Please turn in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2. My hearty thanks while you're turning there to Josiah for leading services so I can save my voice for one sermon and to Caleb who had already, much to his own doom, he might think, alerted me that he was working on a pocket sermon unless it was ever needed. so Get to hear from him this afternoon, and I'm excited actually I'll probably be watching from home Across the way so Teresa can be with us as one of our kids is sick, too And someone needs to stay with her so anyway I'm excited to see what the Lord has for us today in both services And I may be a little quieter today as you notice First John 2 will be in verses 18 through 27 and But before we get to the text, sometimes there's a topic that's going to come up in the sermon text that's not the main point of the sermon text, but it could distract people from the point if I don't deal with it first. If I don't say, here's how to understand that, first of all. And there's a topic like that today that I should quickly address. I've addressed it before in different contexts. Our sermon text assumes that Christians already know about this topic. I'm talking about the historic Christian doctrine that's rooted solidly in scripture of a final antichrist. Again, that's not the main point of today's sermon. John's point is going to be about those who are already here who are forerunners of that antichrist. Many good men in our reformed circles, after rightly rejecting the central ideas of what's called a dispensational approach to scripture, many of these men have really been too hesitant to even deal with this doctrine of a final antichrist. Sometimes we all overreact in our desire to avoid quirky interpretations of prophecy. I've said it before and I'll say it again that I was once a zealous dispensationalist. Very zealous in my interpretation of Christ's return and related events. But I firmly rejected that dispensational system. If you don't know what that is, that's okay. But some of you do know what that is, so I'm saying it. I hold to the historic stream of covenant theology that actually birthed and nurtured the early Baptist movement. And I'm what they call a homilenial in my interpretation of the last things. Now, many people assume the doctrine of a final Antichrist to be a dispensational invention, but that's really false, entirely false. You may have seen, at this point probably more in Goodwill stores and things, these books, these paperbacks that were a hit in the 90s, the Left Behind series. There were some prophecy movies long before that, Thief in the Night, all that. So a lot of people have a whole bunch of baggage tied to this idea of the final Antichrist, and that's why they just want nothing to do with it. But since the very time of the Apostles, Orthodox Christians in the early centuries commonly affirmed the doctrine of a future personal Antichrist to end all Antichrists. A man who will be briefly empowered by Satan to blasphemously claim that which only Jesus Christ can claim. He will attempt to establish his own weak imitation of Christ's glorious kingdom on earth, that is. And he'll exalt himself as God above all gods. He will reveal himself amid convincing miraculous signs worked by Satan. All of that is squarely scriptural. He will be both a political and a religious figure, attempting to establish some sort of theocracy with himself at the top. He'll seek to replace Christ in his church. He will seek to stamp out two churches of Christ. The Apostle Paul clearly states in 2 Thessalonians 2 that this individual will be revealed Just before his utter destruction at the return of the Lord Jesus, when this man of lawlessness, as Paul calls him, is revealed for who he is, that's when we know Christ is coming. It's almost immediate. So, Paul does not speak there, in 2 Thessalonians 2, of a succession or dynasty of men, such as that of the Roman popes, though indeed the popes are usurpers of Christ's throne rights, and they preach a damnable gospel. But Paul clearly speaks there of one man. So while many antichrists and false prophets appear throughout church history, as our sermon text will focus on, There is a final outstanding Antichrist to come, which John specifically mentions at the beginning. He could begin as a pope, or a bishop, or a king, or a prime minister, or any number of things. What we know is that he will end as Satan's climactic rival to Emmanuel, who alone is God in the flesh, in human flesh. And what I just described is not an uncommon belief among confessionally Reformed theologians. Kim Riddlebarger has written an entire book, pretty reader-friendly for the average person, on that subject entitled The Man of Sin. He's joined by other amillennial writers like G.K. Beale, Meredith Klein, Sam Waldron, and Dean Davis. And again, this doctrine is not a modern or recent doctrine. So I'll give you two quotes from within the first century or two of Christ, and then we'll move on. First, Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trifo, He says, oh, unreasoning men, understanding not what has been proved by all these passages, in scripture that is, that two advents, two comings of Christ have been announced. The one in which he is set forth is suffering, inglorious, dishonored, and crucified. But the other in which he shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy, who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on the earth against us, the Christians. who having learned the true worship of God from the law and the word which went forth from Jerusalem by means of the apostles of Jesus have fled for safety to the God of Jacob and God of Israel." Another one, the Didache, chapter 16. The Didache was probably