The Truth Matters!
1 John 2:18-29
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Series: The First Epistle of John
(Prepared December 12, 2023)
MESSAGE:
*Today we live in a post-modern society where many people believe that objective truth doesn’t exist. Matthew Stoll explained that "truth is now considered to be relative to the person. Today, if you told someone that Jesus died for us. You might hear someone reply, 'That may be true for you, but it isn't true for me.'" (1)
*As far back as 1991, George Barna found that only 28 percent of Americans expressed strong belief in 'absolute truth.' And a shocking Barna study in 2020 found that a record low 6 percent of Americans hold a biblical worldview. I hope that survey was wrong. But most people in the United States today are putting their faith in their own opinions rather than the rock-solid truth of God's Word. (2)
*One example was a lady named Sheila. "I believe in God," she said. "I can't remember the last time I went to church, but my faith has carried me a long way. It's 'Sheila-ism,' just my own little voice." (3)
*In the end, that poor woman is going to find out that Sheila-ism has carried her a long way, but it has carried her the wrong way. And I am praying for Sheila and her family right now, because, in the end, Sheila-ism is going to carry her to the last place she ever wanted to be. And that's tragic, but it's nothing new. The last verse of the Old Testament Book of Judges says: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)
*"You can have your truth, and I can have mine." This is the kind of madness that springs up when the reality of objective truth is rejected. I have even seen people try to make the case that 2 + 2 is not necessarily equal to 4. And lots of people reject the truth today, especially the greatest truth of all, and that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! As Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
1. THE TRUTH MATTERS! THAT'S WHY GOD WARNS US ABOUT ANTICHRIST TEACHERS.
*And we see this warning first in vs. 18-19, where John said:
18. Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
*This "last hour" or "last time" John mentioned might make us think he was talking about the Lord's return, or the end of the world. But Dr. John Gill explained that the Apostle John was actually talking about the end of the Apostolic Age. You see, when the Apostle John wrote this letter, "all of the other Apostles were already dead. John was the last of them. God's Church was entering a new danger zone because false teachers were rising up against the truth." (4)
*This helps us understand how urgent John was when he wrote this letter, and the same kind of danger is all around us today. That's why God cautions us about misleading teachers. "Antichrists" John calls them in vs. 18. Then in vs. 22-23 John tells us who they are:
22. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
23. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
*Church: Anybody who denies that Jesus is the Messiah, the only begotten Son of God sent to earth by the Heavenly Father is a little "a" antichrist. Anyone who denies that God the Son humbled Himself to become a man, then died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead is an antichrist. Anyone who denies that Jesus offers eternal life to everyone who will trust in Him as Lord and Savior is an antichrist. Of course, there other ways to be a false teacher, and God warns us about them all.
2. THE TRUTH MATTERS, SO GOD WARNS US ABOUT ANTICHRIST TEACHERS. AND HE GIVES US THE HELP OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT.
*We see this truth in vs. 20 where John said, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things." Well, Christians, we aren't know-it-alls yet. The Holy Spirit has a lot more to teach us all. And the next chapter tells us that we won't know Jesus fully until we see Him face to face.
*What John means here in vs. 20 is that we Christians already know all the things we needed to know in order to get saved! Aren't you glad you don't have to be a PhD in order to be saved? Aren't you glad God made the good news about Jesus simple enough for children to understand? Praise the Lord! Christians, we do know everything we needed to know in order to get saved!
*But God's Holy Spirit is always with us to teach us more about God, and the new life we have in Him. That's why down in vs. 27 John also said, "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him."
*Here John tells Christians we do not need anyone to teach us, but this is not an absolute statement. We know this because the Apostle John wrote this letter to teach us. We also know because in Ephesians 4:11 God's Word tells us that He has given teachers to His Church.
*John's statement here probably means we don't need anyone to go back and re-teach us the basics of the Gospel. But we do still need faithful Christians to teach us. And thank God for teachers! But on top of that, we've got the best teacher of all living in our hearts! And God's Holy Spirit will teach us all things!
*The "anointing" John mentioned in verses 20 and 27 come from the same original word. It’s the word picture of being anointed with oil. In the Old Testament, the kings and priests were anointed with oil. But as believers, we have something infinitely better. We have been anointed by the invisible Holy Spirit of God.
*And God's Holy Spirit is always with us to teach us more about God. That's why again, in vs. 27 John told believers that "the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." Here the Apostle echoed John 14:26. There Jesus promised that "The Helper (or Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
3. THE TRUTH MATTERS! SO GOD GIVES US THE HELP OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT. AND GOD TEACHES US ABOUT THE TRUTH.
[1] FIRST HERE, HE TEACHES US THE SURE PROOF OF THE TRUTH.
