Understanding Antichrists

1 John 2:18-27

This section of scripture is important in the overall epistle of John because it identifies the true problem that existed within the church. The problem was the spirit of antichrist. Now I know that you may be thinking “What in the world is that?” Fortunately, John explains it for us pretty well. Let’s look at what he says.

The antichrist is a sign of the last days. Notice that John says “it is the last time”. He says that he was living in the last days. It’s important for us to remember that the last days began when Jesus ascended to the Father. Christ could return at any moment. These verses have some interesting things to teach us about the antichrist. First let’s explain what the word “antichrist” actually means.

Antichrist means “against Christ” or “in the place of Christ”. In these verses John teaches us important truths that help us identify an antichrist.

*They pull people away from the truth. Verse 19 tells us “They went out from us”. The antichrist tries to convert the converted. They find their audience among the church. They target weak and wounded sheep. They begin teaching new doctrines that divide the church. Eventually the antichrist and his followers pull away from the church. Of course they leave, they believe, with the truth. Verse 19 also teaches us that those that follow the antichrist are not truly saved. In fact it teaches that God actually uses the antichrist to cleanse the church. Their departure proves to the rest of the church that these people were not truly saved. So the first sign of an antichrist is they cause division, strife and factions to form in the church. They do this with their teaching.

*They deny fundamental truths about Jesus Christ (22). In context John is probably referring to the Gnostic heresy that taught Jesus was not actually human (4:2). They taught He merely appeared to be human. Their philosophy would not allow for Christ to become man because in their minds anything physical was evil. John makes it clear how important it is to believe the right things about Jesus. He says to deny the Son is to deny the Father (23). As well, their false teaching made them liars.

We have groups that deny fundamental truths about Jesus today. Some deny His deity. Some deny that He is one of three persons that make up the Trinity. Some deny He is sinless. Some deny that He rose from the dead. To deny fundamental truths about Jesus is to redefine who Jesus is. In essence, it is to change Jesus. Jesus cannot be changed because He is the object of our saving faith. To change Him is to change the Person in which we trust for our salvation. It is to break the first two commandments. It is to create an idol.

* They are intent on winning people to their side (26). John says they are seducing the people. The word means “deceive”. Remember that an antichrist is deceived himself. He believes he has the truth. Therefore he is zealous in his work. He will study the Scripture to prove his point. He will befriend people with the purpose of deceiving them. He will knock on doors, hand out tracts. He will spend his own money and time in order to deceive people. They are busy people because they are convinced they have discovered the truth.

The antichrist will arise at the very end of time. John makes a reference to him in verse 18 as “that antichrist”. Scripture warns of a man that will arise and be the ultimate antichrist. Daniel called him a “little horn” (Daniel 7:8, 20-21). Paul called him a man of sin and the son of perdition (2 Thess. 2:3). The book of Revelation has a lot to say about him. He will be a great deceiver. Many will follow him. In the end he will be thrown into eternal judgment along with all of those that followed him (Rev. 19:10-15). Many people have been labeled the Antichrist throughout history. However, we don’t know who he is. He could possibly be alive now, but the fact of the matter is we just don’t know. What we do know is that all of the little antichrists we see now are busy deceiving the world to prepare people for the coming of the ultimate antichrist. It is all an elaborate plan of Satan to deceive people about who Jesus Christ really is.

Genuine believers have no reason to fear the Antichrist.

Let’s look at the reasons John gives us for this.

Genuine believers have the Holy Spirit. In verse 20 John says, “you have an unction from the Holy One.” “Unction” means “anointing.” The Holy Spirit of God lives within believers. He teaches us all things. He guides us to the Truth of Scripture. It’s important for us to remember why we believe the gospel. We believe it because the Holy Spirit of God has opened our eyes to it. We don’t claim to be smarter than others. We’re not on a higher intellectual plain. We believe because the Holy Spirit is our resident teacher.

Look at verse 21. John is convinced believers know the truth. He is assured they know the truth because any saved person does. Look at verse 27.

The anointing is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. He abides, permanently dwells, in the believer. Let’s discuss a couple of things in verse 27.

First, this verse does not mean believers should not submit to Biblical teaching. God has given gifts in the church. One of these gifts is teaching. Because God gifts the church with men and women who have the spiritual gift of teaching it follows that believers should be taught by others who are gifted and trained within the church.

You can’t say “I don’t need to listen to anyone preach or teach because I don’t need a teacher.” That’s not what John is saying. He is saying believers should not listen to those who teach outside the parameters of Scripture. The false teachers were coming to the church and telling the people they had more for them. They were trying to convince the people that they knew things their preachers and teachers didn’t know. They had a new word. They had a fresh word. They had a better word.

These false teachers were saying “You need me.”

John says, “You don’t need them.” They already had the truth. The church had already been taught the truth and benefited from it. What the false teachers offered was a lie.

Genuine believers will persevere until the end. We saw that already in verse 19. Now let’s look at verse 24. This shows us that we play an active part in our perseverance. Notice the phrase “Let that therefore abide in you”.

Believers are to contend.

Believers are to press on.

Believers are to continue.

As Christians we know the truth. We possess the unchanging truth. We are to abide in the truth until the end. This is the proof that the truth is within us. If your understanding of eternal security divorces faith from works you don’t understand eternal security. Eternal security doesn’t mean I’m saved because I checked a box. It means I am saved and will continue to be saved because the truth abides within me. Continuing in Christ reveals our salvation.

If God saved you, you should not live in fear of being deceived by the Antichrist. God has promised to keep you until the end. He will keep your mind set on Him. The Holy Spirit of God will ensure this.

As we get closer to the return of Christ more and more people will be deceived.

We’re going to see more people turn away from the truth. We’re going to see more people abandon the church.

We’re going to see more people embrace godless ideas.

This will happen because the spirit of antichrist is busy. The devil doesn’t take a day off.

All the people around you who are deceived have one thing in common. They do not have the Holy Spirit of God. They are not saved.

Those who never come to the faith and those who leave the faith are alike. The Spirit of God does not indwell them.

What should our response be? Our response should be to share the gospel. It should be to preach the Word. How do people receive the Holy Spirit? They receive Him through the gospel.

They must repent.

They must believe.

They must call on the name of the Lord.

If you are saved instead of fearing deception declare the gospel. Look with me at verse 25. This is our foundation. Look at.

“And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life.”

Stand on that promise and fear not.

Stand on that promise and preach the gospel.

We know what time it is. It is the last time (18). We’re not caught off guard by the:

Sin

Deception

False teaching

We also know that we are saved. We have nothing to fear. Our job is to resist the devil and proclaim the truth. Are you doing those two things?

Are you resisting the devil?

Are you proclaiming the gospel?