composed around the late first century, possibly when, for instance, the apostle John was still alive. Watch over your life. Do not let your lamps go out, and do not be unprepared, but be ready, for you do not know the hour when our Lord is coming. Gather together frequently, seeking the things that benefit your souls, for all the time you have believed will be of no use to you if you are not found perfect in the last time, that is, if you don't persevere in the faith. For in the last days, the false prophets and corruptors will abound, and the sheep will be turned into wolves, and love will be turned into hate. For as lawlessness increases, they will hate and persecute and betray one another. And then the deceiver of the world will appear as a son of God, and will perform signs and wonders. And the earth will be delivered into his hands, and he will commit abominations, the likes of which have never happened before. Then all humankind will come to the fiery test, and many will fall away and perish. But those who endure in their faith will be saved by the accursed one himself. And then there will appear the signs of the truth, First, the sign of an opening in heaven, then the sign of the sound of a trumpet, and third, the resurrection of the dead. But not of all, rather, as it has been said, the Lord will come and all his saints with him. Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven." That's not scripture, but it is very early, solid Christianity, and they'd never heard of the left-behind books. Now I ask you to shift gears with me. So that's what I believe from scripture about what John is about to say. You've heard he's about to say that Antichrist is coming. And then he's gonna back up and say, but you know what? Antichrists are already here. So we'll get there. So let's prepare to hear what the Spirit of God has said through the Apostle John, not so much about the final Antichrist, rather about the many Antichrists who precede the final one. The mystery of lawlessness and apostasy that will eventually bring that final Antichrist, that's already here with us. And the same dynamic that will cause one great final apostasy of professing Christians away from the true Christ, that dynamic's already confronting those who profess Christ's name now. But before we see that in the sermon text, let's back up. Let's read the immediately preceding verses, verses 15 through 17. I want to remind you from last week's sermon text there, that was part of last week's sermon text, that the phenomenon of apostasy and heresy, people walking away from the Christ they once professed to believe in, people teaching dandle heresy about who Christ is, that whole phenomenon is implied to be a symptom of love for the world rather than love for the Father. Because the verses right before this say this, starting in verse 15, do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires. But whoever does the will of God, abides forever now let's read our sermon text the very next verse verse 18 going through verse 27 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. And that's reflecting a sort of a Hebrew sort of figure of speech, not saying only some of them were not of us, it's saying, it's showing that if they left, they were not of us. So sort of an understatement the way it puts it that they all are not of us verse 20 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. So the big idea, there's a lot of things coming out out of this text, obviously, but the big idea here in this text as I trust you have in your handout in the bulletin. Big idea is that God's anointing secures his own against denials of Jesus as God's son. You boil down what that at which John is taking aim, calling it the antichrists. He's taking aim at denials of Jesus as God's son. But God's anointing secures his own against those sorts of denials. So, first of all, verses 18 through 19. As we work through the text, I'm just sort of, the way this lays out, I'm not saving the application for the end. I'm just trying to make it obvious as we go. So number one, Many forerunners of Antichrist have departed the true church. That's the first thing, first point John is making. Many forerunners of Antichrist have departed from us, he says. Who's us? Well, as we've been reading, hearing from first John, it's obvious. It's those who have believed the apostles gospel. Who Jesus is and what he did to redeem sinners. And that Jesus is the Christ, God's son. There's no difference between Christ and the man Jesus. So those who have believed and held fast to the apostles gospel and message that they received from God himself about Jesus, they are the true church. And of course that's manifest visibly as they assemble in Christ's name and they strengthen themselves in that faith. But some have now gone out from that group We don't know for sure how this looked. Maybe they started their own so-called church of their own, or maybe they adopted some other model to propagate their own teachings. But the fact is they couldn't stomach staying with those who, who believed the truth about Jesus. And so many forerunners of antichrist had departed the true church. This wasn't about people needing to find work in a different city, and so they moved and left the church that way. This is apostasy. Leaving the church because they could not stand the truth about Jesus. So children, John says, it is the last hour. The last hour. Obviously, if you compare this to what the rest of scripture says, with the rest of what John himself says, He's using our as that figure of speech for a short time, at least in the sense of eternity, in the sense of God's full plan for history. But he's addressing, as the rest of the New Testament does, he's addressing the time between Christ's first and second coming as this is the last thing on God's plan, if you will, for the ages. before the eternal state comes in, before Jesus comes and puts down every foe, including death. We're in the last time. Some other similar things said in the New Testament, James chapter four, starting in verse seven, James, the brother of the Lord Jesus says, be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. So on the one hand, he's stressing patience because there's a wait. