The True Vine #6 -- 1 John 2:18-27 -- 3 Protections For Today's Believers
Introduction
Joseph, the youngest son of Jacob, was favored by his father. So much so, he was given a position of power and privilege over his older brothers.
God favored Joseph too. He gave him dreams that indicated he'd one day lead his brothers and parents. No one but Joseph believed these dreams, and his brothers despised him because of the favor both God and their father had shown him.
Because of their jealousy, Joseph was sold into slavery and forgotten by his family. And after years in captivity and prison, Joseph was given an opportunity before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh had received two dreams which troubled him. They were abnormal dream; he knew they had special meaning. Joseph, in prison, had interpreted a dream for Pharaoh's cupbearer two years earlier, and now this cupbearer, in God's timing, told Pharaoh about Joseph and his knack for dream interpretation.
Joseph was quickly groomed and dressed for his meeting with Pharaoh, and after hearing the dreams began his interpretive work. He told Pharaoh the interpretations belonged to God, but so did the visions.
In the first dream, seven plump and healthy cows were eaten by seven ugly and sickly cows. In the second dream, seven healthy and robust ears of grain were consumed by seven blighted and withered ears of grain.
After hearing the two dreams, Joseph told Pharaoh they had one meaning. There would be seven years of abundance and plenty throughout the world, followed by seven years of severe famine. Joseph then told Pharaoh to prepare for the seven years of famine by storing up as much food as he could during the years of prosperity.
And Pharaoh followed these directions explicitly by putting Joseph in charge of the entire operation. During the years of plenty, Joseph stored up food. During the years of famine, masses came to Egypt to buy food and grain, which Joseph gave them in exchange for their land.
By the end of the fourteen years, Joseph's insights had enabled Pharaoh to expand his kingdom beyond imagination. Joseph's wisdom prepared Egypt for a golden age.
I want you to think of Joseph in the section of John's writing we are entering into today. You see, when you come to Christ, there is a feeling of abundance. You are forgiven for your sin through Jesus' substitutionary death, connected to your Father in heaven, and a recipient of the Spirit.
But, if you are not prepared well for the coming seasons, you might be decimated. Just as Joseph sought to strengthen Egypt for the hard days, John wants to strengthen us for the hard days as well.
This goal is hinted at when John calls his readers children (18). Far from demeaning them, John loves them, and like a wise father, he longed to prepare his spiritual offspring for the journey ahead.
A good dad sees what is coming and builds his children up for future obstacles and difficulties. He helps them grow into adulthood, and John is doing the same thing for the church. He wanted to bring them into maturity. And the Spirit wants to do the same in us.
But there are some enemies of this maturation process.
First, there is the tumultuous season we live in, the last days. They are times fraught with peril, and if a believer is clueless about this last hour, he will be decimated by the times.
Second, there is ever-present false teaching which seeks to demean the identity of Christ. And if someone embraces one of these lies, they have willfully rejected biblical Christianity and are without Father God.
Third, the teaching of the Spirit is sufficient, for God has given us "everything needed for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). But when a man or woman drifts from His clear teaching, they are laid waste by deception and error.
So let John prepare you for the age to come. Let him help us:
- 1 Consider the season we live in.
- 2 Confess the Son, the Christ.
- 3 Continue in the Spirit's teaching.
1. Consider The Season
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. 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. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
Our Response To These Phrases
Listen to me now. While reading this passage, what happened to you when you saw phrases like these?:
- It is the last hour
- You have heard that antichrist is coming
- Many antichrists have come
Some of you may have gotten excited: The last days! The final hour! The end times! Oh, I love sections like these! Let's geek out. I am tired of thinking about walking in God's light and loving other Christians. I can't handle thinking about my struggles with temptation anymore! Too much introspection! Those Life Group questions were too intense!
Others of you might have rolled your eyes: Oh no! I don't want to hear about the Antichrist and the last days. Please don't talk about the mark of the beast or the great tribulation or 666. I brought a friend to church today. I read all the novels. I am over this subject.
