I John 2:27 (Part 2)

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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.

THE STUDY:

          I keep repeating to you that John is reacting to a false teaching of Christ. This is radiating from the Gnostic's and John is reminding the believers that they have all they need in Christ.

          “His anointing teaches you about all things.” That is, the Spirit of Christ will teach the believer everything (John 14:26) and will guide him in distinguishing truth from error. All believers receive the Holy Spirit and all of them are equally equipped to oppose those teachers who proclaim the lie instead of the truth.^[1]

          The heart of this verse, however, lies in the last three words which form a command to have fellowship with Christ. The encouragement is direct: “abide in him.” In view of John’s reference to Jesus’ return (v. 28), the words in him relate to Jesus Christ.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• As a believer, we walk away with the understanding that Jesus is all we need. There is a passage of scripture that sums this up, “I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the way: The way we should think, the way we should act, and the way we should talk. Jesus is the truth in our life and that truth will set us free. Jesus is the life we should live.  

CONCLUSION:

          I remember walking into the Nazarene church for the first time. I was scared, nervous, and even a little intimidated, but after hearing the song, “He’s All I need,” I realized this group of people was not people who I needed to fear, to be nervous around, or even intimidated by. They were people just like me who needed Jesus.

          In this walk with God I can testify to this: Everything I need, to live a life that is pleasing to God, is found in Jesus. Everything you need this day is found in Christ. Don’t forget what you already know, Jesus is all you need.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285–286). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (286). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:27 (Part 1)

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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.

THE STUDY:

          John mentions “the anointing,” a topic he introduced earlier (v. 20). He seems to imply that the readers received the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is, their anointing, at the time of their conversion. This is a possession they received from Jesus Christ and which remains with them (II Cor. 1:21–22).^[1]

          “You do not need anyone to teach you.” These words are reminiscent of Jeremiah’s prophecy, “No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord, ’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:11).^[2] Is John saying there is no need for preachers, Sunday School teachers, evangelist, and such? Of course not! These individuals are vital to the continuation of one’s growth in Christ. What John is saying is that believers have no need of deceivers who try to teach false doctrine. They have the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads them in all truth (John 16:13).^[3]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• As a Youth Pastor I remember a game we would play that involved leading. The teens would pair up and one person would have a blind fold placed over their eyes and the other person would lead them through a maze filled with obstacles. The first round would be rather easy. The leader would take the one blindfolded through the maze by their hand. The second round would present a little more difficult task. The one blindfolded was to be lead through the maze by the voice of the leader. The final round was the person blindfolded being lead through the maze by the voice of the leader but with music being played in the background.

• For the blindfolded person, the first round was easy. The second round was a little more difficult but still accomplish-able. The final round was the most difficult. Two reasons why: 1. You needed to have faith in the one who was leading you. 2. You needed to listen more intently to the leader who was calling out the instructions.

CONCLUSION:

         

  

          Church, we need to have faith in the truth: the word of God, the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us and we need to be listening more intently to that which dwells inside of us: the Spirit of God! He is speaking to us; we just need to listen to the truth.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[3] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 2:26

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I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

THE STUDY:

          What needs to be understood in this verse is that John is not just writing to the readers of his day. The statement, “those who are trying to deceive you” is a PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE. There are deceivers in every age (Matt. 7:15; 24:11, 24; II John 7). These deceivers are often sincere religious individuals with a messed up theology or doctrine.

          Many of us have used the phrase, “Wolf in sheep clothing.” John is referencing this phrase and warning those who know the truth to remain in the truth. This same truth will need to be used to detect those who are out to “deceive” us.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We all know when we are doing something wrong. I believe it is in our DNA to detect, wrong intentions, wrong thoughts, wrong actions, and wrong motives within ourselves. What we try to do, to get around this, is make excuses for these actions and, over time, become numb to it.

• As believers we need to come ALIVE in Christ and allow the Spirit to be our barometer. John knew that the believers of his day were in the truth and the truth would protect them, We know the truth today as well. Let that truth be our protector against the wolves that are amongst us.

CONCLUSION:

           I love the comic strip “Peanuts” written by Charles Schulz. Every football season I think about Lucy encouraging Charlie Brown to kick a field goal. Charlie Brown would question her intentions and knew, deep down in his heart, he was going to be deceived. He would approach the ball and the battle would rage in his head, will she move the ball or not? He goes to kick the ball and right at the last minute Lucy moves the ball. Charlie Brown was deceived by Lucy time and time again. What if Charlie Brown would have had someone with him telling him he was going to be deceived by Lucy?

          Just as John was warning those who were being deceived, we have someone warning us about being deceived today! That person is the Holy Spirit. Let’s keep our eyes open today for the deception that awaits us. Don’t be a Charlie Brown or a Lucy! 

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:24-25 (Part 2)

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²⁴Let 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.

