In verse 26, John writes his reason for his teaching on antichrists. John has just warned his readers about antichrists and false teachers who were trying to infiltrate the church to deceive the brethren then he says:
1 John 2:26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.
As you read the Bible you will discover that God pulls no punches when it comes to exposing false teachers. In many cases the Bible records for posterity the names of those who are “sheep in wolves clothing.”
Acts 13:6 Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,
Acts 13:7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
Acts 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
Acts 13:9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
Acts 13:10 and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
1 Tim 1:18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
1 Tim 1:19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,
1 Tim 1:20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
2 Tim 4:10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica;
Later in 2 Timothy Paul instructs Timothy, a pastor, to “mark” or make note of people who do not submit to the authority of the Word; he also tells them not even to keep company with them.
2 Th 3:14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.
In verse 27 John deals again with what he calls “the anointing.”
1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him.
John tells his readers that the anointing of the Holy Spirit will give them discernment concerning truth and error.
When you trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior He sends His Holy Spirit to take up permanent residence in your life. Thus John writes in verse 27, “, the anointing you received from him remains in you …”
If you are a Christian you have the Holy Spirit resident in you all the time and if you are abiding in Christ, John says, “you do not need anyone to teach you.”
This means that your pastor doesn’t have to hang with you every minute and every hour and point out to you what is truth and what is error.
This means that Pastor Jim or your Sunday school or Bible Study teacher doesn’t have to follow you around to make sure that you don’t fall prey to false teachers.
If you abide in Christ and His Word abides in you, the anointing that is in you will teach you to tell the difference between truth and error.
A missionary to the American Indians was in Los Angeles with an Indian friend who was a new Christian. As they walked down the street, they passed a man on the corner who was preaching with a Bible in his hand.
The missionary knew the man represented a cult, but the Indian saw only the Bible. He stopped to listen to the sermon.
“I hope my friend doesn’t get confused,” the missionary thought to himself, and he began to pray. In a few minutes the Indian turned away from the meeting and joined his missionary friend.
“What did you think of the preacher?” the missionary asked.
“All the time he was talking,” the Indian said excitedly, “something in my heart kept saying, ‘Liar! Liar!’”
That “something” in his heart was actually a “Someone”—the Holy Spirit of God! The Spirit guides us into the truth and helps us to recognize error.
Have you ever been watching TV and a TV preacher says something and the anointing says, “That was not the Bible.”
You are listening to the radio and that radio pastor says something and the anointing says, “Hold up; that’s not the Word of God.”
You are in a conversation with someone who professes to be a Christian and they give you what they call “a word of knowledge” and the anointing says, “Don’t receive it.”
1 John 2:27 says, “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain (or abide) in Him.”
The key to not being carried away by the teachings of false teachers is abiding in the Lord. Many fall prey to the Word of Faith propaganda and other false teachings because they are not abiding in Christ. They are not abiding in the Word of God.
The word “abide” is meno, men'-o and means to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):--abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand.
In Psalm 1, the Psalmist contrasts the one who abides in the Word of the Lord with the one who does not abide:
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psa 1:3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
The one who isn’t abiding does not stand firm but is carried away by every “wind of doctrine.”
Psa 1:4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Psa 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
This is why it is so important for you to attend Bible Study.
I’ve heard people say things like, “I have my time in the Word at home” or “I listen to my Bible teaching program on TV or the radio.” These opportunities are well and fine but they should never replace the teaching that God has ordained should take place among the assembly of believers.
Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be … pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
God has ordained that your pastors be the shepherds in your lives. These are not television pastors but pastors in the local assembly where you reside and have committed to attend each week.
These pastors are called by God to feed you and equip you…
Eph 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Eph 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
Eph 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ;
John is about to end this section of his letter and begin to address another subject. If you recall, he has been writing about fellowship.
He has pointed out the differences between light and darkness (1 John 1:1-2:6). A Christian walks in the light.
He has pointed out the differences between love and hatred (1 John 2:7-17). A Christian does not hate his brother.
He has pointed out the differences between and truth and error (1 John 2:18-27). A Christian knows the truth.
