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. 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. 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 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. 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.

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

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

(1 John 2:18-29 ESV)

Is truth important?

John writes so that we may know the truth, and in knowing the truth, have assurance of our salvation.  He has presented two tests already, the moral test in 1 John 2:3-6, the test of obedience, and the social test in 2:7-11, the test of love.  Here he presents the third test in 2:17-23, the test of doctrine.  It’s interesting to note that if we fail the first two, we are ‘a liar‘, but if we fail the last, we are ‘the liar‘.  In any case, the truth is not in us.

If so, what are the lies?  Who are the liars?

In this section, John seems to be speaking about the Gnostics, a group of philosophers and religious leaders who believed that Jesus was a prophet, a teacher, and was divine for a portion of his life, but was not the incarnation of God.  His divinity was granted to him at his baptism, and left prior to his death on the cross, so he was born and died as a man, completely human, not God.  They “pirated Christian motifs to propagate an understanding of salvation based on esoteric “knowledge” (Gk. gnōsis). According to this view, redemption is through affirming the divine light already in the human soul, not through repentance of sin and faith in Christ’s death to bring about spiritual rebirth. ” (Introduction to 1 John, ESV study notes)

They had been a part of the church, but had gone out and began spreading this different story.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. (2:19 ESV)

Almost as an aside, in this one statement, John touches on a couple of pretty strategic doctrines in this section, the nature of the church (“They went out from us, but they were not of us”) and perseverance of the saints (“if they had been of us they would have continued with us”).  They were a part of the local church, although not true believers.  Not every professing member of the local church is a true believer.  Shocking, but true.  If they were a true believer, they would have persevered, because that’s what true believers do.  We’re not true believers because we persevere, but we persevere because we are true believers.

The lie these people were telling was the denial of Jesus as God, and as a result the denial of God. If Jesus was God, is God, then denying Him is denying God.  Today this is seen in the movement that says Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same God, which cannot be true if two of the three deny the triune aspect of God, and Jesus’ divinity.

“No one who denies the Son has the Father” (2:23a ESV)

What is the truth?

The truth of the matter is this: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  John R W Stott had this to say: “The fundamental doctrinal test of the professing Christian concerns his view of the person of Jesus”.

“Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (2:23b ESV)

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
(Matthew 10:32-33 ESV)

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
(John 12:42-43 ESV)

because, 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.
(Romans 10:9-10 ESV)

Only the Son can reveal the Father to us:

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
(Matthew 11:27 ESV)

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
(John 1:18 ESV)

And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.
(John 12:44-45 ESV)

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
(John 14:9 ESV)

and only the Son can represent and reconcile us to the Father:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
(1 John 2:1-2 ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6 ESV)

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
(1 Timothy 2:5-6 ESV)

What protections do we have against heresy?

We have the teachings we have heard from the beginning, both from God’s Word as we’ve learned under the teaching of others, and from the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  We continue in the truth as we continue to abide in Christ, study God’s Word, and fellowship with the body of Christ on earth.

Created by: Forensic Psychology

This hymn text comes from Gadsby’s Hymns (#487), and was written by Joseph Hart on the subject of Christ’s resurrection.  I think it could be sung quite easily (and successfully) to the same tune used for “Crown Him With Many Crowns” by grouping the eight verses into four.  Sing it silently, to yourself, now, or better yet, sing it at the top of your lungs, proclaiming its message to those around you!  “Let every breast with gladness glow, And every mouth sing praise.”

Christians, dismiss your fear;
Let hope and joy succeed;
The great good news with gladness hear,
The Lord is risen indeed.

The shades of death withdrawn,
His eyes their beams display;
So wakes the sun, when rosy dawn
Unbars the gates of day.

The promise is fulfilled;
Salvation’s work is done;
Justice with mercy’s reconciled,
And God has raised His Son.

He quits the dark abode,
From all corruption free;
The holy, harmless Child of God
Could no corruption see.

Angels, with saints above,
The rising Victor sing;
And all the blissful seats of love
With loud hosannas ring.

Ye pilgrims, too, below,
Your hearts and voices raise;
Let every breast with gladness glow,
And every mouth sing praise.

My soul, thy Saviour laud,
Who all thy sorrows bore;
Who died for sin, but lives to God,
And lives to die no more.

His death procured the peace,
His resurrection’s thine;
Believe; receive the full release;
‘Tis signed with blood divine.

These were taken Wednesday morning, 3/7/2012, at roughly the same time.  Notice the difference in the snow on the benches.  Amazing!

One of the first things I saw were the cedar trees along the trail behind the house.  They were bowed under the weight of the snow, and my immediate thought was that they were bowed in worship at the wonder of God’s creation.

Then I walked to the front of the house and saw these birds sitting on a branch looking out over the lake and was reminded how God cares for them, and even more for us.  He protected them through the storm, kept them, and now they’re out and about, ready for another day.  Matthew said it like this: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

Finally I thought of the beauty of the freshly fallen snow, and was reminded of the hymn “Whiter Than Snow” written by James Nicholson in 1872.

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul.
Break down every idol, cast out every foe;
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Isaiah said it like this: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”  How wonderful it is to have your sins forgiven and be washed whiter than snow!

When you are oppressed with the weight of any duty or service in your calling, improve your trust in God’s power. Perhaps you find the duty of your calling too heavy for your weak shoulders: lay the heaviest end of your burden in God’s shoulder. When at any time you are sick of your work and ready with Jonah to run from it, encourage yourself with that which God said to Gideon; ‘Go in this your might’, has not God called you? … Such a bountiful heart your God has, that while you are asking for a little peace and joy, He bids you to open your mouth wide and He will fill it. Set your needs all before the Almighty. God has strength enough to give.

William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor

As quoted in Voices from the Past, Puritan Devotional Readings, edited by Richard Rushing

“… never think you behave yourselves as becomes Christians, except when you sincerely, sensibly, and fervently love all men, of whatever party or opinion, and whether friendly or unkind, just or injurious, to you or your friends, or to the cause and kingdom of Christ.”

Jonathan Edwards

There are a lot of songs mulling in my head, but these two seem to be at the top right now.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

The Doxology, by Thomas Ken

And this is a bit more recent, by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who bore my pain;
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace
And gave me life again;
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness
And clothed me in His light
And wrote His law of righteousness
With pow’r upon my heart.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who walks beside;
Who floods my weaknesses with strength
And causes fears to fly;
Whose ev’ry promise is enough
For ev’ry step I take,
Sustaining me with arms of love
And crowning me with grace.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To him who reigns above,
Whose wisdom is my perfect peace,
Whose ev’ry thought is love.
For ev’ry day I have on earth
Is given by the King;
So I will give my life, my all,
To love and follow him.

“My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness”
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2003 Thankyou Music