²⁵And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

THE STUDY:

           In 1 John eternal life is identified with, or said to be found in, Jesus Christ, God’s Son (5:11). He, in fact, is eternal life (5:20), the eternal life that was with the Father from the beginning (1:2). Those who believe in the Son have eternal life (5:13). Those who acknowledge Jesus Christ have the Son (and the Father) (2:23), and those who have the Son have eternal life (5:12). To have the Son, to believe in his name, is to have eternal life in the here and now. But, in line with primitive Christian belief, the author can also speak of eternal life as something ‘promised’ to believers, something they will experience in the future (2:25).^[1]

          John may have encountered, in this day and time, the delusional understanding and teachings of Jesus Christ. The adding too or the taking away from this teaching may have prompted this statement, “And this is the promise ..”! Rest assured, what God promises; in the past, in the present, or in the future, will always be.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that this promise from God is made possible through Christ; one who believes, acknowledges and accepts Christ. But, what many may have forgotten or have never been told is that this promise is not only for the here and now but for the future. Eternity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the PROMISE!

CONCLUSION:

           As a human, we have a hard time comprehending “eternity.” As a believer, spending eternity with God is the final, and ultimate, reward. So how long is eternity?

          High up in the North, in the land called Svithjod, there stands a rock. It is 100 miles high and 100 miles wide. Once every 1000 years a little bird comes to this rock to sharpen its break. When the rock has thus been worn away, then a single day of eternity will have gone by.

—Hendrick Willen Van Loon^[2]

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (107). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[2] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 2:24-25 (Part 1)

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²⁴Let 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.

²⁵And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

THE STUDY:

          This morning we read this passage and we should be reminded of verses 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard” and 2:7 “Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.” With the rebuking of this Gnostic teaching, again, John is referring back to the beginning what you heard from the beginning.

          We, as parents, have disciplined our children. In doing this we have said things like, “you know better than that!” What are we really saying? We have taught them from the beginning how to behave and every once in while they slip up and we have to remind them by leading them back to the very beginning of what we taught them. John is doing the same thing by referring his flock back to what they were taught from the very beginning.

          Not only does John take them back to the beginning but he reminds them to what he is referring too: abide in you. This is the very thing they have heard, been taught, and have believed in from childhood: about the Son and the Father. John is reminding them to remain in the Son and in the Father.  

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with this morning understanding that in or times of valleys or troubles we need to go back to the beginning: What we have been taught and what we understand as the truth. There are going to be days, when our faith is challenged, when the lies from Satan get us to question and doubt, or when we our physically weak! When those days come let us “abide” (remain) in the truth of Jesus Christ and of the Father.

CONCLUSION:

           I was talking with the dean of an American college some years ago. She shared a story about a woman who for the last four years had taken the same course in algebra even though she had passed it the first time.

          The dean inquired of her for an explanation. The woman said she was so tired of arguing with her neighbors about everything in the world that she wanted to study something she couldn’t argue about.

          Mathematical calculations certainly do not change. Two times two will eternally be four. And that truth is authoritative as well as eternal.

          The same is true with the Word of God. It is authoritative and eternal. When in doubt during your life, go back to the truth! It will never changed nor will it ever left you.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 2:22-23 (Part 2)

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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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^[1] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (261). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

^[2] Robertson, A. (1997). Word Pictures in the New Testament (1 Jn 2:23). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.

I John 2:22-23 (Part 1)

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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:

 I find it interesting the fact that John asked a question and then answered it in the same sentence. This is done in today culture. We use this technique if we are really trying to stress a point. We see this on TV in those police shows. They say to the crook, “Who stole the jewels?” And before the crook can answer, the cop says, “You did!” They know he did it; they just wanted him to confess. John may be doing the same thing in this verse.

From the general context, we cannot say that John is speaking to Jewish opponents who refused to accept Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. John is opposing Gnostic teachers who taught that Jesus was a man who lived and died. During Jesus’ public ministry, the Gnostics said, the Christ descended upon him and gave him divine power from the time of his baptism to the time of his suffering. At the conclusion of Jesus’ suffering, Christ departed. To the Gnostics, then, Jesus was not the Christ. And John says that the person who proclaims this teaching is a liar. More than that, says John, he is the antichrist.^[1]

         

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• This morning we walk away with the understanding that issues of this nature need to be addressed. Sometimes they can be handled behind closed doors in a very mild manner. But then there are times when we will have to address these types of issues publically. No one likes confrontation, but if the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being lied about, like John, someone needs to take the pastoral stance.

CONCLUSION:

          I see, more and more every day, the attempted to water down the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hear so many excuses, which may be good excuses, in the world’s eyes, but in the realm of the Gospel it could lead to a false doctrine. I have seen good people turn from their upbringing, their beliefs, even their faith in order to appease others. Church, let us not compromise the Gospel to appease man. Look for the lies in the world today and rebuke them and continue on in the truth.

           

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (281). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.