*And we can see this proof in vs. 21-23, where John said:
21. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
23. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
*Church: THE SURE PROOF OF SPIRITUAL TRUTH ALL CENTERS ON JESUS CHRIST! As John wrote in vs. 23, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
*Christians: We "acknowledge" Jesus as the only begotten Son of God. And the original word for "acknowledge" is the same word translated as "confess" in 1 John 1:9. There God's Word says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And the idea is "to say the same thing." In 1 John 1:9, we say the same thing that God says about our sins. Then here in vs. 23, we say the same thing that God says about His Son Jesus Christ. In other words, we agree with God's Word. We have a high view of the Bible. It is the Word of God. It is truth without error. And we believe everything it says about everything.
[2] GOD TEACHES US THE SURE PROOF OF THE TRUTH, BUT ALSO THE SURE TRIUMPH OF THE TRUTH.
*We see the eternal victory in vs. 24-25, where John said:
24. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25. And this is the promise that He has promised us eternal life.
*Christians: God has promised us eternal life! This is a promise that cannot fail, because it is backed-up by the infinite power and integrity of Almighty God. This is also a promise that cannot fail, because every bit of punishment for our sins was taken by Jesus Christ when He died on the cross for us.
*Christians: God has promised us eternal life. His promise here is true. All of His promises are true! And eternal life is available to everyone who will believe the truth about Jesus.
[3] GOD TEACHES US THE SURE TRIUMPH OF THE TRUTH. AND HE GIVES US A STRONG WARNING ABOUT SPIRITUAL DECEPTION.
*We see this warning in vs. 26 where John said, "These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you." The deception here is of someone trying to lead us away from the truth, leading us down the wrong road, leading us away from Jesus Christ. For people who are not saved, the deception is, "I don’t need Jesus!" And for people who are saved, the deception is, "They don’t need Jesus. Lost people don't need Jesus. People in other religions don't need Jesus."
*Dan was a friend of mine years ago back in Georgia, and he was a good man. Dan was a deacon in a Baptist church, and I liked him a lot. He was friendly. he had a good sense of humor, and he cared about other people. But I remember talking to Dan about the difference between Christians and Muslims.
*Dan had made friends with a Muslim man at work, and he began to compare the two religions. Dan thought about the fact that they believe in one god, and we believe in one God. They believe in right and wrong. So do we. We both believe in living a moral life. So Dan said, "I don't see the difference between Islam and Christianity. We both serve the same God."
*Dan couldn't have possibly been more wrong. The difference is the cross. The difference is our crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ! And that makes all the difference in the world.
*Think about the Dome of the Rock Islamic Shrine in Jerusalem. If you have ever seen a picture of Jerusalem, you have probably seen the Dome of the Rock, because it is one of the most prominent buildings in the city. The Dome is the oldest Muslim building in the world, built on the Jewish Temple Mount around 692 A.D. It's one of the most revered sites in Islam, only surpassed by Mecca and Medina.
*And on the inside walls of the Dome there are inscriptions that include these words: "O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate in your religion." "The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God." "So believe in God and His messengers, and say not 'Three' - Cease! (It is) better for you!" "God is only One God. Far be it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. The Messiah will never scorn to be a servant unto God." And "It befits not (the Majesty of) God that He should take unto Himself a son."
*These statements are a clear denial of the Deity of Christ, the Sonship of Christ, and a denial of the Trinity, incorrectly thought by them to include God the Father, Son, and Mother. So the evidence is clear: Islam is an antichrist religion. Therefore, it was inspired by the devil, and tragically, over 2 billion Muslims are following that false faith into hell. (5)
*Jesus Christ is the one and only begotten Son of God. He is and always has been the eternal God, along with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. And my friend Dan had been spiritually deceived, because everybody needs Jesus!
4. THE TRUTH MATTERS! THAT'S WHY GOD TEACHES US ABOUT THE TRUTH. BUT HE ALSO REMINDS US HOW TO LIVE A RIGHTEOUS LIFE.
[1] FIRST, JOHN REMINDS CHRISTIANS THAT WE HAVE TO REMAIN IN THE LORD.
*We see this truth in vs. 28 where John said, "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."
*We have to "abide" in Jesus Christ. And the original word means to "stay," "dwell," continue" or "remain" in Jesus. It's not a matter of His presence. It's a matter of our perception. I say this because the Lord is always here with us and even in us. Many Scriptures confirm this truth. The problem is always our lack of perception. But the more we abide in Jesus, the more we will be aware of His presence. And we need to get to the point that we are aware of Him everywhere we go.
*This is one of the key messages that Jesus gave us on the night before the cross. In John 15:1-8, Jesus said:
1. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."
*The Lord Jesus and His Apostle John are reminding us that we need to get ever closer to our Savior. Jesus wants us to pursue closer and closer fellowship with Him. Martin Dale explained, "If you hang around someone long enough the character of that person rubs off on you. And the same is true with Jesus. His character will be formed in us as we abide in him." Martin also said: "Going to church is not enough; we must get to know Jesus." (6)
*And Church: We must get to know Him better. That's why after many years as a Christian, in Philippians 3:8-10 the Apostle Paul wrote:
8. . . Indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9. and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10. that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.