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. It's about to happen in one sense. It's at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge, meaning the Lord Jesus, is standing at the door. He's about to open the door and walk in. His coming is at hand. or the Apostle Peter, 1 Peter 4. He speaks of the Gentiles who still want to party and live lawlessly. And they're surprised that those who are now Christians won't join them in that anymore. He says, but they will give account, 1 Peter 4, 7, sorry, 1 Peter 4, 5. They will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Yeah, he is. Jesus is ready to step in in his coming. As the scripture says, he's coming to judge the living and the dead. And then verse seven, two verses down from there, he says, similar to how John says here, it's the last hour. Peter says, the end of all things is at hand to the Christians. He says that therefore be self-controlled and so reminded for the sake of your prayers. 2 Peter 3, Peter says that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles. Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. Sound like the desires of the world, 1 John 2. They will say, where is the promise of his coming? And they say, history, just goes on as normal. There's nothing like this that's ever going to happen. Peter addresses that. But he says, one day the Lord will come, though he says, don't overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, toward his own, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief that is unexpectedly to the world. And then the heavens will pass away with a roar and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Then it says he encourages God's people to continue in lives of holiness and godliness waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved. and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn. But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish and at peace, and count the patience of our Lord as salvation. So don't make a difficulty where there is none here, where John says it's the last hour. It's not that people in the first century had their hopes disappointed because they thought Jesus was coming soon in their lifetime, for sure. That's not what he's saying. But he's saying, as we are in this age of the new covenant church, as the gospel is going to all the nations, as Jesus said it would, and as he commanded it to be done, as we're in this time between the first and second coming, we are in the last time. This is the last thing that God is up to before Jesus comes back. And we can't know the day or the hour of when he'll come back. We don't know the full extent of what God means to do in reaching all nations, for instance, with the gospel. But it's big, whatever it is. Nevertheless, there's this expectation that the coming of the Lord could be soon for anyone in this church age, in this New Testament, New Covenant church age. Next thing he says, it's the last hour, and as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, and as I referred to in the introduction, that might strike us as odd because many people, either people have zany ideas about this or they haven't really heard about this doctrine very clearly, depending which church they're in. But in that first century church that the apostles founded, They told people about the doctrine of Antichrist. You've heard that Antichrist is coming. Now, what does Antichrist mean? What does the word mean? That's important. You know, John is the only person in the New Testament to use this word, and only here, as I recall. Antichrist could mean the opposite of Christ, or it could mean instead of Christ, like a substitute. a fake Christ or something. So, as Joel Beakey puts it here in his commentary, he says, the Antichrist is either the utter opposite of Christ because of his wickedness and his efforts to thwart salvation, or he is someone who claims to stand in the place of Christ as the Savior of the world. He may be both. John is the only New Testament writer who uses the term Antichrist, though he lists other texts like Daniel 7-11, 2 Thessalonians 2, etc. in Revelation 13, though these all address this topic. He's right. Some have challenged the identification of the one John calls the Antichrist, but I think comparing Scripture with Scripture, it is true. We can build a cohesive doctrine of this final man of lawlessness or Antichrist. So Jesus hinted at this doctrine Contrary to actually much teaching in certain Reformed corners today, Jesus actually hinted at this doctrine in the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24, Mark 13, which parallel counts. Luke's version focuses on some other things Jesus said, particularly about AD 70. But Matthew 24, Jesus speaks of the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place. Mark has Jesus saying the abomination of desolation standing where he Speaking of him as a man where he ought not to be let the reader understand You want to hear more about that and go back and listen, we've preached all the way through Matthew. We've preached on that text It's it's takes a lot of concentration and that's not to the point today but the point is John is saying you've heard that the antichrist was coming because Jesus referred to it and in the Olivet Discourse as something that would, immediately after which, tribulation, the Son of Man would come in the clouds of heaven with a loud trumpet call. He would gather his elect from the four winds by his angels. 