TRUTH UNDER FIRE
TRUTH UNDER FIRE 1 John 2:18 – 28
CMBC October 16, 2016
Christianity Today published the most recent survey on the beliefs of the Evangelical laypeople in the USA. 3/4s of them were confused about the person of Jesus – not sure about the person Jesus also being divine, God the Son, part of the Trinity. That has been an issue going back to the early days of the Church. One that the Apostle John addressed in writing his Gospel and his letters to the Church. When we speak of Jesus Christ, who is this? Is he a man like us or is he God. The answer is both – fully human and fully divine. Any other answer and our salvation is not possible. But how can we understand that? 1. TROUBLE IN THE CHURCH a. The “Last Hour” i. John begins this section by declaring: [18] Dear children, this is the last hour; ii. We are told many times in the New Testament that we should be prepared for the imminent return of Jesus. But it is now almost 2,000 years later. 1. How can that be? 2. An eternal God is above time, clocks and calendars. 3. 2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. [9] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, iii. The context might indicate that John had in mind that God’s first interruption into human history was the First Advent of His Son. The next interruption is the Second Coming of His Son. 1. Calvin put it this way: “John calls that ‘the last time’ or ‘the last hour’ in which all things are being so completed that nothing is left except the last revelation of Christ.” 2. When Jesus came to this earth, He had finally come to defeat Satan at the cross, and now there would be the attacks of the evil one to try destroy the work of the cross in as many people as possible. iv. And John concludes: Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. b. The Antichrists have come i. The term “antichrist” is used only in this letter and once more in John’s second letter. 1. It means more than a “false Christ”. 2. It carries the idea of a subtle attack by Satan in introducing a rival Christ. 3. A different way of understand salvation, of understanding our way to God. 4. Today it would be presented in the idea, “It doesn’t matter what a man believes, as long as he leads a decent life.” ii. John suggests that there is THE Antichrist coming, who will deceive people into believing that there is a better way to God than through Jesus Christ.
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1. But, says John, there are already many “antichrists” who deceive people into the lie that people have been misled in what they have been taught about Jesus. 2. These antichrists bring confusion and division in the church. 3. This confusion about Jesus is the main attack of the antichrists. 4. We can argue about a lot of things in the church, but the primary issue on which all of our faith hangs is the question of “Who is Jesus?” 5. That is why this is the primary focus of attack by Satan. c. Not surprized by the attack i. John was not surprise by the attacks of the antichrists. And he says, as we read in verse 18: This is how we know it is the last hour. ii. Here is what he had been told by Jesus: Matthew 24:23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!' or, ‘There he is!' do not believe it. [24] For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. [25] See, I have told you ahead of time. iii. Jesus also said: Matthew 10: [22] All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. iv. But then John also remembered that Jesus had said: John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it (the world) does is evil. Because the attack is on who is the true Christ. v. We are still living in the “Last Hour” and the antichrists are still active. vi. John goes on to say: [19] They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. vii. “they would have remained with us” (“accepted what we have been taught about Jesus.”) 2. WHO IS LEAVING? a. Denying Jesus is the Christ i. What John had in mind was the teaching of a man by the name of Cerinthus. 1. He believed that Jesus was the son of Mary and Joseph, a very righteous and holy man, but simply a human being. 2. He said that it was at Jesus baptism that the Christ came down and entered him, and that at the cross just before Jesus died, Christ left him to go back to God and that it was only Jesus the man who died. 3. Cerinthus said that a pure and perfect God would never have anything to do with the material, so Jesus could never be fully human and fully divine. 4. He said that the Christ who came upon Jesus was simply using Jesus to introduce us to the Supreme God, and that salvation came to us simply in knowing the Supreme God. Jesus, the man, had no other connection with God. ii. [22] “Who is the liar?” asks John. It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. [23] No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the