He has taught his readers about the world, the kosmos, the system headed by Satan that is against God. Christians do not love the world, nor the things in the world.
John has taught his readers that Christians are not to have fellowship with those who do not believe that Christ has come in the flesh—or that Jesus is God the Son.
John’s second epistle gives further warning about false teachers (2 John 7-11).
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
A Christian who meddles with these deceivers is in danger of losing his full reward (2 John 8).
2 John 1:8 Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
Listen to how serious John is about associations with false teachers:
2 John 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;
2 John 1:11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
You should not even say “good-bye” (which literally means “God be with you”). You are not to be rude or unkind, because that would not be Christian; but you are not to let them into your home to explain their views.
Why? Because if you let them in, two consequences may follow:
First, they will plant the seeds of false teaching in your mind, and Satan can water and nourish these seeds to produce bitter fruit. (I know people who have sat with Jehovah’s Witnesses for only a few sessions and now are fearful about stepping foot in a church, which JW’s teach, are the “synagogues of Satan.”)
By entertaining false teachers in your home you are giving them entrance into other homes! The deceiver will say to your neighbor down the street, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith let me into their home, and you know what good Christians they are!”
As we proceed to verses 28 and 29 of 1st John chapter two, let me say that these verses are a “bridge” from the fellowship section into the sonship section of his letter. In these verses John uses three words that ought to encourage us to live in fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Abide, appears and ashamed.
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
The word “abide” is in the present tense and gives forth the meaning that the Christian should “be constantly abiding in Him.”
This exhortation here to “abide” is given in view of the uncertainty of the time of Jesus’ coming. He is coming but we do not know the day nor the hour that He will appear so the believer must live in close fellowship with His Lord that he or she may be ready at all times for that coming.
If Jesus would have told His disciples that He was coming to get the church on August 25th 2005 many would “party hearty” on up through August 24th and start repenting at 11:55PM.
The word “when” is used in verse 28 with the subjunctive mode, the mode of future probability. Wuest says the doubt here is not as to the fact of our Lord’s coming for His church, but as to the time of that appearance.
The fact is that Jesus is coming to rapture His church but no one knows the day or the hour He will appear.
John goes on to communicate to his readers that Christ's appearance will inevitably cause one of two reactions: confidence or shame.
For the believer, the response is confidence. The term "confidence" is a translation of a Greek word, which literally means "all speech" or "freedom in speech." It also means “cheerful courage,” “boldness” or “assurance.”
John is describing the believer who lives so close to the Lord Jesus that there is nothing between him and his Lord when He appears. There is nothing of known sin in his life when the rapture occurs.
This is the person who when Jesus appears will shout as recorded in Revelation 5:12, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
And, Revelation 7:10, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
The confidence that John writes about is indicated in the believer's ability to verbalize, in contrast to the silent terror and shame of those who must quake before Him at His return.
There will be some who in shame will shrink from Him when He appears. They will shrivel low and won’t have much if any to say because of conscious guilt and His glorious presence.
Just like the brightness of the son causes our unprotected eyes to contract, the person who stands before the Lord Jesus ashamed, will shrink away from Him at His appearance.
This is why the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:9, “Therefore also we have as our ambition . . . to be pleasing to Him.” A Christian who has not walked in fellowship with Christ in obedience, love, and truth will lose his rewards; and this will make him ashamed.
Up to this point John has written about light and darkness, love and hatred, and truth and error; and in 1 John 2:29 he sums up the whole matter of Christian living in one phrase—“doing righteousness.”
People born of God have a righteous life-style because children tend to be like their parents. They have an incorruptible seed within them that must produce a righteous life (1 Pet. 1:23). Phonies like the Gnostics proved they didn't have that seed by their unrighteous living.
Jimmy Swaggert got caught with a prostitute in a hotel not once, but twice and then when reprimanded by his denomination’s leadership he refused to submit to their biblical authority. Even today He is still in rebellion as he tries to bail the water out of a ministry that is slowly sinking.
You tell me…does his consistent rebellion prove him to be a child of our Father in heaven? He may indeed be a child of God but his behaviors says, “No!”