2 Thessalonians 2, we've already mentioned Paul speaking about the fact that the day of the Lord has not come and it will not come until the man of lawlessness is revealed. who is 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, which I take to be the real temple of God under the new covenant, the church of Jesus Christ. He takes a 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, Paul told The Thessalonians about the man of lawlessness, though he was not with them very long when they were young Christians. That's very interesting. But he says, then 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. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false, really all lying signs and wonders. That is, they really are signs and wonders, but they are lying about truth of the gospel and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved etc etc we've preached on second Thessalonians as well so refer to that if you would like but now more to John's point so he says to his audience at least you know this is basic Christian doctrine that there is an antichrist coming in the end but he says watch out As I would say to you today, watch out. People can use the end times and their understanding of what will happen right when Jesus returns. They can use that to say, so yeah, that'll be really awful. There'll be strong deception then, but we're not there yet. So I don't have to worry about it. John says, so now, in a similar way, in a similar vein, many antichrists have come. They're already here, folks. And people who are, I know they didn't have exactly this kind of auditorium back then, but in our terms, people who used to sit next to you in the pew, they've become part of this antichrist phenomenon. How shocking for John to say that. Your former fellow church members are now antichrists, or at least following antichrists. Similarly, in 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul had said about the man of lawlessness, you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time for he admits the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. Similarly, Jesus, in Matthew 24, in his Olivet Discourse, he said in broad terms about this entire age of the New Covenant Church. He said, see that no one leads you astray, for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of war. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. And then he says, in the context that's ramping up to his coming, his second coming, he says, and then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead. I'm sorry, I jumped ahead of myself. This is actually not, this is repeating what's true of this whole church, New Testament church age. Many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come." Okay, now when Jesus is talking about what happens right before the end. He says, then if anyone says to you, look, here's the Christ or there he is. Do not believe it for false Christs to look at that as anti-Christ, I suppose, and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders. So as to lead astray, if possible, if it were possible, even the elect see, I have told you beforehand. So John is obviously drawing on, still, on what his Lord Jesus told him in person when he was on this earth. We're not supposed to just think that those who are supposedly part of the Church of Jesus Christ are spiritually safe from Antichrist until the very end. No. Though Satan's work is restrained in certain ways so that the gospel will reach all nations before the end. Though Satan's work is restrained, he is at work. And he is at work in trying to oppose Christ and trying to substitute him with pitiful frauds, fakes, substitutes for the real person, the real Savior. So, John says, because now many antichrists were already here with us, therefore we know it's the last hour. Jesus told us this is what it would be like. So, next he says, 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, but it might be complained they are all or not of us. Paul, Speaking to the Church of Corinth, similarly, he was actually looking at the beginning fractures in the Church of Corinth, which could lead to some departing even, as they actually did in John's day. And Paul said this, he said, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I believe it in part. For there must be, that is in God's providence, in his wise plan, there must be factions among you, in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. Interesting. Paul, on the one hand, his letter to the church at Corinth, he is assuming charitably that most or all to whom he is writing are genuine Christians, though they have a lot of sin issues. On the other hand, he says, there's going to be this dynamic where Not all in the visible church are genuine in their faith in Christ. And it'll become obvious as divisions happen, and then some leave because they really don't like the true gospel. They really haven't gotten it for themselves, though they were content for a while to be part of the visible gathering of God's people. We can put this in terms of Jesus' parable of the sower and the different soils, where Jesus gives a picture of how the word of the kingdom, the message, the gospel of the kingdom of heaven is proclaimed, it's thrown out there, it's scattered to all different kinds of people, but they are different kinds of people with different kinds of hearts. And so Jesus has the sower scattering the seed and it falls on different kinds of soil, which represents different kinds of human