*Paul Fritz added that "The best way to allow Jesus to abide in you is by allowing His Word to fill your mind, heart, soul and emotions with His perspective." That's why in John 15:7, the Lord tells us that we need to let His words "abide in us." (7)
*Great things happen when we abide in the Lord, and let His words abide in us. But how hungry are we for God's Word? How much are we feeding on God's Word?
*Evangelist Robert L. Summer wrote a book titled THE WONDER OF THE WORD OF GOD. And in this book, he told the amazing story of a man from Kansas who was severely injured in an explosion. The victim's face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight, as well as both hands.
*This man was a new Christian, and one of his greatest sorrows was that he could no longer read the Bible. Then he heard about a lady in England who read Braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in Braille.
*He sadly discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had been destroyed by the explosion. But one day, as he brought a Braille page to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised letters, and he could feel them with his tongue!
*He thought, "I can read the Bible using my tongue." And by the time his story was written, that man had read the whole Bible four times with his tongue! He lost his eyes, but he never lost sight of the importance of God's Word. And neither should we. It's one of the keys to remaining in the Lord. (8)
[2] BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO BE SPIRITUALLY REBORN.
*God's Word reminds us of this truth in vs. 29 where John said, "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him."
*Jesus explained the new birth to Nicodemus in John 3:3-7. There:
3. Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.''
4. Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?''
5. Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'"
*"You must be born again," Jesus said. The reason why we must be born again spiritually is because physical birth can only give physical life. Horses produce horses. Dogs produce dogs. Cats produce cats. And mortal people produce mortal people. This is also why in John 3:6 Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh," but "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
*In other words: The people who have been given the second birth by God's Holy Spirit have eternal, spiritual life. The Holy Spirit of God produces a new kind of person by a new kind of birth. And it is this spiritual birth that gives us God's eternal life. When we are born again, we get a brand new nature, a new spiritual heart. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are "new creatures" in Christ. We also become children of God, part of the family of God, and there will be a family resemblance.
*Again, vs. 29 tell us that, "If you know that He (Jesus) is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him." Well, we surely know that Jesus is righteous. Hebrews 7:26 says this about our perfect Savior: "For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens." We surely know that Jesus is righteous. And in vs. 29 John is telling born again believers that the more we abide in Jesus, the more we will be like Him.
*Years ago, I bumped into Trish Barmore and her little boy at Walmart. They are some of our old friends from McClendon Baptist. And the first thing out of that little boy's mouth was, "I got saved on my birthday!"
*I told him, "That's great. Now you have two birthdays on the same day." And he can always remember when he was born again, because when we believe in Jesus Christ, when we receive Him as our Lord and Savior, we receive God's gift of eternal life through a new, miraculous, spiritual birth. And the only way to have eternal life is to be born again.
CONCLUSION:
*Life's biggest question is: "Have you been born again by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Call on the Lord to save you today, and He will give you eternal life. You can do that right now, as we go back to God in prayer. Then, keep focused on the Lord. Keep seeking to know Him better every day, and you will be joyfully surprised by the ways He reveals Himself to you.
(1) SermonCentral sermon "I AM The Way, The Truth, and the Life" by Matthew Stoll - John 14:1-6
(2) Sources:
-James Dobson, December 1991 letter, quoting George Barna, "What Americans Believe" - Source: Sermons.com illustration
-"Record Low 6 Percent Of Americans Adhere To A Biblical Worldview, New Study Shows" by Milton Quintanilla - Contributor for ChristianHeadlines.com - Tuesday, March 31, 2020
(3) Sources:
-"Habits of the Heart" by Robert Bellah - Source: "Against the Night" by Charles Colson - p. 98 - illustration found at Sermons.com
-"America’s Crumbling Religious Landscape" - From the August 2015 Trumpet Print Edition by Dennis Leap
(4) JOHN GILL'S EXPOSITION OF THE BIBLE by Dr. John Gill, D. D. - 1697-1771 - Published in 1746-1766, 1816 - 1 John 2:18 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
(5) Sources:
-"Beggars Hill Reformation and Apologetics" - "The Dome of the Rock Inscriptions – Why no mention of the denial of the crucifixion in Surah 4:157?" - Sunday, December 04, 2011 - https://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2011/12/dome-of-rock-inscriptions-why-no.html
-https://www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/inscriptions/dotr
-https://ntbc.wordpress.com/inscriptions-about-jesus-on-islams-dome-of-the-rock-jerusalem/
-https://timesprayer.com/en/muslim-population/
(6) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Abide in Me" by Martin Dale - John 15:1-17
(7) SermonCentral sermon "Abide in Me" by Paul Fritz - John 15:7
(8) "The Wonder of the Word of God" by Robert L. Summer - Found in KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 14705 - SOURCE: Fredericksburg Bible Illustrator Supplements - TITLE: "He Read It with His Tongue"
