Here are the study notes for next week’s morning studies and devotions from the Book of First John. We will be covering 1 John 2:12-17. If you want to download a copy to print: 1jn2.18-27nn
Resist Christ’s Adversaries!
1 John 2:18-27
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning (1 John 2:24).
As a father protecting his little children, John warns his friends that the false teachers who have left their assemblies will steal the greatest joy any believer will ever know—the joy of life in the family of God. The theme of First John is fellowship—that experience of intimacy with Christ and His people only available to those who belong to Him. The passion of John is, “don’t lose it by listening to these lying teachers. True joy is based on apostolic truth and is only possible in fellowship with God” (1:1-4).
In the preamble to his book, 1:5-2:11, the Apostle discusses the nature of this fellowship he desires for his readers. True fellowship is for those who walk in the light—sin (darkness) will always break fellowship with a holy (all light) God. As we walk in the light, a growing desire to obey Him and love His people allows His love to have its way with us—and we come to really know the God of light.
All of these spiritual truths are designed by God to be lived in real life—on this planet…in this world that belongs to Satan! Fellowship with God is not for those who live in caves and run from reality. Fellowship with God is for His children who know Him well and are mighty in their victories over Satan. These maturing disciples of Christ will resist their spiritual adversaries—the world (2:12-17) and Christ’s enemies who deny Him, the antichrists (2:18-27). The world has nothing to offer believers who exploit their riches in Christ; and the false teachers will not persuade those who abide in His Word:
Resist the enemies of Christ by abiding in His truth!
Outline: 1 John: Life in the Family
Prologue—call to fellowship (1:1-4)
Preamble—living in fellowship with God (1:5-3:10)
Walking in God’s Light—stay on the path of holiness (1:5-2:2)
Knowing the God of Light—follow Christ and love His people (2:3-11)
Body—the confidence of fellowship (2:12-4:17-19)
Reassurance—spiritual assets to resist the world (2:12-17) and the antichrists (2:18-27)
The world is “passing away” (v 17). One of the surest signs of its passing is the arrival of “antichrists” to harass and confuse the church. Rather than being dismayed by these enemies of Christ, the Apostle John describes them—knowing that this is simply a sign of the times and no threat to those maturing disciples of Christ who abide in His truth!
I. During this last phase of human history, forerunners of the Antichrist will try to deceive Christians (1 John 2:18-19).
A. The church age will see precursors of the Antichrist trying to deceive Christians in the same way the Antichrist himself will deceive the entire world during the Tribulation (2:18-19)!
1. It is the last hour. Hour here is not a fixed period of time but a unique period of time (John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28; 16:25) that is passing away (1 John 2:12-14) until Satan’s final deception using the Antichrist. God experiences time differently than man does (2 Peter 3:3-8); Christ is coming “quickly” (Revelation 22:20)—as soon as the church age ends with the appearance of the “man of sin” and his false prophet, the Antichrist (Revelation 13:11-17; 16:13; 19:20; 20:10).
2. And as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming. His readers had been taught that the Antichrist is coming. The “man of sin” or Beast who will claim he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) and will rule the world (Revelation 13:5-8) will be assisted by a “front man”—the False Prophet, or Antichrist (1 John 4:1-3; Revelation 13:11-17; 16:13; 19:20; 20:10).
3. Even now many antichrists have come…they went out from us. John exposes the teachers of error who denied Christ (v 22) as precursors of the Antichrist who will deny Him.
He then explains that they should not be surprised that they “went out from us”—either from the churches receiving the letter or the church in Judea. This is Satan’s most effective strategy during the church age—to deceive through false teachers who “seem” very Christian (false brethren secretly brought in, Galatians 2:4).
B. If you know prophecy the enemies of Christ will not surprise you!
1. They are many but doomed—their appearance remind us Jesus is coming soon!
2. They are stealthy but evil—though they look “Christian” they deny the reality of Christ and His promise of eternal life.
II. Resist their lie by abiding in the truth the Holy Spirit taught you and is teaching you—receive and apply apostolic doctrine (1 John 2:20-27).
A. Only those who abide in the words the Holy Spirit teaches and applies (apostolic doctrine) will resist false teaching and abide in Christ (know the joy of fellowship, 1:3; 2:20-27).
1. You…have the anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. John assures them that they have the truth to resist the lies. The Holy Spirit was sent to “teach you all things” (John 14:26) and “to guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). The specific truth John has in mind is that Jesus is the Christ (the one who guarantees to every believer both resurrection and eternal life, John 11:25-27). Those who deny that, deny what the Spirit teaches about both the Father and the Son, and have neither (20-23).
2. You…let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. From the beginning takes us back to the Prologue—the teachings of the apostles about what they had seen and heard as eyewitnesses to the Christ (1:1-4). This is the only command, abide in that—apostolic doctrine taught by the Holy Spirit—and you will abide in the Son and the Father (joy of fellowship, purpose of the book). The specific truth John had in mind is the promise of eternal life. This was the deception of the false teachers (24-26).
3. You…have received the Holy Spirit who teaches you all things. The ongoing teaching of the Holy Spirit grows believers to apply the truth of apostolic doctrine. This is probably speaking primarily of the leaders of the fellowship who may have been intimidated by the slick teaching of the antichrists and their popularity (27).
B. If you know the Bible the enemies of Christ will not neutralize you!
- You have no need of their teaching—the Holy Spirit has taught you that Jesus is the Christ!
Note: This does not mean that we do not listen to others. This is speaking specifically of the teaching of false teachers. Even the most mature believer profits from the ministry of other believers who teach them to understand and apply God’s Word.
2. You do need to abide in what the Spirit has taught you—apostolic doctrine, especially eternal security!
3. You have no need for “new” teaching—the Spirit continues to teach you truth that is consistent with what you already know—the basics He taught you as a young Christian!
Are you vulnerable to the lies of today’s antichrists? On a scale of 1-10, how settled is the Word of God in your heart? Are you living in the settled state of a personal and growing relationship with God’s Spirit as He teaches you the content and application of the truth?
This Never Works!
