As we look at the seven tests that prove if we really know God we can get a little lost as I try to explain them. Kind of like the time when the husband stayed home while his wife went to church. When she got back he asked her what the preacher preached about. She said, “I don’t know. He never did say.” Well I’ll try to do better than that so that you’ll at least know what we have talked about.
Tonight we look at the fifth test that proves if one really knows God. Are we guarding against antichrists? Note that the word is plural. The Scripture speaks to us today about false teachers. Are we guarding against the teachings of false teachers or are we taking to heart their false doctrine? This is a true test of your salvation. We have to keep up our guard against these false teachers.
READ VERSE 18
We are facing a critical period in our lives, the threat of false teaching, a teaching that can stir up questions, or doubt, unbelief, and even denial of Jesus Christ. We know there are many false religions in the world right now that deny Jesus Christ as the Savior. This warning is for all believers. Note three things from this verse.
1. Believers have to know that it is the last hour. I know you don’t like hearing preaching about the last days. Do I believe we are in the last days? YES! When the original manuscripts were translated, it translates as the last hour, or the midnight hour when the world is to end.
2. We also have to know that it is time for the antichrist. We need to understand that the antichrist can appear on the scene of world history anytime. But there is something else we need to note. The Bible teaches us that there will definitely be a personal antichrist—a man to arise in the end time who will oppose and stand against Christ more fiercely than anyone else has ever done.
Antichrist does NOT mean the spirit of evil in the world. It does NOT mean the spirit of false doctrine that is always presenting a problem for the church. The spirit of evil and false doctrine do exist and stand against Christ and they do great harm. But this is not what is meant by antichrist.
The Bible is clear on this. The antichrist refers literally to a person, a man who is to arise on the scene as world leader—a world leader who will exalt the state and world government above all worship of God. And we need to know that this person will come. We need to be prepared for not “if” but “when” he comes.
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them.(2 Thess. 2: 8-10)
3. The third fact we need to note is there are many antichrists right now. That’s
how we know that it is the last hour. The antichrist has his forerunners. Many false prophets and teachers are on the world scene today. There are many that
are denying that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
That’s one way that we know we are in the end times. Jesus said that in the last
days many would arise who would oppose and deny Him. And there are many
false teachers today that oppose Christ and proclaim a false message of hope to
the world. John says we know that it is the last hour. We know it because the
world is full of false teachers that deny Christ. They deny that He is the Son of
God, that He is deity, they deny his death and resurrection, His Lordship, and
that He will ever come again.
But there is even more to show us that we are in the last days. Not only is the world full of false teachers, but it is full of false messiahs. People all over the world are proclaiming that they or some other person is the Messiah, the Savior of man. The tragedy is that many people are following these antichrists.
Jesus said, “22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.”(Mark 13:22) The Bible also says, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead.”(1 Tim. 4:1-2)
Read verse 19.
The question you might have is where do these antichrists come from? It might come as a shock but John tells us they come from within the church. These false teachers are within the church, they hold positions of leadership within the church.
But notice that John says, “They went out from us, they really didn’t belong to us.” They were within the church but they weren’t true believers. They professed Christ, were baptized, and joined the church. But they were not TRUE believers.
How many ministers and teachers within the church do not truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world? Only God knows that. But be warned, all who claim to be ministers of Christ and His church who really aren’t, are called antichrists in Scripture. And if they were honest they would admit that they don’t belong in the church.
“13 These people are false apostles. They have fooled you by disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no wonder his servants can also do it by pretending to be godly ministers. In the end they will get every bit of punishment their wicked deeds deserve.” (2 Cor. 11: 13-15)
So what are we supposed to do? These antichrists are all around us deceiving and persuading us in the wrong direction. Well, praise God we have protection from them. God always gives us an avenue of escape. How are we protected?
Read verses 20-21.
First, God gives an anointing to the believer. What does that mean? How are we anointed? We are anointed with the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. 1: 21-22 says, “21 It is God who gives us, along with you, the ability to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us.”
Why does God give us the Holy Spirit? To teach us. Jesus said, “26 But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative—and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.” (John 14:26)
So the Holy Spirit within us teaches us that whenever any believer has a question about some person’s teaching, he can ask the Holy Spirit to teach him the truth. That means that there is no excuse for any believer ever being misled by false teaching. NO EXCUSE! God has given you, as one of His children, the Holy Spirit to protect you.
2. The second protection that God gives the believer is the TRUTH itself. And He does that in two ways.
a. First, He gives us the truth in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ IS the truth. Jesus said, “I am the way and the TRUTH and the life.” Man can look to Jesus Christ and see a perfect picture of the truth of God. Jesus shows us what God is like. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” True believers know that the truth is found in Jesus Christ. So there is never an excuse for believers to be led astray by false teachers or antichrists.
b. The second way God gives us the truth is in the Word of God, the Scriptures, the Bible. And you will know without a shadow of doubt that God’s Word is true. Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
The genuine believer knows the truth, he knows the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of men, the very Son of God, and he has the Word of God itself. And on top of all that, the true believer has the Holy Spirit to teach him the truth and to help him remember the words of Christ.
Note in verse 21 it says, “no lie comes from the truth.” That means that no matter how attractive or appealing, no matter how much charisma a person may have, no matter how good of a preacher you think he is, no matter how much you adore his preaching style, no matter how much we may like a person—if he teaches a doctrine that differs from the Word of God, IT IS A LIE.
This actually puts a big obligation on us. We need to study the Word of God and depend on the Holy Spirit to teach us. And NO, the Holy Spirit will not teach a lazy person. We have to be diligent in study, in praying and in seeking the leadership of the Spirit of God.
Lastly, we need to know something about the false teaching that these false teachers are teaching. And it is stated as clearly as it can be put in verses 22-23. READ. So the false teaching denies Jesus Christ. When you deny Jesus Christ you deny the Father.
By denying the Son, you don’t have the Father. You are separate from the Father. And you are doomed because you have denied that God loves the world enough to send His Son to save the world.
Any person who denies Jesus Christ is denying the New Testament. Because the New Testament says time and time again that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the one Person who reveals God the Father to the world. I like the matter-of-fact way that Jesus told Philip:
“Philip, don’t you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of what you have seen me do.”(John 14: 9-11)
So the point is clear. Any person who denies Jesus Christ is denying God as well, the only living and true God. Any person who denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is a false teacher, a forerunner of the antichrist.
And if you truly KNOW God, the Holy Spirit will surely help you to know the difference between the false teachers and the true ones. If you truly know God, the Holy Spirit is within you and the Holy Spirit will teach you and will reveal the false teachers to you. And when you guard against the antichrists, the false teachers, you pass test # 5 for proving that you really know God.
