7 1 John PNut Some breaks in audio and other audio problems.

John is continuing his discussion about the things Christians need to do to have fellowship with God. He warns against following those who turn away from the truth and denies that Jesus is the Christ. He mentions the Antichrist and the false teachings of Gnosticism. John emphasizes the importance of staying in fellowship with God and not joining those who practice falsehood. He also warns against false teachers and encourages the readers to abide in the doctrine of Christ. John's purpose is to refute false teachings and ensure that the readers remain in fellowship with God. want to continue in 1 John chapter 2, and we come down to verse 18 in 1 John chapter 2, and the thought is being followed in chapter 2 from the previous discussion that we was having early on in chapter 2, when we was talking about the things that we need to continue in, all right, in order to have fellowship with God, okay? And then we brung that lesson to an end, we're talking about loving not the world, all right, but when we got down to verse 15 through 17, we started to talk about how the Christians are not to be worldly minded, okay? And the two major points that follow in this same chapter should be considered as things that Christians must follow to continue in fellowship, so the subject do not change here, okay? And these thoughts will be discussed right now in this lesson, such as do not follow those who turn away from the revealed truth, and Lord's witness tomorrow we'll pick up and we'll see how that John even tells them do not be deceived by different doctrines. So with our first reader read, 1 John chapter 2, verses 18 through 23. John, okay. Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, so now many Antichrists have come, therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that it might become plain that they are all not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 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. Who is the liar? 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. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Amen. Amen. So we see here from this context where John is according his reception to not follow those who turn away from the revealed truth. And this application can be applied to us today as Christians as we read the epistle of 1 John. And we got to understand, as John talked about in verses 18 and 19, that there will be some who go out from us into apostasy. And we should not follow those who turn away from the revealed truth of God's Word. And as we get to verse 18, we see John stated, little children, it is the last time. And as you have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. So we see here again John addresses his readers as little children, which is a term of endearment, as I discussed in the last letter. And he also told them about avoiding the love of the world in order to have fellowship with God. But now John warns them about the Antichrist. Okay? And we understand that this word appears only in John's letters. In 2 John 7, the preposition anti- signifies to be opposed or against. So the Antichrist of which John wrote not only were against Christ, but also worshiped the place of Christ. And when John states Antichrist, this does not refer to a single individual. But we must understand it as collective and refers to any one of this class who rises up in opposition to Christ. And even Jesus spoke about others who fit this term. Jesus spoke of someone who will come shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem. In Matthew chapter 24, verses 5 and 24. Could somebody read that for us? Matthew 24, 5 and 24. All right. For many will come in my name saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And verse 24, for false Christ and false prophets will arrive and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. All right. So we see that Jesus spoke of some who would come shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem. But Paul also wrote of the man of sin who will come subsequent to Jerusalem's destruction. But prior to the second coming of Christ. Could somebody read 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 3 and 4? No one deceives you by any means. For that day will not come unless the fallen away comes first. And the man of sin is revealed, the son of prediction, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. All right. So we've got to understand what John is warning is reciprocal to 1 John. And scholars have tried to fit John after Christ to be one of these and submit the last hour to be either the passing of the Jewish age or of the period since the ordination of the Pope of Rome. But we understand that neither of these views fit what John is speaking about. And the Gnosticism was the major problem they were facing. All right. Because the Gnostics had threatened the congregation with many false teachings. And this teaching did not lead to the digression of the papacy nor was it prevalent in the days leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem. So what John is describing here, 1 John, is a particular false system that had already begun in his day when he says, as ye have heard, that after Christ shall come. Even now there are many after Christ. So his readers were already possessed of information which they had heard through John and others. And that's why John stated, whereby ye know that it is the last time and the last time should be more properly rendered, the last hour. Okay. Because this term, like the word after Christ, is also used only by John in the New Testament. And he used a different term, which is last day, when in the Gospel he referred to the second coming of Christ. John was speaking about divine inspiration. That's what we have to know. So he definitely could not have meant the time immediately preceding the return of Christ and just as nearly 2,000 years have passed since this epistle was written. So when he