And some of you might have thought, Man, last week was so practical. We got into the real nitty-gritty of the Christian life. I could talk about that passage and message with my life group 'til kingdom come! Why do we have to ruin the vibe by going to subjects like these?
But what I want you to know is this section is one of the most practical portions of 1 John. Here, John will describe the days we are living in. And if you aren't prepared for these days, worldliness is the least of your concerns. I don't want anyone here swallowed up by new movements and doctrines which are against Jesus. I don't want anyone here derailed by believing something erroneous about Christ. I want everyone here to keep moving on in the basics the Spirit laid down for us thousands of years ago.
But I fear for you because many have had what was sown in their hearts snatched away by the devil. Others have not taken root and have fallen away. And many have been choked out due to the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:18-23). My hope is each one of us would hear the Word, understand it, and bear fruit for Christ. So, to me, this is one of the most practical sections of 1 John.
The Antichrist
In this first portion of this section, John uses a couple of phrases that need defining. First, notice how he tells the church they had heard that antichrist is coming. This might be surprising to some of you, but the Word antichrist only occurs in the Bible in John's letters (1 John 2:18, 22, 4:3, 2 John 7). Still, though only John used this title, the church was familiar with the teaching that antichrist is coming.
The prophet Daniel had foretold of a prince to come who would desecrate the temple and rebel against God and His Christ (Daniel 9:26). He will position himself as a peacemaker by initiating a seven-year peace treaty. But he will break it within three and a half years by committing an "abomination," which "makes desolate" (Daniel 9:26). Daniel calls this man the "desolator" (Daniel 9:26).
And after Daniel spoke, some came along and desecrated the temple. Men like Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 BC or Titus in AD 70, when they attacked Israel, violated her temple.
But, though these men had come, the church was still waiting for a further outbreak of evil, led by a figure who is contrary to and in place of Christ. They knew the true "desolator" would come one day. John calls him the Antichrist.
Notice how Paul refers to him:
"Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).
And the believers in John's day believed such a figure would come, bringing with him cataclysmic days. Jesus said, after these days of "the abomination of desolation..."
"...the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory." (Mark 13:24–27).
But let's go back to what Paul said about this Antichrist figure. A moment will come when...
"...The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming." (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Now, try to get out of your mind the imagery used in Revelation and Daniel concerning this man. In those apocalyptic passages, he's depicted as a beast or a horn or a terror.
But those images reveal God's perspective. People love him. To the world, he's not repulsive, but energizing and widely received. He brings seeming peace. He'll essentially be a world dictator who leads humanity into what appears to be a golden age until he shows his true colors, and the judgment of God is released upon him.
In this way, he is not the opposite of Christ, where Jesus is nice, and this guy is evil, but anti-Christ as in instead of Christ. I mean, he will be opposite Christ, but he'll also be a hero to many. I think he will offer the benefits of Christ's kingdom -- peace, justice, mercy for all -- but without Christ.
And the church, according to John, had heard that antichrist is coming. Please don't misunderstand. They weren't sitting around trying to figure out who the Antichrist might be. I remember, as a kid, when many Christians thought Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the communist Soviet Union, who also had an unfortunate discoloration on his forehead, might be the Antichrist. But this isn't the church's job. We aren't looking for the Antichrist, but Jesus Christ.
Many Antichrists
That said, John tells us that thought the Antichrist has not yet come, many antichrists have come (18).
They had some defining features. They'd went out from the church (19). They were not of the church because if they had been, they would have continued with the church (19). John seems to mean these little antichrists had once been part of the church in appearance, but not in reality, because they eventually left the church, preaching antichrist doctrines as they went.
This calls to mind two fundamental doctrines.
First, the perseverance of the saints. Jesus said, "The one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). This was not Jesus' way of saying, If you make it to the end I will save you. But, instead, those who are saved make it to the end.