hearts. And he mentioned some kinds of soils, meaning some kinds of human hearts that have an initially good response that then dies off. So Mark 4, it's not the only place it's recorded, but Mark 4, starting in verse 14, Jesus says, the sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. So there's not much of a positive response at all. It just goes in one ear out the other. These people hear the gospel. Verse 16, and these are the ones sown on rocky ground. There's a thin layer of soil, but it doesn't go down deep. It's rock under there. The ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while. Then when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world." Again, sound like 1 John 2, the world and its desires. But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word and it proves unfruitful. Then Jesus will go on to say, Then there's good soil, which produces good fruit, a good crop, some this much, some this much more, some even this much more, but it all produces some crop. Not all Christians in this life have an equal yield, crop yield, as it were, in response to the word, but they have a yield. They have a lasting response to the word. good fruit from hearts that God has changed. Remember John chapter 8, when Jesus was saying a lot of very direct things to the Jewish people listening to him, probably in the temple at this point. John 8, 30, it says, as he was saying these things, many believed in him. But in the Gospel of John, again, the same writers we're dealing with in 1 John, the Apostle John, Sometimes he uses that word believed in a very surface level sense. They thought as they heard the message, yeah, that's true. But look what Jesus says next. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, you are my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth. If you abide in my word, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. He's saying, he's encouraging that first instant of, yes, that's true, isn't it? He's encouraging it, but he's saying, now you have to grab hold. You have to abide in my word and what I've said. This can't be a momentary response that then just dies off. And if it's truly God's saving grace that's taken hold of a person, it won't die off. Similarly, John 15, Jesus gives the picture of himself as the true vine. Israel had been spoken of as the true vine in the Old Testament, which God himself took care of. But now Jesus is the head and representative of Israel who bears good fruit for God when Israel itself had not. And he says, I am the true vine, and my father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. Later he says, abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, He has an outward attachment, we might say, to Christ and his people for a while, but he's not really abiding Christ from his heart, and he doesn't bear fruit for Christ. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers, and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. Obvious language of God's eternal judgment on his people. Okay, so. Took a while on that first point, but we needed to, to put all the pieces together. Many forerunners of Antichrist have departed the true church. And that's a dynamic that's always true until Jesus returns. Now, number two, the good news is John Affirms and confirms his audience in their true faith. He says just Just stand fast Yes, these people have left it shook you But just abide So number two, he says true Christians have God's anointing which enables them to know the truth Especially here, of course, he's focusing on the truth about who Jesus really is Who the Savior really is? Verse 20, 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. Now, we've done some heavy plowing here, so you still awake? All right. Anointing, what is he talking about? I don't, at least for most of you, None of you told me that when you were converted, someone took some oil and poured it on your head, right? So not a literal anointing. So what's he talking about? You've all, you have been anointed by the Holy One. Let's pull together this anointing idea from the Bible for a minute. Who were anointed in the Old Testament? Three, three categories of people. I heard the priest. Yeah. Aaron as high priest and then his sons as priests under him. When they were consecrated to be priests, to get this from a number of scriptures, I chose Exodus 40. First, they were washed with water, which as some of us heard from Dr. Jim Renahan in a seminar recently, that has some ties to the idea of immersion in water, baptism, but that's beside the point right now. They were first washed with water, though, then God told Moses, put on air in the holy garments and you shall anoint him and consecrate him that he may serve me as priest. You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them and anoint them as you anointed their father that they may serve me as priests and their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations. Now, who else was anointed in the Old Testament? Kings, especially David and his son Solomon. But remember the prophet Samuel, 1 Samuel 16, 13, took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers, and the spirit of the Lord, which we'll see the anointing is symbolizing, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. The oil, the pouring out of the oil, as we'll see more connections here, symbolizes God's pouring his spirit on someone for a task, for a, a role God has ordained them for. We also see prophets anointed. For instance, 1 Kings 19, Elijah was told to appoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat, to be his successor as prophet in Israel. But the way God says that is, Elisha, you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. So