Daily Devotional Friday 10th July 2020
by William Moody
1 John 2:18–27
Warning Concerning Antichrists
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore 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 it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.1 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us2—eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
(ESV)
As we look again at this section about anti-Christs and false teaching, we need to consider how we can be protected from being led astray.
The first thing that protects from falsehood is the truth (v21, 24-25). Gnosticism was raising its head in John’s day, with a claim to a higher knowledge through special enlightenment. John responds by showing these believers still in the church, that they do have the truth (v21). This truth came not from some special vision but through what they had been taught (v24). It is not some special vision or knowledge that leads to eternal life but the truth contained in the message of the apostles in scripture (v25).
The second thing that protects is an anointing (v20, 27) which comes from the Holy Spirit and enables a correct understanding of scripture (v20). This anointing helps the believer as they focus on scripture (v27).
The Word abides within the believer (v24) and the anointing of the Spirit abides in the believer (v27) so that the believer can abide in the Father and the Son (v24b). Being protected from the antichrist and false teaching depends on remaining close to the true Christ through the Word and the Spirit working in our lives together. Pray for this.
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