From the very beginning, there have been people who have been against Jesus the Messiah/Christ. John calls them “antichrists.”
At the end, an antichrist, a singular individual who opposes Jesus, will appear.
We should not be surprised that the nature of the antichrist is dishonesty. He is a liar.
Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also (1 John 2.22-23).
In an argument with religious leaders, Jesus described the devil as a liar.
“You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires.
“He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.
“When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8.44).
It is not that the devil tells an occasional lie. The devil’s essential nature is dishonesty.
All antichrists are likewise liars because they are in league with the devil. They have one mission, which is to separate people from a genuine relationship with God.
The lie of the antichrists is that Jesus is not the Messiah/Christ.
If you follow popular culture on TV or social media, you will hear attractive-sounding ideas that contribute to the lie of the antichrists. Below are a few common words of the antichrists.
— There are many paths to the top of the mountain. Jesus is one of them, but so is Buddha or Mohamed or someone else.
— The Bible is full of timeless truths, but so is the Koran or the writings of eastern religions.
— We can’t depend on the accounts of Jesus in the Bible. They are hard to reconcile because they are so contradictory.
The list of lies could fill several blog articles. They have one thing in common. They attempt to draw people away from God who has redeemed humanity through his Son Jesus Christ.
How to not be deceived.
My daily spiritual practice for years has involved reading and praying the Gospels. I am following John’s instructions that will protect all of us from the enemy’s deception.
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is what he has promised us, eternal life (1 John 2.24-25).
God has given us a Bible where what we “have heard from the beginning” is recorded. I have read and re-read the Gospels more times than I can count.
What’s interesting is that I find some insight that deepens my walk with Jesus at every reading.
Connecting with Jesus through the prayerful reading of the Gospels has been a time-tested practice for centuries. It will lead you to a quality of life that can only be described as “eternal.”
Our Teacher – the Holy Spirit
John uses “anointing” to describe how the Holy Spirit illuminates the reading of the Bible.
I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you.
As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, so you do not need anyone to teach you.
But as his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him (1 John 2.26-27).
My friend LeRoy Sullivan was a dynamic African American preacher. The only book he read was the Bible.
The Holy Spirit taught LeRoy and gave him wisdom that blessed his church and everyone who knew him.
Before we begin reading the Bible, we can ask the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts. We can say, “Holy Spirit, please show me what you want me to know today.”
Not only will the Spirit teach you, but he will also protect you from the lies of the antichrists who attempt to draw people away from a life with God.
As we live in an abiding relationship with God through the Word, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, we will do more than survive. We will thrive.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming (1 John 2.28).
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I continue our study of 1 John today. Our video can be found on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
Real Voices 