Confidence in The Promises of God

1 John 2:18-3:10 - Riley Boggs 

John Wycliffe was born in 1328 and was a great theologian. He was one of the earliest reformers. He came before the actual protestant reformation took place, but heralded many of the truths that those of the reformation would herald, and that we herald today. For this, he is called the “morning star of the reformation”. He is also known as the one who helped translate the Bible from Latin Vulgate into the common English so that everyday people could read it. You may have heard of Wycliffe Bible Translators, who continue the work of translating today.

As a reformer and seeing the evil coming from the catholic church, he did what many likely wanted to do, but weren’t brave enough. He called the pope the antichrist. He didn’t mince words or keep this quiet. He saw the pope trying to keep the Bible out of the common people’s hand, taking their money in order to grant them “forgiveness” (known as indulgences), and spouted countless lies about what the Word of God says or doesn’t say. He called it what it was, anti-christ.

Obviously calling the pope the antichrist wasn’t well received, though the pope was certainly showing characteristics of an antichrist. For this and his teachings, Wycliffe was hated and considered a heretic, but they didn’t get to put him to death before he died of a stroke at the age of 56.

You may think that’s the end of the story, but the wickedness of the Roman Catholic Church found a way to make sure it wasn’t. 41 years after he had died, he was excommunicated from the church, they exhumed his body from the ground, and burned his remains to make their point. Evil.

Why do I tell this story? In today’s text John mentions the antichrist, both singular and plural, which we will talk about more later. But what John Wycliffe saw in the leaders of the catholic church at this time, and what John the Apostle sees in the false teachers at this time, is the same. That is that they are seeking to do that which is opposed to Christ. They are spouting lies and harming the church. With that in mind, John reminds the people of a few different things in this passage. This morning we will look at 3 of them.

1.) Children of God persevere till the end (2:18-27)

There is a lot happening in these 10 verses, and I think it would be helpful for us to first define some of the terms he uses before we really get into the text. There are 2 in particular that I want to explain. 

First, John says it is the “last hour”. What does he mean by this? Presumably John wrote these words somewhere around 100AD. So we are talking about almost 2,000 years ago. Did he get it wrong? Did John think the end was right around the corner, or is he meaning something different by “the last hour”? I think it’s the latter. John did not think that he was living in the literal last hour, rather he is referring to an indefinite period of time. That period of time is the time from the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, until His return again. We do not know how long until He returns again, but throughout the Scriptures this period of time is referred to as “the last days”, “the last hour”, or something similar. The reason it is referred to as this is because the pinnacle of human history has taken place, and everything afterwards is simply a waiting period until He returns. Jesus came, He lived, He died, He rose again, and He ascended. The Redemption plan from God has unfolded, and the end is near.

And the Bible also tells us that we should treat this time as if it were the literal last hour. We should be ready, even eager, for the coming of Christ again to make all things right once and for all. We do not know when, and we would be unwise to speculate at all. Jesus Himself says in Matthew 24:36, “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, or the Son, but the Father only.” In other words, we simply do not know and there is no way of finding out. So instead of speculating, we speak the way the Bible speaks. We are in the last days, and we act accordingly.

Okay so John wasn’t guessing about when the end was, but he is making a point about this time period. He tells us first that we are in the last hour and second, he tells us how we can know that we are in the last hour. He says that we know we are in this time period because there is an antichrist coming, and that there have been many antichrists already come. 

This brings us to the second term we need to define, that I mentioned in the introduction; “antichrist.” There are a lot of questions concerning the antichrist. “Who is the antichrist? Will I know them when I see them? Is there one? Is there more than one?” I don’t want to spend a ton of time on this, and I don’t promise to answer all these questions, but I do want to flesh it out a bit for us. Plus, remember John repeats what he says several times throughout this book, so we won’t have to work as carefully through the end of our text today as he is repeating himself from texts we have already looked at in depth.

Okay, so the antichrist. From our text today we can draw a few clear conclusions. First, the antichrist is both one and many. What do I mean by that? Well in verse 18 he says that there is a singular antichrist who is coming, and that there are many antichrists present currently. The Bible makes it clear that one day there will be one who could be identified as “The Antichrist”, and at the same time the Bible makes it clear that there many antichrists. I think the best analogy we have for this is actually Christ and Christians. We do not say that there are multiple Christ’s, there is only one Jesus Christ. Yet all those who follow Him, who seek His ways, who long to live in the way that He did, we call Christians. In the same way, John is saying that there is going to come an Antichrist, but within your midst right now, there are multiple antichrists. People who follow, seek, live in the manner of, the antichrist who is to come. Instead of seeking Christ, the seek the enemy. They are anti-christ. 

