View Video Blog Right Click Link: I John 2:22-23 (Part 2)
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.
THE STUDY:
As we have been
reading through this book of the Bible (I John), John has been combating these
false teachings by the Gnostics, especially from one of its leaders: Cerinthus!
He was the leader of a group of Christians who had Gnostic tendencies. He
apparently believed that the world was created not by God but by a lesser being
(called the Demiurge) or by angels, one of whom gave the law to the Jews.
Cerinthus also taught that Jesus was an ordinary man, upon whom “the Christ”
descended at his baptism. This divine power revealed the transcendent and
unknown God. This “Christ” abandoned Jesus before his crucifixion.[1]
John states
that the one who denies Jesus, also denies the Father and this person is the
antichrist. These are strong words but it is something that was needed to be said,
especially from the leadership.
John goes on
to say, No one who denies the Son has
the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Two things
are happening in verse 23; 1) John is reiterating the fact that the only way to
the Father is through the Son and 2) Confession of Christ before men is a
prerequisite for confession by Christ before the Father.[2]
WHAT WE CAN WALK
AWAY WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding of the importance of confession. The bible says in Romans 10:9-10, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
- Any sin that has not been confessed is detrimental to our relationship with Jesus. There is nothing that so takes the joy out of life like unconfessed sin. Confessed sin releases us into a life that is free in Christ.
CONCLUSION:
To lighten
the mood a bit, I ran across this story:
Four preachers met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, "Our people come to us and pour out their hearts, confess certain sins and deeds. Let's do the same. Confession is good for the soul." In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one confessed to liking to play cards. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn't confess. The others pressed him saying, "Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?" Finally he answered, "It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here."
Let us
remember, the way to the Father is through the Son who requires all believer’s to
confess their sins.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
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