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Presentation 04

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IntroductionSome years ago a minister friend from Northern Ireland spoke about his congregation in these terms, “It is as though they are oblivious to the bombing and terror and have closed off their minds from the fact that they are living in a war zone.”

I was surprised, perhaps I shouldn't have been, for it is no easy thing to be realistic about danger. One the one hand we can be so obsessed by it that it paralyses us from activity or so indifferent that we behave as if it did not exist.

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IntroductionIf realism to danger in the physical world is something which we find hard to attain how much more is that true of our attitude towards danger in the spiritual world?

There is a spiritual battle raging in our world and a need for Christians to adopt a healthy realism towards it. This reality is something that John drives home in his epistle.

The world in which we live is not spiritually neutral. There are malign influences under Satan's control intent upon destroying all that is good and godly. They are determined to undermine faith and morality, and eager to wreck as much havoc as possible upon the church.

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The Spirit Of The AntichristIt is therefore with a sense of urgency that John writes in v18... The last hour in the N.T. refers to the church age, the period of time between Pentecost and the second coming of Christ. There are two important ideas linked to the term ‘antichristos’. The first is that of a rival to Christ, someone who claims to possess all his power and ability, while the second indicates opposition to Christ, one who quite deliberately stands over against Jesus, his truth and his righteousness. The antichrist in view is thus a usurper who by false pretences assumes a role to which he has no right and who is resolutely opposed to the one whose position he seeks for himself, Christ's role and rule.

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The Spirit Of The AntichristScripture seems to indicate that there will be a historical figure who will wage war against the church before the second coming of Christ. In 2 Thes. 2v3-4 Paul speaks of 'a man of lawlessness' in whom anti-Christian forces will find their focus. Throughout history people like Hitler have been identified as the antichrist.

Many rash attempts at identification have been made but what is certainly true is that the ‘spirit of the antichrist’ exerts its influence abroad, during what the bible calls 'the last hour‘. It will manipulate and influence a great many individuals, and make life difficult for the people of God. With this in mind John speaks here of many antichrists.

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The Spirit Of The AntichristIndeed, John identifies the heretics [Gnostic?] as those who, whether they realised it or not, were being manipulated by Satanic powers in order to try to deceive the people of God and bring confusion to their faith. They simply could not stomach orthodox Christian doctrine. Now the danger of such individuals lies in the fact that they tend to originate within the church, surfacing perhaps after a long period of time, they eventually leave the church which they had originally identified themselves with.

Does this mean that everyone who leaves the church or a particular fellowship is branded by John as antichrist? No!

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The Spirit Of The AntichristJohn is thinking neither of those who are truly seeking a spiritual home nor of those confused or untaught. Rather he is speaking of those who identify themselves as ‘antichristos’ by vigorously opposing the truth. They have no stomach for God's word. The separation John is speaking of here it that which springs from a resolute rejection of fundamental Christian doctrine.

By severing themselves from the Christian fellowship these false teachers showed themselves in their true colours. They unmasked themselves by their departure and so exposed the false nature of their claims. Had they truly belonged to Christ they would have stayed.

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The AnointingThe church however was in a position to determine the error of their teaching because they possessed what John describes as the ‘anointing’, which brought both knowledge and discernment. In the O.T. priests and prophets were anointed with oil at the outset of their service for God. The oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit and it is to the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer that John refers here.

The coronation gift of the ascended Christ to the church was the outpouring of his Holy Spirit on the church. That is to say that all Christian believers are ‘christoi’ or ‘anointed ones’. Every Christian knows the truth because without it he could not be a Christian.

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The AnointingBut the fact that anyone knows the truth at all is due solely to a work of God's grace in their hearts - the eyes of their understanding have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit. You will see from the margin reading of v20 that an alternative translation could read 'and you know all things'.

If we follow that translation then John would appear to be challenging the assertion of the heretics that they alone, an exclusive enlightened minority, had the truth. ‘No!’ says John, ‘all that you need to know, the Holy Spirit will make known to you’.

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The AnointingThis anointing, which is the heritage of ever true believer should be sufficient for them to be able to discern error The heretics denied that Jesus was the Son of God. It should have been clear to those who were indwelt by the Holy Spirit that such teachers were not of God. John wants them to regularly apply this spirit of discernment.

Jesus had promised that one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit was to lead his people into all truth. That involves the ability to distinguish truth from error. The nature of the particular error the false teachers had attempted to communicate is dealt with in v22-23. It forms the next category of test - a doctrinal test.

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Doctrinal Test: ChristologicalThis particular test is Christological. Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh is both a liar and the antichrist! This is a further reference to an ancient heresy [Docetism] that troubled the church. It claimed that Jesus was born and died a man and that the Christ was upon him only during his public ministry, coming upon him at his baptism and departing prior to his crucifixion.

This denied two doctrines which are clearly fundamental to God’s plan of salvation:the incarnation and the atonement.

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Doctrinal Test: ChristologicalThis test does not simply belong to the realm of historical theology. Similar claims are made today. Indeed, a common denominator of almost all sects including Mormons and J.W.s is that they deny the deity of Jesus.

This same teaching also made inroads into the orthodox church in the 19thC and continues in some places today. It suggests that the man Jesus was adopted by God at his baptism and equipped to be the Christ. Jesus was no more than a godly man, a religious genius, a marvellous teacher. As one hymn puts it, ‘Our guide, our hero and our friend’. But nothing more! Not ‘God the Saviour’.

