1 John 2:18 – 19 ”Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, so now many Antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.”
“Whenever God is about to do something wonderful, Satan sends in counterfeits to try to deceive people.” (Sermon by the late Reverend Curtis Petrey)
The Apostle John, that wise old fisherman and elder of the fledgling Christian church, is really worried. John can feel that his time is getting short; he has already lived far longer than most of his age mates and most of the disciples. And already there are problems within the newborn church. Self – styled preachers and prophets are coming in and attempting to deceive people by preaching various doctrines that have nothing to do with Jesus and everything to do with their personal prejudices or beliefs. While there is yet time, John wants to warn the believers so that they will be able to carry on without him. To that end, John is trying to teach believers how to tell the real from the fakes.
Steven Cole points out that John gives us three tests by which we may evaluate the soundness of a teacher, as well as our own lives. In 1 John 2:3-6, John has already given us the moral test of obedience to God’s commandments. He has given the relational test of love (1 John 2:7- 11) Now he gives the doctrinal test of truth about the person and work of Jesus Christ (1 John 2:18-27). He says, To avoid spiritual deception, be discerning of people and doctrine. John shows that to avoid spiritual deception, you must develop discernment with regard to people. (https://www.preceptaustin.org/1 John_218-23_commentary)
When John had his vision on Patmos that resulted in the writing of the Book of Revelations, God warned some of the churches of falling into false teachings.
Revelations 2:12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword. 13I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. 15In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.”
Who is the Antichrist? There are all kinds of guesses as to the human identity of such a person, but the spirit behind any Antichrist is always Satan, the deceiver and manipulater. Jesus told his disciples that Satan was a liar from the beginning and nothing has changed. John describes “many Antichrists” who started out in the church and then split away to form their own groups. There is a chilling modern account from a Nigerian Christian who once was a witch, describing attending a Gospel – preaching church and watching as demons rode in on the shoulders of the church members. As the church members sang praise songs, the demons laughed! Why was this possible? These people were church members all right, but they were not Christians. They had settled for form and not for substance.
How can we guard against becoming entranced by Antichrists?
First: who is getting worshiped? Is the emphasis on the teacher/preacher/prophet/evangelist or are the services actually glorifying Jesus? Turn on the television and you can watch innumerable programs glorifying teachers or prophets with Scripture merely being used as a glossy enamel over a half – done paint job.
Second: what is being taught? Is the teacher/preacher/evangelist faithfully teaching the Scriptures or is he/she teaching something else?
Third: at the end of the day, what are the results of the teaching? Are people being urged to dedicate themselves and all that they have to Jesus Christ or are they being encouraged to send in money in exchange for handkerchiefs, tee shirts, and all kinds of “blessed” memorabilia?
Fourth: Are people being encouraged to delve into Scripture for themselves, to read it, meditate upon it, and memorize it, or are they being encouraged to buy the latest book produced by a Christian superstar?
PRAYER; Father God, thank you for loving us and for sending Jesus to die for us. We confess that we have sinned against heaven and against you in everything we have thought or spoken or have done. Please forgive us our sins and help us to trust you completely. Help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives and help us to study your Word so that Antichrists will have no attraction for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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