priest, king, prophet, or prophet, priest, king. When Jesus stood up in the synagogue at Nazareth and read from the scroll of Isaiah, he read the part that said, Luke four, verse 18, the spirit of the Lord is upon me. By the way, this is after soon after in Luke's account of it. So after Jesus had been baptized, the priests were washed by the way, Jesus had been baptized. He came up out of the water and the spirit of God descended on him like a dove and the voice of the father affirmed him as my beloved son whom I am well pleased. Now, Jesus said, as he quotes Isaiah, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, et cetera. Peter says in Acts chapter 10 that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. What was he anointed with? The Holy Spirit. and with power. The power that the Holy Spirit gives, right? So I hope you see the picture coming together. What or who came on the New Covenant Church for their Great Commission mission? Book of Acts. The Holy Spirit. Also expressed as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I have references here. I'm not going to go to all of them, of course, but that's also what I hand you on Sundays is partly so you can go back and look if you want to. But Acts chapter two, what happened when the day of Pentecost arrived? Christ's disciples, maybe about 120 of them. They were all together in one place, and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Remember, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. after his anointing. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them, symbolizing the presence of God, like the pillar of fire in the Old Testament. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And Peter that same day preaches that this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel. In the last days it shall be God declares that I will pour out my spirit Not just on certain key roles, prophet, priest, and king. I will pour out my spirit and all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on my male servants and female servants, the lowest in society. In those days, I will pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy. And there's a whole bunch there, of course, but you get the picture that we're aiming at. The church has been anointed by the Holy One with the Holy Spirit and His power and His teaching ministry, right? Galatians 3 says that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree as he was hanged on the cross. So that in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promised spirit through faith. Or Galatians 4, next chapter, Christ redeemed those who were under the law so that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God. So most agree John here is talking about the Holy Spirit as the anointing from the Holy One. And his teaching ministry in this case is what he's focusing on. You haven't just figured this out on your own. The Holy Spirit has convinced you of the truth about Jesus. I'm not writing to you because you need someone to point this out and you didn't know this before. He's just reaffirming them in what they already know because the Spirit has taught them. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. These other people are saying Jesus and the Christ are a little different from each other. And that's shocking, that shakes those who used to be their fellow church members. But Paul says, don't even be shaken by that. Don't listen to that. I'm not writing to you because you don't know the truth. I'm writing to you because you know the truth and no lie is of the truth and they're lying to you. Don't listen. You know the truth. You're anointed with the Holy Spirit. You know. You all have knowledge. You know the truth and no lie is of the truth. As John records Jesus speaking in John 15, 26, when the helper comes, the paraclete, the advocate, when he comes, whom I will send to you from the father, the spirit of truth, who is the spirit? What is one of his main roles? He is the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father. When he comes, he will bear witness about me, Jesus says. So those anointed by God in Christ, they personally know the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. To know Jesus Christ and have his Holy Spirit upon you is to know the truth. These anointed ones will not be fooled by counterfeits like the lies of antichrists. They are the sheep who recognize the shepherd's voice, but flee from strangers, John chapter 10. You know what, I have great confidence, not in myself, but having been called to the gospel ministry, I would be scared out of my mind for each one of you if scripture didn't give assurances like these. But I'm not the one ultimately keeping you. I'm just a tool to help in the process, but it's God that's keeping you. And one of the main ways he does that is he keeps you convinced of the truth because you have the Holy Spirit. Of course, the way John is talking here, he would be very self-contradictory if he were saying, therefore, you don't need anyone in the church to teach you about anything. He's not taking aim against the teaching ministry of the church and that God has given some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, other teachers. Of course, he's not talking about that. He's talking in the context where these people are remaining true to Christ and remaining part of the brethren in the context of the assembled church. Of course, we need to not be pig-headed. We need to listen to those who God is specially gifted to open up the scriptures so we can all benefit. But he's saying, in this context, these false teachers are telling you, oh, you need someone to teach you what's really true, something you haven't understood yet. You just don't know the truth about, the deep truth about who Christ is, the eternal Christ. Not that Jesus is a Nazareth guy. He was okay. And John is saying, you don't need anyone to teach you to relearn your faith. You have the truth. You know Jesus. Now, number three, we can move through these a lot more quickly and we will, I promise. Number three, So John now ties us all up with a bow. Number three, the lie of the Antichrist denies that Jesus is the Christ, God's son. He just comes right out and says what they're saying. Verses 23 through 23. Who is the liar? Like, if this isn't a lie, I don't know what is, John's saying. 