Salvation is not the reward for endurance, but endurance is the hallmark of the saved. John thought this way: the only reason the antichrists left the church is that they were not of the church. If they were of the church, they would have continued with the church.
And this brings to mind a second important doctrine. There is a distinction in the Bible between the visible and invisible church. God wants His church to be public and known, but this doesn't mean every professing church member actually knows Christ. As Paul told Timothy:
"The Lord knows those who are His..." (2 Timothy 2:19).
And in John's day, some revealed their true colors by abandoning Christ and believing false doctrines instead. They went out proselytizing and trying to turn hearts away from Jesus and His beautiful gospel.
The Last Hour
To John, this was all evidence it was the last hour (18). This doesn't mean John thought Christ had to return within or near his lifetime, though Jesus could have. Nor does it mean John was wrong about the timing of Christ's return. It means John knew precisely what era he was living in, one referred to in the Bible as the last days or the last times.
John had already said,
"...The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining." (1 John 2:8).
And:
"...The world is passing away along with its desires..." (1 John 2:17).
This is how Christians are to feel. We are living in the last era, days, times, and, to borrow from John, hour. The time is short. God's redemptive plan will wrap up. Nothing else must occur. Jesus has come, and with His cross, He brought us to the last days.
"In these last days God has spoken to us by his Son..." (Hebrews 1:2).
You must know the days you're living in. You must consider the season. John expected some would desert the Lord and His church. To him, it was a mark of the last hour.
But if you don't know you're in such an hour, if you don't realize you're in the seven years of famine, you'll get blindsided. Instead, expect it: people will lose their minds and, seemingly, their faith in this last hour.
Recently, I caught up with an old friend in the Lord. We admire each other but had lost touch over the years. But, knowing the days we are in, I began our conversation by asking him, "Are you still orthodox? Do you still hold the cardinal tenets of the faith? Are you still down?" He assured me he was, and I assured him of the same, and our fellowship continued. It's the kind of conversation you have when you know what hour you're living in.
Our Nature
Know this. We don't have to succumb to the spirit of the age. John said, But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge (20). We will look more fully at this idea when he repeats it at the end of our passage, but suffice it to say, he means God's true children have God's Spirit. He teaches each one of us. He is an inner beacon of truth warning us of the perils of false doctrine. He guards us.
You see, some might depart from us, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can keep on truckin'. And when you see a Christian, perhaps famous, perhaps anonymous, deconstruct their faith and walk away from Jesus and His church, remind yourself you aren't going there. By the grace of God, keep steppin'.
A story from the end of Joshua's life comes to mind. He had led Israel into the Promised Land. They had driven out the enemy and divided up the land. As he prepared to die, he warned them not to forsake the LORD and worship other gods. Then he said:
"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).
Without pride or pretention, but in earnest prayer, let Joshua's sentiment be yours as well.
2. Confess The Son
21 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. 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. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 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. 25 And this is the promise that He made to us—eternal life.
John was clear. The church he wrote to knew the truth (21). They had not partaken in the lie floating around at that time (21). And it's a lie still floating around today. What is it?
The Big Lie
John answers, Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ (22)? In the Old Testament era, the Christ was understood as the coming Messianic figure who would save Israel. But by John's day, the Word Christ meant more than just the Jewish Messiah, but Jesus' identity as God the Son. And this is why John adds a second statement: This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son (22).
And this was a major purpose of all of John's writing, that we would believe Jesus is the Son of God, God the Son. Notice his reason for writing the gospel of John:
"But these events are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31).
So these false teachers said Jesus was not the Christ, meaning they thought He was not the Son of God or God the Son. They might have taught, as some later Gnostic teachers did, that Jesus was only a man, and that His "Christness," or divine emanation, only came upon Him during His public ministry.
They made Jesus into a mere man, denying Him as the eternal Son. They denied Jesus possessed two full or complete perfect natures, one human and one divine.