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Father also. b. Struggling to understand God i. All of us have to admit that there are times when we struggle to understand God. So we try to get the answer from our human, logical point of view that we think we can more easily explain. ii. Later in Chapter 4:5 John says, They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. iii. In fact John points out John 4:3 The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. iv. Because God is so much greater than we are, He will always be more than we can understand. 1. Yet all that we need to know in trusting Him, he has made known to us. 2. And what we find hard to explain we accept by faith. 3. And, the Bible says, it is then that God the Holy Spirit opens our mind to understand even more. v. The deception of Satan is to present a Christ that make it more pleasing to accept, more politically correct, less offensive, easier to understand. 1. We make a Christ that fits our ability to comprehend. 2. In so doing we make a Christ that is less than what he is, 3. and therefore incapable in doing what is needed for our salvation. c. Who is that today? i. “Don’t be so narrow and arrogant to exclude all other ways to God except thru Jesus.” ii. “I think that God will understand that I have lived a pretty decent life.” iii. “If you don’t keep all of the rules and worship as I do, then you will never get to heaven.” iv. “I can’t believe in a God who would let little children die in a hurricane.” But how can you be sure, so sure you have the truth? 3. CONFIDENCE IN YOUR FAITH a. You have been taught the truth i. [20] But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. [21] I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 1. You have been taught the truth about Jesus. 2. You know it. 3. It may be hard to understand, but it is not a secret and you have known it. ii. Remember how John started this letter? [1Jn 1:1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. [2] The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. [3] We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. [4] We write this to
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make our * joy complete. iii. He had the same issue in mind when he wrote his Gospel [Jn 1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood * it. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— [13] children born not of natural descent, * nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, * who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. And so, says John… b. Remain in the Son and the Father i. [24] See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. [25] And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. [26] I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. ii. Notice how John connects the Son and the Father [22] It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. [23] No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. [24] See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. [25] And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. c. The anointing that teaches truth i. Here is the wonderful promise. 1. God is totally aware of our limited ability to understand. 2. So what has He done. a. By His Holy Spirit, He oversaw the writing of the Scriptures that teach us about Himself and Christ Jesus, so that the Word of God is divinely inspired. b. What is more, He gives us the same Spirit to help us understand the Scriptures. ii. John says, [2:27] As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
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1. John is not suggesting that we don’t need teachers. He himself was teaching the church. 2. He is talking about this matter of who is Jesus Christ. You have been taught what is the truth. You don’t need anyone else to come and teach you. You know the truth. iii. He concludes: [28] And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
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CMBC October 16, 2016
Christianity Today published the most recent survey on the beliefs of the Evangelical laypeople in the USA. 3/4s of them were confused about the person of Jesus – not sure about the person Jesus also being divine, God the Son, part of the Trinity. That has been an issue going back to the early days of the Church. One that the Apostle John addressed in writing his Gospel and his letters to the Church. When we speak of Jesus Christ, who is this? Is he a man like us or is he God. The answer is both – fully human and fully divine. Any other answer and our salvation is not possible. But how can we understand that? 1. TROUBLE IN THE CHURCH a. The “Last Hour” i. John begins this section by declaring: [18] Dear children, this is the last hour; ii. We are told many times in the New Testament that we should be prepared for the imminent return of Jesus. But it is now almost 2,000 years later. 1. How can that be? 2. An eternal God is above time, clocks and calendars. 3. 2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. [9] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, iii. The context might indicate that John had in mind that God’s first interruption into human history was the First Advent of His Son. The next interruption is the Second Coming of His Son. 1. Calvin put it this way: “John calls that ‘the last time’ or ‘the last hour’ in which all things are being so completed that nothing is left except the last revelation of Christ.” 2. When Jesus came to this earth, He had finally come to defeat Satan at the cross, and now there would be the attacks of the evil one to try destroy the work of the cross in as many people as possible. iv. And John concludes: Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. b. The Antichrists have come i. The term “antichrist” is used only in this letter and once more in John’s second letter. 1. It means more than a “false Christ”. 2. It carries the idea of a subtle attack by Satan in introducing a rival Christ. 3. A different way of understand salvation, of understanding our way to God. 4. Today it would be presented in the idea, “It doesn’t matter what a man believes, as long as he leads a decent life.” ii. John suggests that there is THE Antichrist coming, who will deceive people into believing that there is a better way to God than through Jesus Christ.
