I John 2:24-27
Live in the Truth
Would you open your Bibles to…
1Jo. 2:24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
1Jo. 2:25 And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life.
1Jo. 2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
1Jo. 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Pray
Intro (vs. 24a)
1Jo. 2:24a Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning….
√ Therefore…
John calls us to consider the benefits of fellowship with Jesus Christ.
You’ll recall that up to this point in our text John has given us the means by which we can test ourselves (and others) to discern whether or not we are in fellowship with God.
Do I walk in the light?
Do I walk in His love?
Do I walk in the Truth?
Having then evaluated our lives by the test of His Word and by the searching of His Spirit, John now tells us the benefits of fellowship with Jesus.
You might wonder why that’s important?
The reason is that the false teachers, of who John has just warned us, made it their practice to tell Christians that they weren’t saved!
That believing the simple Gospel message was not sufficient to bring them to God.
These false teachers, antichrists, were teaching that you had to add to your faith and knowledge in order to please God.
Ex. The Judizers
Acts 15:1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Others taught that they had received additional revelation from God and that only those “initiated” into this special, or secret, knowledge were really saved.
Ap. Still the same song
The false teachers, the antichrists, today still sing the same song.
Ex. False religions today
Mormons = Need the book of Mormon
Adventists = Practice the law of Ellen G. White
J.W.’s = Secrets unveiled by Charles Russell
√ You’re saved!
So, in response to the false teachers and their doctrines, John is writing to assure believers what they can be sure of through a simple relationship with Jesus Christ.
We can trust that John had the authority to give us these assurances because…
…he got it straight from Jesus!
He was an eyewitness of Jesus’ glory
He walked, talked and ate with Jesus
He saw the resurrected Lord
He say Jesus ascend into heaven
He received his authority directly from Jesus
None of the false teachers could provide such a resume’! (perhaps that’s one reason they always insist they have “secret” knowledge – no way to verify it!)
Ap. Assurance of salvation
You need to know what the Bible says about salvation, how a person is saved. If you don’t have the assurance of scripture you could be a victim of the cults!
That you might have a relationship with God (vs. 24)
1Jo. 2:24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
√ A relationship with God
In light of John’s warnings about false teachers and their doctrine…
The spirit of antichrist
Antichrist’s (false teachers)
The coming Antichrist
John says…
“Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning”
The obvious question we would ask is…
“Let what abide in us?”
The answer…
“that which you heard from the beginning”
That is, the simple Gospel message which John and the other apostles preached from the beginning (the birth of the Church) to their present day.
While John has certainly expounded upon this truth in chapters 1 & 2, he articulates it best in the 4th chapter.
1Jo. 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
1Jo. 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
1Jo. 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
While others had come since John first preached the gospel to them, teaching other doctrines that add to or change the message which John preached…
….John tells believers to let the simple truth of the Gospel message (vs. 15) “abide” (or live) in their hearts.
The benefit to the believer? Note the rest of I John 2:24….
“If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
Benefit number 1 – Christians have a relationship with God!
Ap. Don’t be fooled!
In the time of John’s writing as well as in our own day the cults and false religions try to shake the Christian’s confidence in Jesus by telling us that we don’t have a relationship with God.
That faith is not enough
That Jesus’ work on the Cross was just the beginning
That we have to add to the Gospel message
In short, John says that’s baloney!
It comes down to this questions…
…who are you going to believe?
John or the likes of Joseph Smith?
So, the first benefit of trusting in Jesus is that you have a relationship with God through your faith in Jesus Christ.
That you might have eternal life (vs. 25)
1Jo. 2:25 And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life.
√ Eternal life
John had walked with Jesus for over 3 years and had heard Him promise eternal life to those who believe.
Ex. Nick at Night
John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
John 3:15 “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
The antichrists claimed that they alone could offer eternal life, and that if you did not…
Join their group
Follow their doctrine
…then you would not have eternal life!
But, John tells us that we eternal life by simply believing the Gospel message (let it abide in you).
Ap. Watch out for those who teach such things – it’s a power trip that people develop to control the lives of others.