John wants us to know in verse 29 that God is righteous: He is innocent of any evil; He always does right and makes right judgments. If that is characteristic of Him, you would expect His children to behave in the same manner. John says, “…everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
Peter reminds us that children of God do not act like they did before they were born again: "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance but, as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of life, because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16)
This means if He who gave birth to us is holy, then we who are born of Him will manifest that same righteousness.
In 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul said this to the Corinthians: "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith." How would you examine yourself? Look at your works--your fruit.
Those who claim to know God but don't live righteously discredit their claim by their lifestyle. It is so easy to “say” we have faith.
Jesus speaks of those who call Him “Lord” and do not do what He says (Luke 6:46).
James even warns us against having a “say so” faith. (James 2:18) He goes on to teach that biblical faith is coupled with righteous deeds.
The Bible says in the book of Titus, “Let those of you who have believed in God be careful to maintain good works.” (Titus 3:8)
Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Too much today do we have people who “say” they are Christian but do not have the lifestyle to prove it.
Let me share with you a true story. A number of years ago, there was a knock on the door of a pastor of a large church. It was 3:00 AM. His son went to the door and this guy says, “I want some counsel from your father.”
Now this teenage boy knew the heart of his father, he knew he was a shepherd and he wouldn’t mind rising at 3:00 AM to give counsel to someone, one of his sheep. So he said to the guy, “Just go into the living room and wait for him.”
He woke his father up, the father got up, walked to the living room, and as he did so, from behind the door came down a 14 inch machete blade across his face. Sliced his fingers, cut his throat. His sons came running into the living room because they heard him screaming, faced with the blood of their father all around the walls. It was such a horrific thing.
They grabbed the guy they thought had murdered their father, and they just about killed him. The man was screaming, “I can’t breathe,” and they said, “Die…die then.” The man got arrested. The father actually lived but had to have literally hundreds of blood transfusions but he lived.
But the next day, another pastor was sharing the story with one of his friends and said, “Did you hear about last night? Well, you won’t believe this. The guy that did it was in my church. He’s one of my flock.” He says, “Man it’s heavy…that another Christian could do that.”
Here is what is sad…that he could assume that a person who would do this is a Christian. We’ve watered down the Gospel to where all someone has to do is say they believe in Jesus and they are a Christian.
It doesn’t matter how they live.
It doesn’t matter how they talk.
It doesn’t matter that they spend more time at the club then at the church.
We have people in our churches today that are not exhibiting the fruit of repentance in their lives. They have a profession of faith. Perhaps they can remember a day when they walked down an aisle or prayed the “sinner’s prayer.” But they do not demonstrate the fruit of one whose life has been cleansed by the power of Jesus.
The true believer brings forth the fruit of a new lifestyle, a lifestyle that is pleasing in the sight of Almighty God.
If we are rooted and grounded in Christ, it should be evident. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit.”
If you belong to Jesus, you are a branch connected to Him as the vine and can only bring forth much fruit.
In Colossians 1:10, Paul says that a believer walks “worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Now what does the Bible mean when it speaks of fruit?
The fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:8).
Remember Zacchaeus? He was a crooked tax collector that got saved. When he encountered Jesus, he had “more than tears.” He said, “Behold, Lord, if I’ve wronged anyone I’ll pay him back fourfold. I’ll give half my goods to the poor.” (Luke 19) He wanted to right the wrong he had done in the past.
Some years ago a store wrote an article in a newspaper that told the story of how they found a brown paper bag outside their door on a Monday morning. They opened it up and there was a pair of pants and a note that said:
“I stole these from you on Friday, became a Christian on Sunday.
Here’s the pants Monday. I’m sorry.”
That’s fruit of repentance.
Again, we have people in our churches today that are not exhibiting the fruit of repentance in their lives. They have a profession of faith but not a life of fruit.
Unlike Zacchaeus, when they wrong people they refuse to make it right.
They lie habitually.
They steal.
They use foul language.
They are having sex outside of the bounds of marriage; all the while saying they are Christian.
Remember the words of Peter who tells believers they shouldn't act as they did before they were Christians: "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance but, as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of life, because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16)
I have seen and dealt with people who will tell you they’ve been saved for 10, 15 and 20 years who but have no consistent walk of righteousness to support what they say.