Now who is he referring to here as antichrist? He is speaking here about the false teachers who are denying Jesus’ humanity. They are the antichrists who are actively deceiving others to believing lies. Actually Paul makes this same point in his letter to Timothy. Listen to what he says in 1 Timothy 4:1-3. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times (there’s that term again) some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. “ 

So those who oppose Christ and His Word, the false teachers, are antichrists, and that is who John is referring to. The same kind of people that Paul is referring to. John actually makes it clear who he is talking about in verse 22-23. He says, “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.” Remember these false teachers were denying who Jesus really was, claiming that he was not actually human. So John tells us that since they deny Jesus, they deny the father, for that, they are antichrists. 

As a side note, there is a sense in which all people who have not repented of their sins and placed their faith in Christ are antichrists as well. There is no neutral standing on Christ. You can’t be indifferent or ignorant about the truth, and be in the middle. You are either for Christ or against Him, aka antichrist.

Now concerning the one antichrist who John mentions will come, this text doesn’t give us any indication of what they will be like, other than they will be anti-Christ. There have been many called the antichrist before, like the pope, and there will be many more to come. If we take up another text concerning the antichrist one day we will go further, but that isn’t the point John is trying to make.

I think from this, John is actually making the point that all of God’s people will endure until the end. All Christians will keep their faith until the last days are over. There will be no true Christian, no true believer, who will “lose” their salvation along the way. Now John knows that this causes some questions. What about those who claim to be Christians for years, but then say they no longer believe and hate God? I mean their salvation seemed real and sincere, is John saying that was all a lie? John answers this question in verse 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.” In other words, those who seem to “lose their salvation” are showing themselves to have never had salvation.

Now what about the case where a professing Christians walks into sin for a period of time, but then comes back and repents of what they have done? In that case we can certainly call them a believer, since they have repented, the very act of being a follower of Christ. Whenever someone walks away from the faith, there are only 2 reasons they will come back. Either because they know the truth, and it keeps them from continuing in their sinful ways, and they return. Or they come to know the truth for the first time, and come back, really for the first time. There is no category where someone truly knows the God, truly doesn’t know Him, and then truly knows Him again. 

John makes this point in verse 21 and 27, that children of God know the truth. They need to be reminded for their own sanctification and encouragement, but they don’t need to be taught for the first time again so they can reup their salvation. If you are a child of God, you are a child of God forever.

How can that be? True believers have been anointed, or in other words, indwelled by the Spirit of God, and abide in Christ. And verse 25, those who are anointed and abide in Christ, are promised eternal life. If you have repented of your sins and placed your faith in Jesus Christ, there is nothing else you need to do to secure your eternity. It is sure. You will make it until the end. Not because you’re strong enough, but because the Spirit of God will empower you to. He will help you believe when you doubt. He will help you remember when you forget. He will help you resist sin when you struggle. He is working for you, and He will ensure you make it, and He cannot fail. You are abiding Christ, and He has promises eternal life for all who abide in Him, and His Promises are true.

Be encouraged and emboldened to know that despite false teachers, despite false conversions, despite antichrists, despite the antichrist, all children of God will persevere until the end. He is keeping you.

2.) Children of God have no reason to fear the end (2:28-3:3)

Is “the end” scary to you? If you are a believer, there is no reason for you to fear the end, the return of Christ. John says we shouldn’t fear in verses 28-29. He says, “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.” That is, if you abide in Him and seek to obey Him, aka if you are a Christian, then you should not worry about when He comes, but you should be confident when He appears. 

There are number of reasons why it may be the case, but when the book of Revelation is discussed, it can often invoke fear for believers. Since I’m not preaching that book, I won’t go there to show you why, but I don’t think that is what the author intended. All the seemingly scary imagery, I don’t think is meant to invoke any fear for believers.  Do you know who wrote the book of Revelation? John the apostle. The same one who wrote this book here. John’s purpose for writing the book of Revelation was not to foster fear in Christians about the end. His purpose was to encourage believers to press on despite all the things of the world. Despite the enemy, false teachers, antichrists, and all the sufferings of this world. His admonishment is keep running to the end, because it will be glorious, and there is no reason to fear. There is a whole way of reading the book of Revelation I think makes it clear that this is the case, and if anyone is interested, I would be more than happy to talk about, but the point is this. John wants believers to think of the second coming of Christ and feel no trepidation. 

I think he is making a similar point here. It is clear that this is the case in verses 1-3, and gives us the reasoning behind it. Look at what he says. The reason that you should not have any fear or trepidation is because you are going to appear like Christ. Here is what that means. When you repent of your sins, and place your faith in Christ, the debt that you owed because of your sins is taken by Christ. That means there is no wrath or condemnation for you, you are as John says in verse 3, made pure. You are seen as sinless, as one who has done no wrong. Not only that, but you are also imputed with the righteousness of Christ. This means that though you were unrighteousness by nature and because of your sin, you are now considered righteous before God. Because the righteous one, Jesus Christ, died on your behalf, so that you could be accredited His righteousness. 