states last hour, that's also different from the term last day, which referred to an era, a dispensation, a period of time beginning with the death of Christ through his second coming in Jerusalem. So John is warning them about following those who turn from the revealed truth. And he lets them know that there will be some that go out from us into apostasy. There will be a total desertion of faith. They will turn away from the truth learned. But that's why in verse 19, John states, they went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued, but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. So when he says that they went out from us, but were not of us, we got to understand that this evidently refers to the antichrist, whereas us refers to the saint. Okay. And the two were no longer united in Christ. So these false teachers refuse to confess that Jesus Christ is coming to flesh. Let's read first John chapter four, verses one through three. Behold, do not believe any spirit, but test the spirit to see whether they are from God. For many false prophecies has gone unto the world. By this you know the spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that you heard was coming and now is in the world already. You have one minute remaining. All right. So we see that this is what John was dealing with, Nazism. All right. They denied that Christ had come in the flesh and John refused to have fellowship with them because they no longer were in fellowship with God. If that's how we should be, if we know that an individual or individuals are not in fellowship with God by what they are practicing, we should not join ourselves to them to practice what they practice. Okay. We should continue in fellowship with God. Okay. Let's read second John, verses seven through 11. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we've worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and speak face to face that our joy may be full. The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen. Amen. So we see here that John is dealing with refute of false teaching that had threatened the congregation. Okay? And the way that he refused his teaching is by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, by the apostasy given the revealed word. John is not holding back from explaining to these Christians the whole counsel of God. Okay? And John states that the individuals that he was addressing, he refused to have fellowship with them because they was no longer in fellowship with Christ. That's why John states, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. So we got to understand that this phrase is awfully used by the advocates of the false teaching of eternal security in Christ. Okay? You know that one thing I always say, the false teaching, they use this to infer that if anyone falls away, they were never true converts, but we got to be wise in the scriptures because we see clearly that two facts refute this idea. For one, to go out from us necessitates, first of all, being a part of us. Okay? Because I could not go out from something that I was never a part of. It might like to say, well, you can't fall off the roof if you was never on the roof. So to go out from us necessitates that, first of all, being a part of them. And two, they would have continued with us, suggests they had begun the journey, but they did not complete it. So somewhere along the way, they lost the commitment to Christ. And don't feel superior because we too, if we ain't careful, somewhere along this journey, if we lose our commitment to Christ, then it's possible that we can fall away and not be in fellowship with God. So this is why we must test the spirits and believe not every wind of teaching. You must have a proper understanding of biblical understanding that's accurate in the word of God. And this is why it's important to get sound teaching. Don't be so quick to believe everything you hear. And simply being a member of the church does not guarantee salvation because we see in the New Testament that many warn us against following the way I found throughout the New Testament. And we're going to look at one. Let's read Hebrews chapter three, verses 12 through 14. Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart and unbelief in departing from the living God that abhors one another daily while it is called today. Lest any of you depart into the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Amen. I love this. I love this particular statement. Verse 12 states, take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God. So you're telling me that if a person departs from God that they was never with God, they was never converted. Well, how can they depart from a place that they never been? So it is possible to become a Christian, but fall away and become unsaved. That is why it tells us in the next verse where they talk one another daily. So encourage one another daily while it is called today. Lest any of you be hard through the deceitfulness of sin. Sin hardens our heart to the point that when we practice sin so long that we become calloused and we have no conscience of right and wrong. We fall away. That's what the devil does. He drags you all the way to hell, but he promises you to only take you just around the block. But he drags you for conscience. And then it states in verse 14, for we are made partakers of Christ. If you see that coordinated conjunctions, if we hold the beginning of our confidence, step fast unto the end. So if you hold that confidence that you had when you obeyed the gospel, step fast unto the end, you will be made partakers of Christ. So that's very clear that one saved is not always saved. And one who obeys the gospel but fails to grow in the faith will become like the stone and thorny ground described by Jesus in the parable of the sower. Y'all remember when we studied the parable of the sower. Let's read Matthew chapter 13, verses 20 through 22. 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