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 me quote Joel Beakey again. He says the word Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Both words mean the anointed one. Did you catch that? Christ means the anointed one, right? And then he mentions what I already mentioned about who was anointed in the Old Testament. And he says then, Jesus came as the Christ, the anointed prophet, priest, and king of God's people. John says the antichrists deny that Jesus is the Christ, God's last word as prophet, God's only sacrifice for sin as priest, and God's appointed king to rule forever. And he refers to Some things we can historically tentatively tie to John's day. Okay. He says the Gnostics, some of the heretics running around shortly after this, the Gnostics separated the divine Christ from the human Jesus. They taught that the divine Christ came down upon the human Jesus, but then left him at the cross. They posited two persons where John sees only one. Jesus is the Christ. From the very first, Jesus was announced as the Christ. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2 11. End of quote. So John now says, no one who denies the Son, denies the person and nature of Jesus God's Son, no one who denies the Son has the Father, knows God. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. So let me just Say it out loud so you get it. Applying this, because John doesn't mean this, he's getting a very general statement on purpose, not just about the very people who had just left the church Tuesday. Islam does not have the father because it lies about who Jesus is. The Quran, which I've read in English, not Arabic, had to read for a class, The Quran demotes Jesus to be a prophet less than Muhammad. Judaism does not have the Father because it denies that Jesus is the Messiah. It pronounces a curse on anyone who says that. The so-called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons as some call them, they don't have the Father because they lie about the nature of the Father and the Son. and says we could possibly, as their spirit children, we could possibly be gods just like them and have our own spirit children, et cetera. God is not unique and transcendent for them. And there's no actual Trinity uniquely for them. The Watchtower Society are known as the Jehovah's Witnesses. They don't have the Father. They deny Jesus' full identity as Jehovah, equal in power and glory with the Father. The New Age does not have the Father, though it may say many nice things about Jesus. Liberal, or now it's called progressive Christianity, does not have the Father if it denies Jesus to be the virgin-born, bodily resurrected God in the flesh. So it's not because, hopefully it's not because we're just cranky people, that we don't acknowledge anyone and everyone to have God. anyone and everyone who's religious or seems nice in an outward sense. It's because, I trust it's because, we have the anointing from the Holy One, we have the Holy Spirit, and we know Jesus personally. And we can't stand, as those who love Jesus, we can't stand lies about him. That's what the issue is. Now I've just talked about religions as religious systems. I trust you can love those in a redemptive sense. You can love your neighbors as yourself who are Muslim or who are part of Judaism or in the New Age or whatever or progressive Christians as they would think of themselves. But the way to love them is tell them the truth about Jesus. And don't act like you're superior to them because you just naturally got the truth and they didn't. You know, it's God's grace towards you. And they need God's grace too. So understand that. But you must hate the lies. And you must, in a sense, hate those who would actively try to draw you toward those lies away from Christ. You must say no. Very fervently. You can't dabble with these things and say, well, someone else, you know, I have a friend who, they talk like they had some great spiritual experiences. And I'm like, they know Jesus in a fresh way. Well, I haven't really checked out. I don't know if what they say checks out from the Bible, but they have these other great books that just give me a great feeling. You can't do that. Say no to it. Jesus said to the Jewish religious leaders who hated him, John 8, verse 42, if God were your father, you would love me. For I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Later in first John, John will say, if you don't believe that Jesus is the Christ, son of God, you've made God a liar. He testified concerning Jesus as his son. You're saying you lie, God. if you don't believe that Jesus is who he said he is. Number four, those in whom the truth about God's son abides, in whom that truth abides, they have eternal life in God. Verses 24 to 25, 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. You're secure if you're in the Son and the Father. You have eternal life that will never end, but quite the contrary, you'll always go, as one person put it, you probably know who, you'll always go further up and further in, in this eternal life, which is to know the true God and Jesus Christ to be sent. So that which Christians