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 that Jesus possessed two full or completely 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 the 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

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 that has eternal life (25) attached to it, so let's stick with that one.