The Doctrines of Devils
1 John 2:18-29
Introduction:
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
I. Those Who Lead Away (18).
1Jn 2:18 "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."
According to prophecy interpretation and the words of Jesus, John knew that we were living in the last dispensation. Each dispensation served God's purposes, revealing to us His nature, our weaknesses and His perfect redemption plan (Erich Sauer, The Dawn of Redemption). Those messages were understood by the Apostles and they also recognized that after this dispensation, no other would be needed before Christ could reign.
As John said, "it is the last hour"; Last =eschatos, from which we get the subject of end times, eschatology. Hour=hora, which could mean hour, time or season. Obviously, we are in the last times and have been since the resurrection.
2 Thessalonians 2:3ff tells us that the lawless one would come.
"... 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." 3b-4.
9-12 "The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
The people got this. "...you have heard..." You get it. Great.
2 Thessalonians 2:7 told them, "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."
Thus John says, "...so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour."
26 "I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you."
II. Those Who Turn Away.
1Jn 2:19 "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."
Clearly, John is asserting that there were "many antichrists" that had ALREADY arisen. John states that these ’antichrists’ came from within the Church. More specifically, John states the first person plural, "us", as in "from us" as opposed as "from you". This is an indication that those who promote the spirit of the antichrist can trace their roots to the early apostolic teachings.
In other words, the spirit of the antichrist has found it's home in those off-shoots of Christianity. What are referred to as "Christian Cults" are those which John was warning about, those who have an ounce of truth to sell their pound of corruption. Those are the ones who hold the greatest threat to weak Christians.
You do not hear major reports about Christians turning away from Christianity to worship Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc... The threat are those cults who can connect with the beliefs of a weak Christian and then begin distorting their faith system. This is the spirit of the antichrist's most threatening ploy.
So, how can they be part of us but not really be part of us?
Mat 13:24-30, "He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
A couple of things we must grasp and admit about every Church if we are going to be leaders.
1) There are tares in every congregation.
2) We will not be able to tell the difference.
A. Many problematic members are true believers.
B. Some cooperative, faithful, hard working members are lost and destructive without notice.
C. Since we cannot tell the difference, we need to work, pray, trust and obey.
3) Some will leave us and begin teaching falsehoods. "But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us."
III. That Which Turns Away . (22-23).
1Jn 2:22-23 "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. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also."
What turns people away from salvation: Missing the source of salvation. Christ= anointed one, Messiah, God in the flesh. John calls these antichrists, but today we call them cults.
John is identifying cults to us in this passage and how to have sales resistance against them. A cult denies that Jesus is the Christ, according to John. A Christian cult is one who claims that Jesus Christ is an important fixture in their beliefs but that Jesus is not the Christ. John's clarity in this passage is sharp, accurate, and in a real sense, offensive.
Question? Truthfully, do Jews worship the same God we do?
"No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also." Are Mormons going to heaven? ""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."
What about Jehovah's witnesses? Same answer. John is clear. Jesus was clear, John14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Ysrael Hawkins(who is really named Buffalo Bill Hawkins) and his followers at the House of Yahweh? A cult, denying that Jesus is the very God of eternity.
Aren't Hindu's, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhists and Scientologists all trying to achieve the same thing? No, If you have the Son, you are in. If not you are out. That is not my rule, but it is His.
John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
If you are solid on this, you will understand the deceptiveness of Satan. Satan is a liar (John 8:44), destroyer and desires to ruin lives (1 Peter 5:8). But he tries to come across as light to the religious (2 Corinthians 11:14). His primary goal is to keep people from understanding the way of salvation by discrediting it and offering unworkable alternatives (2 Corinthians 4:4). His attacks are on the Word of God and the redemption plan of God, which is found only in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It is offered by grace and received by faith (Ephesians 2:4-9).
It is a small gate and narrow way and not many will find it. Jesus said truthfully in Mat 7:13-15 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."
We are clearly commanded to stay from the teaching of religion and saturate our lives only with the truth. Col 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
Col 2:23 "These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh."
"So Jesus said ...'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" John 8:31-32
IV. That Which Keeps Away.(20-21, 24-29)
1Jn 2:20-21, 24-25, 29, "But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 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.
"...24 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. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us--eternal life.
"...27 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. 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him."
That which turns away the error and those who proclaim errors are listed.
1) The anointing of the Holy One.
True Christians have an anointing from the Holy Spirit. False Christians imitate the spirituality of having the Holy Spirit. Jesus had the anointing. Acts 10:36-38, "As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."
Rom 8:9 "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."
2) We have the Word. available truth (knowledge).
John was speaking of personal experience and observation that these people have been taught the truth. We have access to the truth through the Holy Scriptures.
Heb_4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
I am committed as a pastor, and we should be committed as a Church, to help people in their relationship as students of the Word of God. The Word has no lie in it. It is the truth and adequate for our perfect instruction.
2Ti 3:16-17 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
3) We have the Father and the Son.
John says, (24b-25) "If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us--eternal life."
Truly the under-shepherd king spoke truthfully when He said, "The LORD is my shepherd....your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Ref. Psalm 23:1, 4b".
4) We have faith in the Lord.
"If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him."
Eph 6:16 "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one."
Ill. One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."
