CHRISTIANS PERSEVERE ALL THE WAY BY AVOIDING DECEPTIVE DIVERSIONS ON THE WAY
There were times in my ministry when the making of a quick decision had to overrule emotions of the moment. Never to be forgotten was the Sunday morning when a stranger showed up at our church in Augusta, in between morning services, and informed me that she had been sent there by the Lord to announce His imminent return.
Upon learning that her intent was to appear on our live television service to make sure her word from the Lord was heard by as many folks as possible, methought, “Better interrupt the senior minister and make him aware of this unexpected development.” Long story short:
The prophetess explained her mission to the senior minister, whereupon he brilliantly said to her, “Well, ma’am, since God has told you this, it would seem to me that He will tell me what He told you. So, if you will give your name and telephone number to Mr. Cunningham, we will be glad to call you and invite you to make your announcement once the Lord tells me what He told you.” She smiled and seemed satisfied with his answer, then left.
Some well-meaning folks, and some not so well-meaning, are sometimes deceived into thinking that they and they alone have received a word from the Lord that nobody else has received – more often than not a ploy used by Satan to dispute, distract from, or disrupt the teaching of sound doctrine.
If the adversary – adversaries - of our Lord can entice just one or two, maybe more, to fall for falsehoods about God - usually with regard to His sovereignty - doubts are planted in their minds not only about God, but also about Jesus - particularly our Lord’s teachings pertaining to “One God” and “Two Ways”.
The adversary’s goal is to “muddy the water” so that people will think and say, “any god will do”, until there is no discernible difference between the “strait and narrow” way of Jesus and the “wide and broad” ways of the world.
As a matter of fact, more than a few voices in our day advocate a merger of “gods” and “ways” into one world order in which there would be no delineation between right vs wrong … moral vs immoral … legal vs illegal … biblical vs pagan.
Now, please understand that we are free to “fall for it” or “withstand it”. True Christians, in my view, do not “bend and break” with every wind of doctrine but rather remain consistently loyal to God’s Word.
John believed that the world as he knew it was already fading into oblivion. Satan’s cohorts were presenting themselves as “one of them” – Christians - and attempting to deceive believers into denying Christ as Lord . . . into defying God’s commands by merging paganism and Judaism with Christianity.
True believers were instructed by John to stay focused on Truth embodied by and taught by Jesus Christ, Son of God. Therefore, they were to persevere in their living and loving like Jesus, allowing no deceptive diversions, but allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them – I John 2:18-29 . . .
The “last days” began in John’s day and have been growing in intensity ever since. A sign that history is moving toward the end when Christ will come again is the multiplication of many who are against Christ and His Church. Therefore, we must do a better job of teaching the weak among us so that they won’t fall prey to adversaries who “come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ferocious wolves”.
John argues that we can recognize someone who has been seduced by the spirit of antichrist when we hear them say, “Forget that “Jesus only” crowd. I’m broad-minded and open to all religions. Besides, these Jesus people are just a bunch of hypocrites.”
What happens in the life of a person who turns against Christ for whatever reason – death of loved ones, personal tragedies, political pressures, failures of friends, family disappointments, worldly distractions – is a gradual loss of interest in anything spiritual - which, if unchecked, will cause a person to become bitter to the extent that he or she starts living a lie. By their attitude, then their actions, they in effect deny Christ!
So here, “antichrist” is a reference to those who, in denying the deity of our Lord, make Him out to be less than He declared Himself to be: “living water” . . . “breath of life” . . . “bread of life” . . . “light of the world” – essentials for physical as well as for spiritual life!
When “antichrists” remake Christ in their image, redefine His words to mean something other than what He meant by what He said, in essence they are saying: He is not really “the way, the truth, and the life” – which, in turn, renders powerless what Jesus said next: “No one comes unto the Father except by Me.”
The false teachers John is talking about apparently had knowledge of God and His Son Jesus in their heads but not in their hearts! So John, uncharacteristically but rightfully, told it like it is about those who speak out of both sides of their mouths . . .
“He is a liar who denies that Jesus is the Christ.” But truth be told:
Knowing about Jesus is not the same as knowing Him. What must we do? We must: Acknowledge Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the one and only living God” . . . Believe in Him and receive Him into our hearts. . . Confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. In so doing, we become sons of God! Welcome to the Family – the Family of God!
As it was when we first learned the alphabet, so it is once we have learned and accepted the ABC’s of salvation! Learning the basics is the beginning of a lifetime of growing and developing - as letters become words then are transposed into sentences which become paragraphs which become pages which become one’s life story.
Christians must see to it that “the Word” we have heard from the beginning remains in us and is transposed into living and loving which becomes our life story to be shared, remembered and rehearsed by those who follow in our steps.
Abiding in Christ is how John phrases this practice of righteousness, which is the way of truth that leads to life eternal. To abide in Christ is to abide in His word and in His ways . . . stay the course on the “strait and narrow” . . . shun the “wide and broad” . . . walk the walk as well as talk the talk . . . be Christian in word and in deed . . . enjoy abundant living in the here and now, and in the hereafter!
To abide in Christ is to be happy . . . be content . . . be at peace with oneself - made possible by our peace with God, and presumably with others.
A favorite blessing of mine to pronounce is: “Be safe. Be well. Be happy!” Wouldn’t it be just as relevant to bless folks by saying, “Abide in Christ”!
Also we have as our comforter and guide the Holy Spirit of God! John said: “But the anointing you have received from Him abides in you!”
Abide in His Word, and His Word will be “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” . . . Abide in Christ, and Christ promises us eternal life . . . Stay in tune with the Holy Spirit who abides in and guides us, and the Spirit imparts the confidence we need to stay the course and say “no” to fake influences that seek to lead Christians away and astray.
When the Evil One sought to lead Jesus away from the “strait and narrow” and tempted Him to go astray by using His God-given abilities in the wrong way – to satisfy desires of the flesh . . . human craving for position and power . . . emotional needs with a psychic thrill (a “fix”) – which is what the “wide and broad” is all about – what did Jesus say to Satan? “No”! “Get thee behind me!”
Always position yourself “in Christ” – in His Words of Truth - in His Ways of Righteousness - in His steps of service – where does that leave Satan? Behind you! Adversaries flee from Light! They love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil!
Always position yourself “in Christ”. . . Where does that leave you and me? Safe in the Shepherd’s care . . . secure in His love . . . satisfied with Jesus . . . sheltered in storms of life . . . certain of the outcome!
When the cultural divide gets so wide, it feels like few are on your side, in Christ abide; if stay with Him you decide, on to glory you go to reside. Amen