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Doctrinal Test: ChristologicalThis heretical teaching is like concentrated poison poured into the water supply at its source. It eventually works its way through the system until men and women are unwittingly drinking it in. They are unaware of the incalculable harm which it is doing.

Just as men undiscerningly drink what comes out of the tap, because they trust the water board, so they drink in false teaching because they trust religious teachers’. “If a man wears his collar the wrong way round and has a divinity degree then what he says must be true!” What has this uncritical acceptance of error by some people produced in the church?

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Doctrinal Test: ChristologicalMany church people view Christianity as no more than a code of morality, a matter of doing one’s best, living a good life. As a result Jesus as Saviour has become a largely irrelevant figure. Put this to the test today by asking, ‘What are you putting your faith in for heaven?’ People may say they lead a good religious life, are helpful neighbours and would not do anyone a bad turn. The essence of this position is, ‘I trust in myself and in my accomplishments’.

Alternatively, people can say they can never be good enough to satisfy the demands of God’s justice, or purchase his acceptance and therefore they cast themselves upon Jesus and his atoning death upon the cross.

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Doctrinal Test: ChristologicalChrist the Saviour is left out in the first answer. John is clear that no one can claim to belong to God who has dismissed the Son. He does not say there are many equally acceptable ways of looking at the Christian faith, many ways to the top of the mountain. Some think that if a man is sincere in his religion then that is all that matters. But it is a grave mistake to substitute sincerity for truth.

It is possible to be sincerely wrong. Children have swallowed mouthfuls of parquet poison, sincerely believing it would satisfy their thirst. Show me one responsible adult who would stand back and allow that to happen?

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Doctrinal Test: ChristologicalJesus did not teach broad religious toleration. He taught ‘I am the way the truth and the life.’ If that route to God is rejected there is no other. There is only one true God and he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without the Son v23 we cannot know the Father. Those who deny this may use the word ‘God’ but they cannot know him.

Jesus claimed to be the only way to the Father and it is this very claim which has historically provided the Christian church with her motivation for mission. Other belief systems like Islam which deny the deity of Christ, are opposed to Christ, and are in John’s words antichrist. We should be concerned with truth.

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Doctrinal Test: ChristologicalWe need to be prepared to stand against the spirit of the age recognising that alternative systems of belief are a lie! This does not mean that no grains of truth in them or that we should seek to give offence to non-Christian neighbours. But we have a responsibility to reach the millions who are enmeshed in false religions and caught up in a system of lies- they need to hear God’s truth.

However, we must swim against the influence of the ‘tolerant’ current and spirit of the age which attempts to make sincerity the test of acceptance.

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Protection Against HeresyIt’s not enough to recognise the existence of error. We have to counteract it. John indicates two ways in which this is done. First in v24 he refers to the apostolic gospel, ‘that which you have heard’. The truth of this word is to remain in us. The word ‘remain’ means, a permanent dwelling place. John is saying, ‘If the living word of God makes its permanent dwelling in you, then you will be kept safe in God from the influence of error.’ It was said of John Bunyan that his blood was ‘Bibline’. If you cut him, the Bible would flow out of his veins. Now that is the level of commitment to God’s truth that most effectively defeats the antichrist.

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Protection Against HeresyIt is not so much that as Christians we need to be constantly learning new truth. Novelty can be a great snare. But we need to be learning more deeply and practising more fully the great truths that we became aware of at the start of our Christian experience. The eternal life promised in v25 is not something which begins after death but here and now immediately the Holy Spirit takes up residence within our hearts.

The way in which we remain in God, deepening our knowledge of and love for him and becoming fruitful Christians is by making sure his truth has priority in our lives.

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Protection Against HeresyThe second measure John mentions in v27 is the anointing, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s people. This anointing remains. The Holy Spirit both illumines our minds at conversion to understand God’s saving truth and continues his instructing role throughout all of our Christian lives.

Notice the twofold safeguard of which John speaks - obedience to the Word and Spirit of God, are ordinary means of grace and not unusual and spectacular visitations. Christians are often slow to learn that. How many are in pursuit of the spectacular and neglect the ordinary. Seeking some deeper more spectacular experience they neglect the common fare which God has provided for their growth and protection.

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Protection Against HeresyIf only we could learn the simple lesson of submission to God’s Word and Spirit then we would realise that we did not need others to instruct us. John is of course not denying the importance and necessity of human instruction. If so there would be no need for him to write this letter.

Nor is John minimising the value of God appointed pastors and teachers- that would cut across the grain of N.T. teaching. Rather he is saying, ‘You do not need additional secret knowledge - you do not need these so called enlightened teachers to guide you into the deep things of God’. We need to trust God’s Spirit to give life and freshness to the truth of apostolic testimony which we already possess.

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ConclusionThe great appeal of false teachers is that they offer something additional something more, a deeper walk with God, a greater intimacy, more fruitful service and all we need to do is to accept the additional teaching they have to offer.

This has a natural appeal to the longing in the heart of every Christian to know God better and serve him more fruitfully. But John’s response to that is something we need to learn to fasten on to. If you have God’s word in your hand and God’s Spirit in your heart you have everything you need to understand truth and grow in Christ.