1 John 2:18-27: How do I know that I am truly a Christian? Part 6

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Comment: John now moves to a section that he mostly reserves for those that are trying to deceive us as indicated in verse 26. John calls these the antichrists. John says it is the last hour, which according to most commentaries, this refers to the last times or the last days. This is the time period between the 1st and the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.  So, the last hour or last days started when Jesus came to the world. John says to his readers that they have heard that the antichrist is coming
and then he says many antichrists have come. The final antichrist which refers to the final world ruler (Dan 8:9-11), is still coming. The one that John refers to, are those like the final one, who will equally oppose the truth about Jesus Christ until the main antichrist comes. Although the main antichrist is still coming, many antichrists have already come and because they have come, John knows that it is indeed the last hour. John is simply saying, the appearance of the many antichrist, signifies that it is indeed the last hour.

Then John throws in a shocker in verse 19. John says these many antichrists, came out of the church. They were part of the church and they left. John says their living the church, signifies that they were never part of the church because if they were, they would not have left. Their going out of the church made it very clear and plain that they were never really part of the church.

20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

21 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.

Comment: John now contrasts the many antichrists with his believing readers. John says although these many antichrists have left because they were never really part of the church, believers have been anointed by the Holy One. In other words, they have been given and have received the Holy Spirit, and with the Holy Spirit, came all knowledge which they now have. Because they have all this knowledge, John says he is writing to them because they know the truth and not because they don’t. John says they can also differentiate between the truth and lies. The most important point that John makes here is that, the knowledge that comes from having the Holy Spirit, allows us to differentiate between truth and lie.

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.

Comment: Then John here gives us the test. How to test if someone is the antichrist. John says the antichrist is one who denies that Jesus is Christ. One who denies the Father and the Son. This is because one who denies the Son, denies also the Father and does not have the Father. On the other hand John tells us that whoever confesses Jesus as Christ the Son of God, has the Father also. Therefore these antichrist who deny and refuse to confess Jesus, they don’t have God. 

Message: The antichrist are in the church and come from the church. Those that have left already have shown they were never part of the church. They deny Jesus as Christ. They don’t have God in them as a result. But us as believers know the truth and are able to discern what is truth and what is lies. We should use this ability to differentiate between truth and lies to identify the antichrist among us. 

24 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.

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

Comment: Let the gospel that John’s readers have heard abide in them, the true message that they have heard, the truth about God and about our Lord Jesus Christ that they have heard, let it remain in them. This is because if this truth abides in them, they also will abide in the Son and in the Father. Jesus did promise us eternal life which is what we will have if we abide in His word and therefore in Him and the Father.

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

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.

Comment: John highlights that he is writing all this about those who are trying to deceive us. So, these antichrist are not only in the church for nothing, even though some of them have already left, they want to deceive us and John is warning us about them. These will try and teach us heresy and lies but John, is saying that the Holy Spirit that we have received abides in us and He is our teacher and therefore, we need no one else to teach us. He teaches the truth and not lies like the antichrist. Therefore as He the Holy Spirit teaches us to abide in Jesus Christ, let us abide in Him, amen.

Message:  Let us allow the Holy Spirit that we have received and that abides in us be our teacher as He teaches only the truth. The antichrists will also like to teach us heresy and lies but, we must not listen to them. Let us abide in our Lord Jesus Christ as the Spirit teaches us and to us a promise of eternal life has been made. Therefore let us allow the truth of the word of God abide in us and as a result we will be able to abide in Jesus and in God.