The Truth
John's way of thinking is alien today. People want to claim we all worship the same God, just by different names. Many hope all roads lead to the same God, no matter how violently the religions of the world contradict each other and postulate wildly varying versions of deity.
But John comes along, Mr. Black And White, and holds out a test. Does a person believe Jesus is God the Son? If they don't, they aren't Christian, for one. Secondly, John says, No one who denies the Son has the Father (23). Conversely, he wrote, Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
John has already given us two tests for true Christian profession.
- First, do I obey God's commandments?
- Second, do I love God's people?
- Finally, here, do I believe in God's Son?
And this simple test can be applied to many strange cults today who claim Jesus, but who deny His true identity. And all we have to do is ask, Do you believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, meaning He's God the Son? If the answer is no, no matter how nice the person is, they've got the wrong belief system.
John's point here is that without the Son, you don't have the Father. Or put another way:
No Son, no Father.
But:
Know the Son, know the Father.
The Promise
And John wants you to keep on rolling in that confession. He wants you to confess the Son.
This is why he writes, 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 (24-25).
Let the truth of Jesus, John means, continue to pump its way into you. If you do, you'll have the Son and the Father.
The whole Bible is about Jesus and His rescue mission for humanity. Fall in love with that story once, and a million times, and you'll be in safe waters.
Christian theology is anchored not only to certain historical events, culminating in the saving career of Jesus, but to the authoritative apostolic witness to, and interpretation of, these events. The Christian can never weigh anchor and launch out into the deep of speculative thought. Nor can he forsake the primitive teaching of the apostles for subsequent human traditions. The apostolic testimony is directed essentially to the Son. That is why it will keep them true to Him if they remain true to it. - John Stott, The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary, p. 116.
But, the thing is, we like new things. We are attracted to them. We love hearing about new restaurants and movies and books. Recently, I asked a friend in the produce industry about times a fruit or vegetable came out of nowhere and into popularity. Had he ever witnessed the meteoric rise of a previously unheralded food? He answered, "Kale. We used to think it was a weed. We'd use it as a garnish. Now, everyone's crazy about it." Yes, we love new things. Some even love kale.
But, when it comes to truth claims, new is not better.
Paul addressed this idea to the churches in the Galatian region. Many of them were turning to an updated gospel message. He said:
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:6–9).
The gospel the apostles preach in Scripture is the one which has eternal life (25) attached to it, so let's stick with that one.
3. Continue In The Spirit's Teaching
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 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.
So John wants us to, first, consider the season we are in. Second, he wants us to confess Jesus as the Son. Third, and finally, we learn in these verses, he wants us to continue in the Spirit's teaching.
The Anointing
Now, in saying this, John used a few phrases which have come under abuse in some Christian circles. Back in 2:20, John said:
"But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge." (1 John 2:20).
And, here, he picks up that theme by saying the anointing we've received from Jesus abides in us (27). So, somehow, God has anointed, or given an anointing to the people in His church.
What is this "anointing"?
Well, certainly, John is not referring to a secret anointing only a select few receive. Some modern Christians make this mistake, thinking "the anointing" is like a virus or germ you can catch in a special church meeting.
In fact, that was likely the error the false teachers made. They thought they were the select few, anointed with special knowledge others didn't possess. In the process of claiming their own special anointing, they denied the ultimate Anointed One, Jesus the Christ (which means 'anointed').
Instead, John is alluding to the basic fact that at regeneration, the Holy Spirit makes us His home. It is stated plainly in verses like these:
"When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13).
"God put His seal on us and has given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." (2 Corinthians 1:22).
Our Teacher
And this anointing, the Holy Spirit, is our teacher. So much so, John writes, And you have no need that anyone should teach you (27). Now, I should mention there are some scholars who think John is only referring to the original hearers, or even only the teachers of their churches, many of whom John would've known. They were Christians John felt were already rock solid.
But it seems John thought more broadly. He went on to say, His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie (27). He envisioned an ongoing work of the Spirit. Steadily, the Spirit of God would lead and teach God's people.
