The Surety Of The Truth

We've been involved in a series of messages concerning what we can be sure of. We have found so far that we can be sure of God's forgiveness if we ask. And we can be sure of a relationship with God if we walk daily with Him. Today I want to take it one step further. Can we be sure of what is true today? Let's talk a little bit about the surety of the truth.

Prayer

It seems that our culture has become increasingly less adept at determining what is true and what is not. We live in a culture of 24-hour news feeds and online opinions that masquerade as fact. It shouldn’t be any surprise that many Americans believe ideas that are nothing more than conspiracy theories.

For example, 40% of America’s population believe the FDA is withholding natural cures for cancer. 27% of our population believe America is hiding aliens in area 51. 19% believe the government is using chemicals to control the population. It goes without saying that the struggle for truth is real. However, there is good news! Absolute truth does exist, and it is found in Jesus Christ.

Today I want to continue to use the book of 1 John chapter 2 for this message. To continue his teaching, John issued a warning to his readers and to us: he said there will always be those who oppose and distort truth. That was true back then and it’s still true today. False teachers will attempt to mess up the truth about Christ. Their primary goal is to deceive. God's word, however, declares who Christ is and what He has done. We can know the truth!

1 John 2:18-21 - "Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.”

Since the coming of Jesus, believers have known they were living in the last days. The expression last hour is only found here in the New Testament. John highlighted the reality of the last hour by telling us an antichrist is coming, and even now many antichrists have come.

An antichrist is an individual opposed to the clear teaching of Scripture, primarily the doctrine of Christ. His goal is to deceive people. While the last days will involve a central figure who will oppose Christ, multiple antichrists also exist, who even now are working in opposition to the kingdom of God. Do you believe that? I certainly do. John reminded us of antichrists so that we would not be caught off guard by them. False prophets and antichrists will arise, and their goal is to deceive us.

The next question is, “How do we identify false teachers?” We know them by their commitment to falsehood and their separation from the church. In John's day, these peddlers of deception showed their real character by leaving the church. So, John says, “They went out from us, but they didn't belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.” These false teachers were nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing. As they continued in their unrighteousness, it became evident that they were never truly a part of the believing community.

We still see the same thing today. Virtually every false teacher leaves the true, Christ-led Church in order to start his own. According to these false teachers, everyone else is getting it wrong and they are the only ones getting it right. So, they pray upon the weak and unsuspecting. They're like clouds without water. They can't deliver on what they promise. And they will one day stand before God and answer for their deceptions.

But oh there is good news. The Holy Spirit indwells each of us as a believer and helps us as we study God's word to know truth from falsehood. We can know and be assured of what is true.

Thankfully, true believers have an anointing from the Holy One, and know the truth John says in verse 20. This anointing is the Holy Spirit's presence and indwelling, which all believers receive at the moment of their conversion. Do you realize that the moment you became a Christian that the Holy Spirit came to live within you? With the Holy Spirit residing in us as a believer, we can rest assured that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate teacher. When we study the Bible, it is the Holy Spirit that teaches us and leads us into truth, which guards us against any error or falsehood.