguments, persuasive words, or by the wisdom of men. The Gospel is where we find the power of God.

It is in the Gospel that this promise of eternal life abides. It is in God’s very words and promises that we find our protection against deception and false teaching. It is His good Word that nourishes us like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, teaching us what it means to abide in Christ.

It is for this very reason that John tells us in v. 27,

*Read v. 27a*

This is not John saying that we have no need of teachers of Scriptural truth, but rather that there is no teaching outside of the Scriptures by which the Christian need. The Word of God in its entirety, as breathed out to us by God Himself, is sufficient to teach us everything we need to know and understand about who God is, who God says we are, and how to be in perfect peace with Him.

Do not let the world be the determining factor as to how you live and think.

*Read v.27b*

This, Christians, is where we belong. This is where we must live and think from, for in no other place will our joy be complete.

If we abide in Him and His words abide in us, that is precisely what we will have, a joy complete.

This is why in the last hour we must let God’s truth abide in us.

Conclusion

There is no mistake from our reading today, that this warning from John is dire as we stand in the last hour:

· There are antichrists about.

· We must be on guard against their false teaching.

· But most importantly, God’s truth must abide in us if we are to navigate through this spiritual warzone.

The call to action here is simple and straight forward, brothers and sisters: be on guard and let God’s truth drive you to abide in Him.

Pray

Father,

In Your Precious Son’s Name we pray, Amen.