Now, it should go without saying, but I cannot go without saying it, that John is not displacing the role of teachers in the local church. He would've stood with Paul, who taught that Jesus, after ascending, gave essential gifts to the church in the form of "apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints..." (Ephesians 4:11-12).
And, in case you haven't noticed, John is pretty busy teaching the church with his written Word. So we can dispense with the idea a real Christian doesn't need anyone to teach him. Yes, the Spirit teaches us, but this isn't John or the apostles' way of ridding the church of Spirit-filled teachers of Scripture.
I remember speaking with a man, right here in our church lobby, about this years ago. He came to church with his wife and children in tow. After the service, he announced to me they had driven from quite far away looking for a good church. They'd visited something like thirty churches so far, and none were up to his standards. After he asked me a few questions, I asked him a few more, and then I told him I was fairly certain we also would not be able to meet his standards! The man truly felt he needed no teacher. He's probably still looking. I feel sorry for his family.
So now that we've addressed what John isn't saying, we should celebrate the truth John is communicating.
Though the context allows for the importance of Bible teachers in various forms, the point John is making is that the Spirit is our ultimate and highest teacher. He might speak to us directly from the pages of Scripture or through the teaching of another, but we don't need someone to offer us a new word or new truth. He is sufficient to communicate the Word to us.
The Word of God is our safeguard against running wild with claims about the Spirit's teaching. If it contradicts Scripture, it's not of the Spirit. Still, we need the heavenly teacher to help us continue in the truth. We should not highlight the Spirit to the detriment of Scripture. But we should not be those who honor the Word only to ignore the Spirit, either.
Abide In Him
So John said, Just as it has taught you, abide in Him (27). We will think more deeply about abiding in Christ next week, but for now, think of this story.
In ancient times, the people of Israel, while wandering in the wilderness for forty years, were fed miraculously by God. Daily, manna appeared. On Friday, they collected two days' worth so they could rest on Saturday. But each morning, of every day, they went out and got the manna for that day. They couldn't store it up for the next day, lest it "breed worms and stink" (Exodus 16:20).
Let this serve as an emblem of your pursuit of God in His Word. Get some of His Word, the manna, every day of your life. You don't have to do a time-consuming study of the text every day, but spend whatever time you can digging into His Word. Get it in you. Daily, we need whatever Word God has for us.
Bible reading is a basic application of John's exhortation to abide in Him, to continue in the Spirit's teaching. I know there will be things you don't understand. But there will be much you do understand. It will encourage you.
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4, Jesus quoting Deuteronomy)
Sometimes people ask me about my personal Bible reading plan. I have written about it at length online (an article entitled: How I Design My Daily Devotional Time), but the basics of my reading time are as follows:
- A quick read-through of a Psalm or Proverb to start.
- The next chapter in the New Testament, beginning in Matthew.
- The next 2-4 chapters in the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis.
As I read, I write down brief thoughts or prayers which stem from the text. Like I said, it's not a big, elaborate exegesis of Scripture, but a simple time of reading and listening. I want to learn about God and be reminded of the basics of the gospel. E V E R Y D A Y .
When we're content to merely receive the simple and straightforward teaching of God's Word, by the Spirit, we are better protected from the season we are in, the last hour. And it is a dangerous time we are in. Consider Paul's description of it in 2 Timothy.
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty...People will be always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth." (2 Timothy 3:1, 7)
And also:
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
As I close this teaching, look again at 1 John 2:26 -- "I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you." They are actively trying to deceive us. I want you to imagine, as you listen to podcasts, read books, and watch television, the enemy like a sniper scoping you up. He wants to, at the right moment, take you out. So abide in the truth you heard from the beginning! Don't deviate!
Applications / Close
As we conclude, here are a few applications for your consideration. Remember Joseph. He warned Pharaoh of the hard days to come, and now John has warned us. Let's apply this truth.