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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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HINDRANCES TO FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD - 2 (1 John 2:18-23) Grace
Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor
Daryl Hilbert I. THE DANGER OF
THE WORLD (2:15-16) II. THE DANGER OF THE FLESH (2:17) III. THE DANGER OF THE DEVIL (2:18-23) A. The
Spirit of Antichrist (18, 22; 4:3) 1. Having
discussed the believer’s enemies, which are the world (15-16) and the flesh
(17), we will discuss the third enemy, the devil. 2. In these passages, the “devil” is not
named specifically, but there are references to the “spirit of antichrist”,
which are related to the devil. However, the “evil one” (tos ponęros)
is mentioned five times (1Jo 2:13, 14; 3:12; 5:18, 19) and “devil” is
mentioned four times in two verses (1Jo 3:8, 10). In this epistle, John
teaches various aspects about our enemy the devil. a) The
whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1Jo 5:19; Eph 2:2). b) Some of the characteristics of the evil
one are evil (ponęros - Mat 13:19; Eph 6:16; Gal 1:4), sin, and murder
(1Jo 3:12) c) The works of the devil have been
destroyed (1Jo 3:8) d) The evil one is ultimately unable to touch
the believer (1Jo 5:18; Joh 17:15). e) Believers are able to overcome the evil
one through the sword of the Spirit, the word of God (1Jo 2:14; Eph 6:17 cp.
Mat 4:4ff). f) The ministry of the evil one is an
anti-Christ (anti - against) ministry (1Jo 2:18, 22; 4:3). John is not
speaking of the person of the antichrist who will be Satan’s
counterfeit-Christ (2Th 2:3-10 cp. Rev 13:1-8). The spirit of antichrist that
John speaks of has several characteristics. (1) The
spirit of antichrist is already in the world (1Jo 2:18a). (2) There are many antichrists in the world
(1Jo 2:18b). (3) Because of the spirit of antichrist, we are
in the “last hour” of God’s program (1Jo 2:18c). (4) The spirit of antichrist denies the
redemptive work of Christ (1Jo 2:22a). (5) The spirit of antichrist denies the deity
of Christ and the Trinity (1Jo 2:22b-23; 1Jo 4:3). (6) The spirit of antichrist deceives through
false teaching (2Jo 1:7). 3. The
false teachers in John’s day (Cerinthus) exhibited the spirit of antichrist
in their false teaching in denying the deity of Christ and His redemption. B. The
Spirit of Apostasy (19) 1. These
particular false teachers and their followers did not stay with John’s
fellowship of believers because they disagreed with the truth (sound
doctrine). 2. This is also an evidence for salvation.
An individual who love s Christ, loves Christ’s Word, and Christ’s people
will gravitate to assemble together (Heb 10:25). 3. It is akin to Jesus asking His disciple
if they were going to leave like the rest of the masses. Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” (Joh 6:67-68). 4. There will be a specific apostasy (2Th
2:3-4), which happens during the “abomination of desolation” (Mat 24:15). But
John is speaking of a general apostasy taking place in the present among
those who are not true believers. C. The
Spirit of God (20, 21, 23, 27) 1. John
assures his readers that they have an anointing, i.e. the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit was sent from Christ (20). a) Christ
(Christós - means the Anointed
One, i.e the Messiah) was the One
chosen and sent to be the Messiah (Act 10:38; Joh 1:32-33). When Christ
ascended, He promised another Paraclete like Himself and sent the Holy Spirit. In
this sense the Holy Spirit is the anointing (vs. 27, to chrísma)
who was chosen to indwell and teach the church. b) The Holy Spirit teaches believers so that
they will know (oida - perceive) the truth. This is not at the expense
of spiritually gifted teachers, but they are gifted by the Holy Spirit and
the church discerns truth through the Word by the Spirit. 2. John
writes to these believers because they know the truth (21). a) This
does not suggest that believers never have to study and learn. However, when
believers study, the Holy Spirit reveals the deep things of God to them in
the Word (1Co 2:10). b) There is no lie “out of” (ek) the
truth. There is no contradiction with God’s truth or Word. There is no part
truth and part lie. This is the tactic of false teachers and they are liars
(vs. 22). c) Believers are able to detect falsehood by
knowing truth through the Holy Spirit (Joh 14:26). 3. Someone
will either deny the Son or confess the Son (23). a) The
one who confesses the Son is a believer, but the one who denies him is a
false teacher or a non-believer. b) John’s gospel is very simple. One either
has Christ or he does not (1Jo 5:11-12) c) The one who has Christ has eternal life,
the other does not. IV. APPLICATIONS A. Defense
Against the Devil 1. The
believer is never instructed to be aggressive against the devil, whether by
attempting to bind him, rebuke him, or destroy his territories. Instead he is
instructed to submit to God and “resist” the devil (Jam 4:7) 2. The believer is instructed twice in
Ephesians 6 to “stand firm” in the truth against the wiles of the devil (Eph
6:11, 13). 3. There will be spiritual warfare according
to Eph 6:12 and Satan is a formidable foe. However, the believer cannot be
possessed by demonic forces or ultimately be defeated by them. B. Defense
Against Deception 1. The
believer overcomes Satan and his deception by knowing the truth from God’s
word. 2. The pejorative cliché, “doctrine divides”
was probably started by Satan himself. 3. Doctrine does divide; it divides truth
from error. Doctrine does divide; it divides those who have Christ from those
who do not. 4. The believer is to discern everything through
the grid of the Bible. The believer is to have a logical mind, but logic
based on the truth of the Scriptures. There is no lie of the truth. |
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