1, 2 & 3 John – The Fingerprints of Christian Authenticity…  (6 of 18)

Antichrists & The Antichrist!

1 John 2:18-27

1, 2 & 3 John bring us face-to-face with tests that show the difference between what’s REAL and what isn’t – these fingerprints of authenticity show what’s genuine and what’s counterfeit.

Today we’ll be turning to 2:18-27 and we’ll come to a warning centered on the presence and coming of antichrists and the antichrist.

1 John 2:18-27 (ESV) –

 ^“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.   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.   But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.   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.   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.  No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.   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.   I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.   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.”

1. The antichrist is coming and antichrists are already here…  (1 John 2:18-19)

In verse 18 we are confronted with a serious warning and a jarring reality check – we’re confronted with a dire threat.

1 John 2:18 (ESV, emphasis mine) –

“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.” 

1 John 2:18 (NIV) –
“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.

It’s ‘the last hour’ – they were (and we are) living in the end and this has been the case ever since Jesus ascended into heaven.  The next major event in redemptive history is Jesus’ promised and glorious return! 

Acts 1:7 (ESV) –

“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV, emphasis mine) –

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe.”

1 Timothy 4:1 (ESV, emphasis mine) –

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

2 Timothy 3:1 (ESV, emphasis mine) –

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.”

We’re living in ‘the last hour’ and we know that it’s the last hour, and the fact that many antichrists have come proves this.  The term antichrist means opposed to (or against) Christ.

This warning about the antichrist and antichrists is a jarring ‘reality check’ – let’s connect this with other passages in the New Testament, 1 & 2 John are the only books in the Bible to use the specific term antichrist but in different language Jesus predicted the coming of false Christs and false prophets.

Matthew 24:15 (ESV, emphasis mine) –

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…”

2 Thessalonians 2:3-7 (ESV, emphasis mine) –

“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.  Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?   And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.   For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.”

The ‘antichrist’ and the ‘man of lawlessness’ should be connected with ‘the beast’ in Revelation.

Revelation 13:1-6 (ESV) –

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.   And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.   One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.   And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”   And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.   It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming His name and His dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.”

What does all of this tell us?

• 1^st – Antichrists are here now and they have been throughout history, and a quick review of history demonstrates this clearly and obviously.
• 2^nd – In the last of the last days there will be a final culmination of this pattern in the person of the antichrist, the man of lawlessness, the beast.  The pattern will culminate in the future in a world leader who sets himself up in opposition to Christ.
• 3^rd – When this happens it will be the culmination of the pattern of the antichrist throughout history – a long and evil story!  In that sense it’s not really new it’s an old (and current) story, intensified.

Let’s look back to verse 19, to the specific and significant problem that prompted this warning.  People who had been within the Christian community had left the local churches and in so doing they showed that they had never truly belonged to Christ!

1 John 2:19 (ESV, emphasis mine)–

“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.”

They looked real for a time but that their departure showed that they were profoundly – NOT REAL!  The Apostle Paul warned about the coming of this type of threat when speaking to the elders of the church in Ephesus in Acts 20.

Acts 20:29-31 (ESV) –

“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;  and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.  Therefore be alert…”

Fierce wolves will arise from among the flock!  This had happened (and it continues to happen) – these antichrists who had departed from and rejected true Christian fellowship were opposing the truth and when we pause and think about it they were following in Judas’ footsteps.

He was one of the original twelve but he didn’t truly belong!  He looked REAL for quite some time but his departure and betrayal of Jesus Himself demonstrated otherwise.

1 John 2:26 (ESV) –

“I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.”

We shouldn’t be terrified!  God is in control and Jesus said that all of this is going to happen before He comes.  We do need to realize is that these are the times in which we live and we need to be aware!

1 John 2:20-27 (ESV) –

“But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.   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.   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.   No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.   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.   I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.   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.”

2. To discern the difference between truth and lies, ask: What do they teach about Jesus?  (1 John 2:20-27)

Having faced and considered the antichrist threat and the reality of the false teachers who had departed the local churches the balance of the passage shifts to recognizing and addressing this real and present threat.

We find another test of genuineness – the Christological test. I know Christological is a big word but it’s a worthwhile term because what we believe about Christ is either a fingerprint of Christian authenticity or a mark of phoniness!  What we believe about the Lord Jesus Christ matters, it matters eternally! 

Every true follower of Christ has an anointing from the Holy One and this refers to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all believers.  And verse 20 tells us that every follower of Jesus has been anointed for the purpose of discerning the difference between truth and lies.

John 15:26 (ESV, emphasis mine) –

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me.”

John 16:13 (ESV, emphasis mine) –

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.”

1 John 2:21 (ESV) –

“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.” 

An essential mark of genuineness is right belief about Jesus Christ – there’s nothing more essential.  Obviously, the antichrists (the false teachers) completely failed this test.

1 John 2:22 (ESV) –

“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.”

1 John 4:2-3 (ESV) –

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” 

2 John 7 (ESV)  –

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

If you deny the Son (Jesus Christ) you deny God the Father as well! It’s impossible to know God apart from Christ and an obvious application of this is that different religions are not all worshiping the same god – though many like to falsely claim this.

1 John 2:23 (ESV) –

“No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”

We must continue in the truth and not to allow ourselves to be led astray and into ruin!  Don’t get taken by some new, innovative and strange false teaching.  Continue in the message you have heard from the beginning – the Gospel!

1 John 2:24 (ESV) –

“Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.”

The warnings of 1 John are needed today – I can’t say this emphatically enough!  To discern the difference between truth and lies ask – What do they teach about Jesus?

What we believe about Jesus reveals if we are REAL!  It’s either a fingerprint of authenticity or a warning siren blaring – ANTICHRIST! 

How do we need to respond to all of this?  The first point is to be aware!  If we have a continually growing grasp of the truth we’ll recognize the lies that are being propagated and I have encouraging news: lies are not all that hard to detect, if we know the basics.

Ask – How does my thinking and perspective need to be transformed in light of this passage?  Where does my thinking need to change?

Challenge –

Read 1, 2 & John