And so, when Christ returns, and the end takes place, we will be seen not as our own selves. Not as those who struggled with sin, sometimes resisting and sometimes giving in. No, you will be seen as He is. You will be seen as the one who has never sinned, the spotless lamb. The one who perfectly upheld the law. You will be seen as righteous, through and through. All of the imagery in the book of Revelation is not awaiting a people who will be seen as Christ, no what is awaiting us is a loving Father and a glorious eternity.

So why would we, as children of God, fear the end? For what reason? If we believe what the Bible says to be true, we should be confident of what is to come. We should know that when Christ comes back, there is nothing to fear, for we will be seen as He is. This is what John says to encourage these believers to keep going, to long for the day when these deceivers can no longer create havoc in the church with their lies. 

The last point I want to draw out of this text is this… 

3.) Christ’s redemptive work gives us the ability to not sin (3:4-10)

Theologians have given us 4 stages that we as humans have or will experience in our ability to sin or keep from sinning. This is what they are.

1.)     Adam and Eve, before the fall, were able to not sin.

2.)     After the fall, all humans are not able to not sin. (bound to sin)

3.)     After salvation, believers are able to not sin.

4.)     Once we are in heaven, we will be unable to sin.

The reason I point this out is because John is reminding us that we are in stage number 3, not number 2. That is, as followers of Christ, we are not bound to sin anymore, but we are able to not sin. In fact, it is the ability to not sin that distinguishes believers from unbelievers. Look at what he says in these verses, 4-10.

The work of Christ both frees us from the debt of our sin, and frees us from the inability to not sin. This doesn’t mean that we don’t still fight against sin in a very real way. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t tempted to sin daily. It doesn’t mean that we don’t ever give in and find ourselves in need of repentance. What it means is that because of Christ’s work, and because of the Spirits power within you, you can say no to sin. And it is this repetition of saying no to sin that makes it clear that you are born of God, that He does abide in you, and you in Him.

Very practically, this is what that looks like. This is not news to you all at all, but the sexual sin in our society is unbelievable. It is everywhere and no one is completely unaffected. We have millions of people addicted to pornography, from as young as you can imagine to as old as you can imagine. Nearly everything on TV, in some way or another, contains something that years ago would have probably been considered pornography. It’s everywhere. And from this, and all the other things that a sex obsessed culture causes, we have the most sexual sin one can imagine. It’s everywhere.

So how does one who is “able to not sin” navigate these times? I mean it can feel like it’s impossible to avoid it, or if you’re in it, it’s impossible to get out of it. My encouragement to you is that you can say no. You really can, and you must. You need to confess and repent. You need to set up safeguards. You may need to take what to the world would look like extreme measures. You need to set yourself for success, so that you can do what God’s work has given you the ability to do. To say no. To not sin. If that means asking for help, do it. You aren’t alone.

John says in verse 8 that, “whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” John is reminding of us the whole reason that the Son of God came. To destroy the works of the devil. What does that mean? John Piper describes it like this, “The work of the devil is to tempt people to sin. When they sin, his work is accomplished. So what the Son of God came to destroy is not just the guilt of sin (which might enable us to stay like we are and go right on sinning into heaven) but actually sinning.” In other words, the Son of God came so that you may be forgiven and so that you would sin no more. From the beginning Satan has been seeking to cause sin, and he has won many times, but that does not mean he has any authority over your decision to sin. You can say no to all sin. And when you do, you will be filled with joy and God will be glorified. Jordan has reminded me of this many times. He said that you will never regret being obedient to God. Never. You never will. So obey, and enjoy the endless blessings that God pours out on His children. Children who are marked by obedience.

In just a minute we are going to come to the table together, and I want to remind you of this before we do. This meal is a meal of victory. In culture at large, or maybe sometimes in our own minds, people think that there is a cosmic battle taking place. On one hand you have God, the good. On the other hand, you have Satan, the bad. They are constantly at war with one another, and one day one of them will win out. 

Let me be very clear on this. That is so far from the truth. There is no cosmic battle taking place between God and Satan where the end is unsure. The battle has been won. God is triumphant, and there was never a doubt. There was no possibility that He wouldn’t be. He is victorious, and so those who place their faith in Christ are victorious as well. We do seek obedience and flee from sin for victory, but from victory. Yes, Satan is still at work and there is still so much sin in the world. And there is still sin in all of us that we are day-by-day seeking to rid. But, there is grace and forgiveness for you when you fail. And the power of the Spirit will enable you to overcome sin, because Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, and He did. Let this meal be a reminder to you of the victory. The joyous victory that we have been given in Christ.