I know that Christians have times when they fall. You might even find yourself like the Prodigal Son who found himself in a pigpen. But let us never forget that when Christian’s fall they get up; they do not stay in the pigpen—only pigs hang out in the pigpen.
There are some who say they are Christian but have been living in the pigpen and enjoying the pigpen for years and not producing the fruit of repentance.
I’ve talked to people who claimed to be Christian but are shacking up; living together like they were married and all the while professing to be Christian.
I also know that there are some Christians who just need to be taught they are in sin. I’ve counseled Christians who were shacking up to stop sinning and as soon as they heard what the Word of God had to say, they obeyed. But then there were others who heard the Word of God and said “No way Hosea!”
The fruit of repentance is one way of proving you are a follower of Jesus Christ. It is like James says, “Faith without righteous works is dead.” (2:26)
When the Bible speaks of fruit it also speaks of:
2.) The fruit of good works. John Wesley said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”
When you become a Christian you no longer are consumed with living for yourself; you live for God and others.
Phil 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Phil 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Titus 3:14 - And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
I can tell you as a pastor that it is hard to find people who are willing to maintain good works. They start out fast and bring it to a halt just as fast (a description of a false believer found in Matthew 13:5). Some join the church but never begin to do good works.
The sad thing is that many of these people are busily involved in their own things most of which have no eternal value. The things they are involved in will be forgotten, ripped-off, used up, bought up or burned up.
Let me share with you how you might know if what you are doing is what the Bible calls a “good work.”
Will sinners be saved as a result of it?
Will Christians grow to become more like Jesus as a result of it?
Will men, women, boys and girls give glory to God as a result of it?
Listen what Jesus says: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit.” In other words, if someone is genuine, they’re genuine; if they’re false, they’re false. “Nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you shall know them.” (Matthew 7:17-18)
This verse encourages us to do something that most Christians shy away from: judging other people. Most are familiar with Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, that you be not judged.”
This verse does not forbid us the right of making moral and spiritual judgments (cf. 7:6; 1 Cor. 2:15; 5:9; 2 Cor. 11:4; Phil. 3:2; 1 John 4:1) It does however, forbid a bitter, hostile, and unkind spirit, which delights in finding fault with others.
Jesus is warning us against displaying a hypocritical self-righteousness, which has no place in the life of a Christian.
The verse is also applicable to the area of motives. None of us can know the heart of another. Jesus warns us that we invite God’s judgment on ourselves if we hastily draw conclusions as to the "why" of people's actions, especially when those actions are indifferent or even good.
Instead of “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” Jesus says in John 7:24, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
We cannot judge merely on the basis of what people say.
We cannot judge merely on how people look.
We have to judge on the basis of the fruit they are displaying. What is hanging from their branches?
Is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control hanging from their branches? (Gal 5:22-23)
Or is it immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness or carousing? (Gal. 5:19-21)
A false convert will lack good fruit, but he or she will have plenty of branches and leaves to impress those that are around them.
In the more than 20 years I have been in the ministry I have met people who are loud when it comes to “praising the Lord” and giving “testimonies” and talking about how they “love the Lord.” But I have learned to watch how they act over the “long haul.”
Again, don’t get me wrong.
I love to hear people praise the Lord but as a pastor, I’d rather look for your fruit than listen to your words.
I’d much rather watch how you are willing to put your hand to the ministry plow—working for the Lord—then hear about how much you love the Lord.
How does your tree look? Are you bearing good fruit? A good tree brings forth good fruit Jesus says.
George Sweating-- in his book on James, "How to Solve Conflicts," told the story of Blondin, the great tightrope walker. While performing on a cable across Niagara Falls, he asked his audience, "How many believe I can walk across this tightrope pushing a wheelbarrow?" To which the people cheered loudly.
"How many believe I can push the wheelbarrow across the cable with a man in it?" Again, there came a loud response.
Blondin then pointed to one of the most enthusiastic men in the audience and said, "You're my man, now get into the wheelbarrow!!" Needless to say, the man made a quick exit.
We have people who can cheer enthusiastically but are unwilling to get into the wheelbarrow and produce “good fruit.” Are you one of those people?
