Fellowship Part 11 - Those Who Deny Christ

 

For the previous articles in this series of studies, please go to https://surrenderdaily.blogspot.com/

This series of short studies is all about our fellowship, our koinonia, in Christ.  The studies are examining verse by verse the epistle of 1 John, which has much to say about being a part of the fellowship of believers. After 11 short studies, each between a 5-10 minute read, we are still in chapter 2 of 1 John.  Currently we are talking about antichrists – those who attempt to divide the fellowship and draw people away from the fellowship through false teaching and other divisive means.

 As we continue, we come to 1 John 2:22-23

  

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.

  

In our last study, we made the discovery that antichrists are those who have “gone out” from the fellowship.  Here we find two more ways we can identify antichrists.  First…

 

Antichrists deny Jesus himself.

 

In many ways, this is an extension of the idea of denying orthodox faith that was discussed in the previous article. However, there are ways of denying the son that make it appear as if you believe in Jesus, while still denying him.

In John’s day, one of the ways this happened was to deny Jesus came in the flesh.  It was a common heresy in those days to teach that Jesus was the Son of God, but that he never actually came to earth as a man – rather, he was just a spirit that appeared as a man.  This, of course, would have made his death meaningless and thus his sacrifice meaningless.

In our day, it is more common to deny that Jesus is God. There is no shortage of people willing to believe that Jesus actually existed.  However, to believe that Jesus was God is an entirely different story.  There is plenty of teaching – even within the context of Christian churches – that deny the divinity of Jesus. When you deny the divinity of Jesus, you also make his death and sacrifice meaningless.  Within his divinity, Jesus’ death was without power. It is precisely because Jesus was both God and man that he is able to be a substitutionary sacrifice for us.

There are many who boldly proclaim in Christian circles that Jesus’ death was not a substitutionary sacrifice; that it didn’t satisfy the wrath of God.  Instead, they say his death was just an example of suffering for doing good.  This is heresy of the highest order because it removes the atoning power from what Jesus did.  It promotes forgiveness without justice.  It was absolutely necessary for God’s wrath to be poured out on Jesus because without it, God is not just.  Forgiveness is only possible if proper justice has been served.  That is the entire point of the cross and it was only possible because of the mystery associated with the simultaneous divinity and humanity of Jesus.

But if these heresies were not enough, there are also those who deny Jesus’ mission.  They reject the notion that Jesus came to save us from sin, because they reject the notion that God punishes sin. They say a loving God will never send people to hell.  In the end, love wins and everyone is saved.  If that is the case, then why did Jesus have to die in the first place?  What was the point?  What was his mission?  God did not need to come to earth to be a good person.  God came to earth because his mission had eternal consequences.  Jesus himself said his whole mission was to seek out and save those who were lost.  If no one is ultimately lost, then who was Jesus seeking to save?

These antichrists have so deconstructed God’s word that they have removed anything that hints at the need for repentance, for forgiveness, or for obedient living.  To these antichrists, God’s word must be interpreted and understood in the context of culture rather than allowing God’s word to shape and inform culture.  This is happening all over the context of American Christianity, to the point that even many staunchly traditional churches are feeling the pressure to compromise on these issues.

There is a powerful tidal wave of cultural pressure that has built its energy on the denial of the mission of Christ.  And while much of the pressure to succumb to this wave comes from outside the church, there is pressure even within the church – this is because there is yet another characteristic that we can use to help identify antichrists.  

 

Antichrists seek to deceive.

 

Consider 1 John 2:26, which says “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.”

One of the biggest tactics of the enemy right now regarding these cultural issues is to have people of authority within the Christian community try to convince us how we have misinterpreted God’s word – as if 2000 years of orthodox interpretation has somehow missed the mark.  They say, “The bible doesn’t really teach these things are a sin” OR “The bible doesn’t really teach that God will punish you in hell” – and they go on to give you some kind of fabricated academic argument to prove their point. 

This is exactly the same tactic that Satan used of eve in the garden…

“Did God really say if you eat of it you would surely die…?”

 

It is a deception.  And it is a GOOD deception, so good that it is easy to us to be convinced by it and be deceived. Jesus himself warned us of these deceptions. In Matthew 24:24 he said

  

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

 

Paul repeated these warnings

  

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.  Romans 16:17-18

 

 

Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:13

 

This is a warning to us today just as John’s intent in these verses was to be a warning to his readers then. We must be on our guard at all times for those whose intent is to create disruption within the fellowship. That disruption can come from the outside…or even from within. I would argue that because of the deceptive nature of these antichrists, it is even possible that a saved believer can be deceived and can become a pawn of these antichrists, used by them to create division and disruption within the fellowship.

Satan has been at this a whole lot longer than you’ve been alive. He is  better at it, and he’s smarter than you or me. But we are not without defense.  Three times in 1 John 2 we are told how we have been given the truth.

 

Vs 20-21:  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.

 

We have been given knowledge of the truth by God – that is, the ability to discern truth.  We just have to be willing to accept it and stand firm in it.

 

Vs. 24-25: 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. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

 

We have the benefit of having been taught the truth – we just have to commit ourselves to abiding in that truth.

 

Vs. 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.

 

We have the Holy Spirit living within us, teaching us truth.  We just have to abide in Christ as Children of God – which is what next week’s message is about.

 

So let me ask you a couple of questions:

1. Are you abiding in the truth? Are you truly saved? If not, you can, and will be deceived very easily.
2. Are you allowing the deceptions of antichrists to influence your thinking about popular cultural trends?  Do you need to repent of that and return to orthodox teachings?

 

Truth is important, which is why Satan is so eager to infiltrate the church with untruths and deceptions.  Let us commit ourselves to rightly dividing the word of truth and defending against those who would threaten it.