1
1. But, says John, there are already many “antichrists” who deceive people into the lie that people have been misled in what they have been taught about Jesus. 2. These antichrists bring confusion and division in the church. 3. This confusion about Jesus is the main attack of the antichrists. 4. We can argue about a lot of things in the church, but the primary issue on which all of our faith hangs is the question of “Who is Jesus?” 5. That is why this is the primary focus of attack by Satan. c. Not surprized by the attack i. John was not surprise by the attacks of the antichrists. And he says, as we read in verse 18: This is how we know it is the last hour. ii. Here is what he had been told by Jesus: Matthew 24:23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!' or, ‘There he is!' do not believe it. [24] For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. [25] See, I have told you ahead of time. iii. Jesus also said: Matthew 10: [22] All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. iv. But then John also remembered that Jesus had said: John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it (the world) does is evil. Because the attack is on who is the true Christ. v. We are still living in the “Last Hour” and the antichrists are still active. vi. John goes on to say: [19] They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. vii. “they would have remained with us” (“accepted what we have been taught about Jesus.”) 2. WHO IS LEAVING? a. Denying Jesus is the Christ i. What John had in mind was the teaching of a man by the name of Cerinthus. 1. He believed that Jesus was the son of Mary and Joseph, a very righteous and holy man, but simply a human being. 2. He said that it was at Jesus baptism that the Christ came down and entered him, and that at the cross just before Jesus died, Christ left him to go back to God and that it was only Jesus the man who died. 3. Cerinthus said that a pure and perfect God would never have anything to do with the material, so Jesus could never be fully human and fully divine. 4. He said that the Christ who came upon Jesus was simply using Jesus to introduce us to the Supreme God, and that salvation came to us simply in knowing the Supreme God. Jesus, the man, had no other connection with God. ii. [22] “Who is the liar?” asks John. It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. [23] No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the
2
Father also. b. Struggling to understand God i. All of us have to admit that there are times when we struggle to understand God. So we try to get the answer from our human, logical point of view that we think we can more easily explain. ii. Later in Chapter 4:5 John says, They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. iii. In fact John points out John 4:3 The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. iv. Because God is so much greater than we are, He will always be more than we can understand. 1. Yet all that we need to know in trusting Him, he has made known to us. 2. And what we find hard to explain we accept by faith. 3. And, the Bible says, it is then that God the Holy Spirit opens our mind to understand even more. v. The deception of Satan is to present a Christ that make it more pleasing to accept, more politically correct, less offensive, easier to understand. 1. We make a Christ that fits our ability to comprehend. 2. In so doing we make a Christ that is less than what he is, 3. and therefore incapable in doing what is needed for our salvation. c. Who is that today? i. “Don’t be so narrow and arrogant to exclude all other ways to God except thru Jesus.” ii. “I think that God will understand that I have lived a pretty decent life.” iii. “If you don’t keep all of the rules and worship as I do, then you will never get to heaven.” iv. “I can’t believe in a God who would let little children die in a hurricane.” But how can you be sure, so sure you have the truth? 3. CONFIDENCE IN YOUR FAITH a. You have been taught the truth i. [20] But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. [21] I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 1. You have been taught the truth about Jesus. 2. You know it. 3. It may be hard to understand, but it is not a secret and you have known it. ii. Remember how John started this letter? [1Jn 1:1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. [2] The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. [3] We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. [4] We write this to
3
make our * joy complete. iii. He had the same issue in mind when he wrote his Gospel [Jn 1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood * it. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— [13] children born not of natural descent, * nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, * who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. And so, says John… b. Remain in the Son and the Father i. [24] See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. [25] And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. [26] I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. ii. Notice how John connects the Son and the Father [22] It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. [23] No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. [24] See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. [25] And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. c. The anointing that teaches truth i. Here is the wonderful promise. 1. God is totally aware of our limited ability to understand. 2. So what has He done. a. By His Holy Spirit, He oversaw the writing of the Scriptures that teach us about Himself and Christ Jesus, so that the Word of God is divinely inspired. b. What is more, He gives us the same Spirit to help us understand the Scriptures. ii. John says, [2:27] As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
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1. John is not suggesting that we don’t need teachers. He himself was teaching the church. 2. He is talking about this matter of who is Jesus Christ. You have been taught what is the truth. You don’t need anyone else to come and teach you. You know the truth. iii. He concludes: [28] And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
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