have heard from the beginning, the truth about Jesus Christ, that must abide in them. God's word, which tells the truth about Jesus Christ, must abide in you. Which is why Jesus said, right after the parable of the soils, Luke chapter eight, and right after talking about the good soil, those who hear the word and hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. He says, Luke eight, 18, take care then how you hear. For to the one who has, more will be given. Who hears God's word well, more will be given to that person. And from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. Listen, we have almost 2,000 years of church history in which many people, spiritually speaking, church history is littered with the corpses, you might say, of those who once confessed some pretty good doctrines about Jesus, but didn't abide in them. They didn't really latch on. And they weren't hearing well from the beginning. And what they thought they had was taken away. So beware. And take responsibility for how you and your soul respond to God's truth, whether you're bored with it, or whether you're intent on it. Then you too, John says, will abide in the Son and in the Father. We know from the rest of John's theology, his view of God, that God is enabling all this in us by His grace if we do hold on to the Word, if we do abide in it. But that's what God uses, by His grace, His Word. And it's those who abide in His Word who then, in whom His Word abides, I should say, who then abide in the Son and in the Father. So lastly, point five, Though antichrists try to deceive God's anointed ones, they will not succeed. Verses 26 to 27, 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. Again, John is just repeating what he's already said. As Joel Beeky says, as Christ was anointed with the Spirit, so we too have an unction from the Holy One. God has not only given us his word, he has also given us his Spirit. The Spirit secures us, so abide in him, in God. In John 16, Jesus said to his disciples, starting in verse 13, 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. There's one sense of that which was specific to the apostles, where the spirit was inspiring them to write scripture, but there's a broader sense, too, where the spirit, through the apostles, is ministering to the whole church, because he's the spirit of truth, and he teaches He guides the church into all the truth. He guides his people into all the truth. Jesus says, he, the spirit of truth will glorify me for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. So where do we end? Abide in him. Last beaky quote for the day. The whole point of the Bible is not to correct our minds and give us right notions about God, as important as these things are. What's the whole point of the Bible? It's to bring us, he says, into and preserve us in a saving relationship with Christ. Don't just know about him, abide in him. That's what John's trying to get across. So God's anointing secures his own against denials of Jesus as God's son. Why did God give you the anointing of the Holy Spirit if you believed on Jesus? so that you'll know and abide in the true Christ. Now, if you don't know him personally, if it's just a nice philosophy of life or a nice worldview that's out there intellectually for you, if it's not personal for you and if you don't cling to Jesus as a person, the person he's revealed himself to be, the Savior that you utterly need, if it's more detached from you, It's just facts out there. You won't be protected against the lies because Jesus really isn't precious to you in the first place. But of course, the big point is not just to be carried off into some crazy heresy. I've almost I'll just say I'm equally concerned for those who never get carried off into some crazy heresy, but they still aren't genuine. They're just going through motions. But their habits are, for some reason, coming to church and saying they're a Christian. You need to know Jesus and abide in him. It needs to be your very life, your eternal life, being connected to Christ, being in him. Do you know him? Has God, the Father's testimony about his son, has that found an abiding place in you? Has it found a home in you? Are you abiding in Jesus Christ, God's son? If you know and abide in Christ, you won't tolerate lies about him and you won't be ashamed of him. You won't have the attitude that's so easy, especially in our day. You won't have the attitude that, well, this is what I believe, but I'm gonna be a little shy about it because I don't want to offend those who believe something different about Jesus. You won't be ashamed of Jesus if you know him. Let's pray together, shall we? Thank you, Lord, for your help, but please help us in our hearts. to hear well what you're saying. Thank you also for the abundant consolation that's here, the abundant comfort for those who belong to you. The eternal security there is in Christ who will preserve us to the end. Thank you, Lord, that you also galvanize us. You urge us forward in the Christian life. with warnings as well as affirmations. Keep us on the path, following the shepherd as his sheep. If there are those who haven't, who aren't in Christ now, helpful to realize that, but believe in him in a sense that throws all their hopes for now and eternity on him. All their righteousness, all their righteous standing with God is only found in Him. And what He did for unworthy sinners. Lord, bring people to Christ today who have not been in Him. But help those of us who are in Him to not be ashamed of Him. To be bold for Him and for His truth. And to be quick. to spot vicious lies about Jesus and call them out for what they are. May we not be ashamed of our faith or of our savior. And we pray this in his name. Amen.