Ex. Church history
The sad testimony of Church history is that self-absorbed men have sought power for themselves by making themselves the mediators of eternal life.
The Roman Catholic Church – to this day they claim to be the sole dispenser of God’s Grace and eternal life.
Protestant church – dozens of cultic groups from Mormon to UPC to Jim Jones claim that they alone can grant eternal life.
However, Jesus alone has the authority to grant eternal life to people!
John 17:1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and
said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may
glorify You,
John 17:2 “as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He
should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The Biblical truth is that God has given eternal life to all those who trust in Jesus…
…it is not handed out by people who claim to stand between you and God.
1Tim 2:5 For there is one
God and one Mediator between God and men, the
Man Christ Jesus,
Reject anyone, or any religious system, which claims to be a mediator between you and God!
So, the second
benefit of trusting in Jesus Christ is that you have eternal life.
That you might not be deceived (vs. 26-27)
1Jo. 2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
1Jo. 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
√ Won’t be deceived
The 3rd benefit of letting the truth of Jesus’ Gospel abide in your heart is that you won’t be fooled by false doctrine.
Note vs. 26…
1Jo. 2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
Part of the purpose of John’s letter as we have already stated is that he wanted to warn believers against antichrists – those that would try and deceive us.
In addition to the testimony of Truth as revealed in the Word of God, John tells us that we an “anointing” to protect us from the lies of the devil.
What is the “anointing”?
√ The anointing
“anointing” is…
5545. crisma chrisma khris'-mah; from 5548; an unguent or smearing, i.e. (figuratively) the special endowment ("chrism") of the Holy Spirit:-- anointing, unction.
That is, John reminds us that we have the Person of the Holy Spirit abiding in us to protect us from false doctrine.
The Holy Spirit works within us by either confirming, or denying, the teaching we hear or read.
Don’t forget that John and the rest of the authors of the Bible were inspired by the unction of the Holy Spirit to write what they wrote!
In short, the Holy Spirit is the author behind the pen of John.
The same Holy Spirit Who prompted John to write is living within you confirming what you’re reading!
Likewise, when a false teacher speaks his/her lies the Holy Spirit within you denies what you are hearing urging you to reject it.
Ex. Hearing the street presentation of Moonies when I was a young Christian – I knew they were off even though I didn’t know why.
God has given us His Written Word and His Holy Spirit to protect His children from the spirit and doctrine of antichrist.
√ How are so many people deceived then?
Since God has provided us with all that we need to protect us from antichrists and they’re false teaching…
…how is that so many people have been deceived?
Paul gives us the answer.
2Tim. 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
2Tim. 4:4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
The problem is not with the Word of God the work of the Holy Spirit…
…the problem is with people!
Note that Paul tells us that those who are turned from the Truth are self-deceived!
Those teaching the doctrines of antichrist appeal to the very things that John warned us against earlier in chapter 2…
The lust of the eyes
The lust of the flesh
The pride of life
Look at any false teaching and you’ll find that it appeals to our fallen nature!
Ex. Legalism and liberty without limit
False teaching usually moves from the balance of Grace to one extreme or another…
…that is, false doctrine usually runs toward legalism or liberty without limits.
Those doctrines which emphasize the law, or some works oriented religion appeal to Man’s pride.
Those doctrines, which emphasize liberty without limit, appeal to Man’s lust.
True Christianity recognizes the divine balance of Grace.
Our works & obedience can never save us, nor gain us any greater love than God has already extended to us.
Yet, we obey God’s commands because of His great love for us.
Grace is not a license to sin.
So, people are led astray by giving themselves over to false teaching that appeal to their fallen nature – their flesh!
On the other hand,
John tells us that the 3rd benefit of the abiding truth of Jesus
Christ in our heart is that we will not be deceived.
Close
√ Don’t be fooled!
The spirit of antichrist is more active today than when John wrote this letter.
The devil himself is the author behind every false teaching and teacher.
He is preparing the world for the day in which he will no longer be restrained the Holy Spirit and will launch a full scale attack to deceive the people of this world.
√ You have all that God has in Christ
A personal relationship with God!
Eternal life!
The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit