 First John chapter 2. Let's see. I'll begin reading at verse 24. I'll read verses 24 and 25 and then we'll get into our study. First John chapter 2 verses 24 and 25. Therefore, let that abiding you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us eternal life. I'm going to keep reading. These things I've written to you concerning those who try to deceive you, but the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you. But as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and it's true and it's not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now little children abide in Him that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. And so I'm going to review a few things as I normally do and then lead into our study that we'll be looking at as we're going to be looking at verses 24 through 29. As we've been going through 1 John in the second chapter, John has warned the church about deception. Deception has been entering into the congregations. In verse 18 of chapter 2 he had said, Antichrist is coming, but even now he said there are many antichrists. The last days, in other words, is going to be filled with antichrists and that would be what led to the revelation of the final Antichrist, whom we refer to as the Antichrist. So the deception is going to be one of the conditions that is existing in the last days. Even remember with me how Jesus was speaking to His men as they were leaving the temple area. He had stated that all these stones would be brought down and all His men were concerned concerning these things. When is this going to happen? Where's the signs of your coming? And all they asked Him. And He said, Take heed that no one deceives you. So the very first evidence of the last days is going to be deception. So John speaks concerning the same way because deception will be the condition existing in the last days. In 2 Peter, the apostle Peter in chapter 2 verse 1 said, But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction. There were false prophets, there will be false teachers among you. Paul in 1 Timothy 4 verse 1 said, The Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times, the last days, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. So these antichrists are actually paving the way for the final antichrist. He says they are deceivers. They are false teachers engaging in efforts to lead believers astray. In verse 19 he had said that they went out from us, but they were not of us. They were never, in other words, genuinely saved. He said they went out, they departed. They departed from the congregation of believers. In other words, they attended church, but were never saved. Just because they were members will say of the fellowship didn't mean that they were actually saved because he said in verse 19, had they been saved, they would have remained in doctrine, apostolic doctrine. You see a genuine believer abides in fellowship in God's word with other Christians. And those who are genuine believers will continue in the things of God. In John 8 31 Jesus said it like this. He said, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. So a false teacher will leave the church family and he also often will take people with him. The departure from the truth and fellowship will amass them as deceivers. Now were these people that he's referring to, were they at one time actual genuine Christians? John is saying they're not. Why? Because a genuine believer continues in Christ, abides in him. So those who turn away from the Lord only have a slight and passing taste of the gospel. They have not partaken fully in salvation. In John 6 53 through 56 Jesus said, very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise them up at last day for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I and them. In other words, fully assimilating by faith the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just having a passing knowledge of him or the capacity to answer questions that come out of a catechism, but having an actual real relationship with God. It speaks of abiding in Christ. So those who have been saved, abide in Christ and they don't forsake him. In 2 John in verse 9 John said, anyone who runs ahead and doesn't continue in the teaching of Christ doesn't have God. Whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. So when God is moving it's inevitable that that deceivers will enter in order to undermine because the enemy always attempts to destroy the work of God. Sometimes people will begin to attend a church and they bring false doctrine with them. Sometimes members of the church begin to be influenced by error and then begin to influence others to error. And when that's not addressed what happens is the false teaching gains a foothold. That's why systematic teaching that's rightly divided is so important. It provides safety for the young and growing believers. So when this occurs false teachers, wolves, are exposed. So teaching the Word of God, the bad doctrine is exposed for what it is. Now he had said in verse 20, you have an anointing from the Holy One. You know all things. A real comfort comes from knowing that the Holy Spirit is on duty. In John 16 verse 13, Jesus said it like this. He said, when he the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. So John isn't providing information that they're not aware of. Verse 21 made that clear. He's simply saying, those who remain in heresy are manifesting. They never were saved. In verse 22, he had asked who is a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ. He is anti-Christ. So that's the test of orthodoxy. Who is Jesus Christ? Is Jesus God in human flesh? You see the denial of Jesus's humanity struck at the very heart of the incarnation. The incarnation, God taken upon himself, human flesh, was so important that John began his gospel with it. Remember in John chapter 1 verse 1 how it says, in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. In John 1 14, he went on to say, the Word became flesh dwelt among us. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus Christ is presented very clearly in scripture as God in the flesh. The apostle Paul wrote that Jesus is God in the flesh. In Colossians 1 verse 19, Paul said it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell. In Colossians 2 verse 9, he said, for in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In 1st Timothy 3 16, without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. And finally the Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews writes the same thing in Hebrews 1 verse 6. It says, when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, let all the angels of God worship him. In verse 8 of Hebrews 1, but about the Son, he says, your throne, O God, will last forever and ever. A scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. I say all of that to remind you that the Gnostic influencers, the infiltrators, were teaching that Jesus was not God. So John is making it clear that that is error. That's why in verse 23 he said, whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. The word deny speaks of rejecting. Whoever rejects Christ doesn't have God. So to deny Jesus is to be anti-Christ. The only way to know the true God is to come through Jesus Christ because to have Jesus is to have God. When people will say to you that they're a believer in God but not a believer of Jesus, John's answer would be that they're not a believer in the true God. To have Christ is to have God. To reject Christ is to not have God. In John 5, 23, second portion, whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. So to deny this revelation is to deny the word of God. So that brings us up to verse 24. And that's where we'll begin our study. So he continues by saying, verse 24, therefore, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. Hold on to the teachings you have received about who God is. Build your life, he's saying, on this revelation. Remain firmly committed to what you know. If this teaching concerning Jesus and who he is abides in you, he's saying, you're safe. So remain rooted and grounded in God's revelation. Be faithful to remain in it and be faithful to guard it from any alteration. He had said in 1 John 2, verse 5, whoever keeps or guards his word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this, we know that we are in him. So be faithful to remain in the word of God and what God reveals about Christ and guard it from alteration. Let God's revelation of Jesus Christ abide in you. May that revelation guide you. May that revelation teach you. May that revelation empower you. And he goes on in verse 25. This is a promise that he's promised us. Eternal life. God cannot lie and God has made promises. God has made promises to believers and God's promise of eternal life is realized when we abide in him. You know Jesus on one occasion had stated that we are to be like little children if we don't become like little children. We're not going to enter into the kingdom of God. And one of the things that comes to mind even as I'm looking at this about little children is they never forget a promise. Anybody who is a parent knows that. If you promise your kid something they'll remind you. They will remind you about it. They never forget a promise. For some reason they never remember promises of getting spanked if you don't do something. But they do remember the promises you made that you're going to give them something. Children have that ability. That's what they remember. That's what they concentrate on. And John often calls us his beloved children or little children. That's those who are reading his letter. My beloved children. My little children. That's a term of endearment from a rabbi to one of his students. And it's something that's very daring. He's telling them these are things that you need to remember. You need to remember God's promises to you. You need to hold fast because God is not a liar. God doesn't take his word back. He's going to hold fast to what he said. And if he made these promises he'll keep these promises. And the promise he's given to you is eternal life. And that that promise is realized when you rest in him and abide in him. When you trust in him. Trusting the one who cannot lie. And when you do that that results in life. In John's Gospel chapter five verse 24 he said it like this. Most assuredly I say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life shall not come into judgment but has passed from death into life. John six verse 40 for my father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day. John six forty seven most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me has eternal life. Those are his promises. And these are the things that we that we hold fast to. And that's what he's saying in verse 25. This is the promise that he promised us eternal life. I don't have to work for it. I don't have to strive to attain it. I just have to believe him and receive it. I just have to know that he doesn't lie. And what he has said he will do. And if he's promised me that if I commit myself to him if I repent for my sin ask for his forgiveness receive him ask my Savior open my heart that his spirit might dwell in me. I can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have eternal life. It's not based on anything I've done. It's not by words of righteousness which I have done. It's his mercy. He's done it for us and that's what we rejoice in. And I can accept that promise. Now in verse 26 he says these things I've written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. I mentioned to you that there are a few reasons that John has written. He wanted us to have joy. He said that in chapter 1. This is the second reason. He says I've written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. Concerning those who are leading you away or leading you astray. He's writing to safeguard his readers which would include us by the way from deception. The word deception is a word that speaks of seduction. It's a spiritual seduction deception. These deceivers do all they can. He's saying to confuse you so I am writing to expose them. I'm warning you because they're trying to lead you astray because these people are false teachers. They are also anti-Christ. So as an apostle and as a shepherd John loved God's word and God loved John loved God's people. You know when you love God's word and you're a shepherd not only do you love teaching but you love those whom you teach. I've said this before. It always comes to mind when I think of this. My mom told me one day you know David I love love sharing the word. It's people I can't stand and I remember telling my mama and well mama you've got it wrong there because you can't love doing something you have to love those whom you are giving the word to. It's not just talking it's loving those people. You see as an apostle he loved the people. He was a shepherd. He was God's sheep dog if you will and he protected the sheep from the wolves. He was openly revealing who they were by the way by specifically identifying them. We live in an odd time and it's not just now it's been for a while where people begin even in churches like this will get upset if the pastor happens to mention the name of a teacher that you ought to be aware of. For some reason the church is hypersensitive. I think the spirit of this age has influenced a lot of believers and instead of that believer appreciating hearing be careful for this guy's teaching error instead of them appreciating it they get upset and say you're judging them but Jesus said judge righteous judgment. There's nowhere in scripture that says I shouldn't have discernment. There's nowhere in the Bible that says that I should just allow people to lie to me because it's okay because I'm really loving them when they do. If somebody was trying to take out one of my little girls and I knew that they were a dog not a nice person if I said to them to them you know what that guy's okay I wouldn't be a real father or grandfather. See I'm done with having to raise my girls now they can make as many mistakes as they want but when they were under my roof I had the responsibility of protecting them so I would say I don't really think so I don't think that person's good for you oh dad you just don't know him I don't want to know him I know enough I see myself in him every every man knows what I just said I see myself in him before I got saved I know a con when I see one and you be careful you be careful with that one because they're telling you things that they think you want to hear by the way seduction is simply having somebody tell you the things they know you want to hear that's how you're seduced it can go with male female either way that's how you're seduced a guy gets to know a girl a guy a guy who's a little experienced in life at all and I'll be careful not to go too far now because my mind's traveling down this and probably shouldn't but I'll do it anyway for a minute it only takes you a few minutes in the first conversation a guy with a girl to know her weakness it doesn't take any time at all guys am I telling you these women alike it's the truth it only took you a few minutes to figure her out what is it she likes what is it she doesn't like what does she want to hear how should I say it you're already generating that in your head you'll say something she won't react the way you think she should so you say something you finally find the weak spot and once you find that weak spot that's where you stay that's how seduction happens that's how it happens you figure them out you find their weakness you promise some things they want to hear and eventually you seduce them that happens that's a fact that's how it works and so mental seduction spirit spiritual seduction is the same thing it it's it's knowing what they want to hear what do they want to hear they want to hear this so they say that and what happens is they end up making a lot of money and they steal your soul that's what they do I could start giving you names of people that you're all familiar with already that you have to be careful with people who look like they're telling you the truth but in fact are tinting that that word with things that are incorrect anytime a man does not rightly divide the word of God anytime a man stands up as if he is the authority without giving you scripture giving you cross-reference pointing you why this is that somebody to be careful with because they take the place of the authority of scripture you have to be careful with that that's why I teach the way I do I'll give you scripture I'll give you cross-reference go look it up see if I'm rightly dividing if I'm not correct me because I have to do that as a shepherd and a sheepdog that's what I do so Paul is is rather John is telling them that these are the things they need to be careful with now sometimes you'll identify in Romans 16 17 and 18 Paul said it like this and I'm going to take this apart for you he said I urge you brethren note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them for those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple roman 16 17 18 I'm going to take this apart for you just to show you something Paul urged when he says that I urge that word urge Paul exhorted them to note the word note means be aware of those who cause who create divisions dissension and disunity and offenses which are snares contrary to the doctrine or the teaching they had learned he said avoid turn away from them for those who are such of this sort do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly their own appetites or hearts by smooth smooth words are kind words or plausible talk and flattering speech the word flattering means praise they deceive completely seduce the hearts which speaks of thoughts or feelings of the simple the innocent the naive or those without guile he is saying these people infiltrate and deceive the innocent watch out for him he said make note of them be aware of them because they're going to take you down a path that you should not go to over the years I've been very careful to when necessary to share with our church be careful with these teachers look out for these teachers many of those whom you see on television today are not giving you the genuine gospel many of those whom you may hear on a radio station are not really given to you the word of God properly be aware of that and always be willing to check them out to see whether the things they're saying are true or not and so you have that responsibility but notice verse 27 he says but the anointing which you have received from him abides in you and you do not need that anyone teach you but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and it's true it's not a lie and just as it has taught you you will abide in him as believers he's saying you have received an anointing you've received the anointing of the Holy Spirit now when you read your Old Testament kings and priests and prophets would be anointed for service to the Lord John is saying that believers have received an anointing of the Spirit in 1 Peter the Apostle Peter said in chapter 2 verse 5 he said you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ so in the face of this deception that is infiltrating the churches Paul is rather John is saying I am confident that the Spirit will safeguard you you have received apostolic doctrine you are grounded in God's word and the Spirit will enable you to discern false doctrine you have the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit will safeguard and the Holy Spirit will teach in John 14 26 it says the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you I wonder how many of us in this room when we first got saved were approached by somebody bringing false doctrine I wonder I was I remember it very well the first time I remember it very well hadn't been a Christian more than a week or two and there was a knock on the door I answered the door there were two people standing at the door telling me things that that they believed that they said we are Christian witnesses who are going door to door to share the gospel with people and they were Jehovah's Witnesses and and I didn't know a thing about Jehovah's Witnesses other than my grandmother was a Jehovah's Witness but she never spoke to me about anything and so I didn't know what they were talking about so I said oh really they said yes we are Jehovah's Christian witnesses I said are you really and they said yeah I said well you know what now you have to picture this I was a hippie so I had the long hair I was wearing a Japanese robe with dragons on it you know and round hippie glasses and bushy sideburns and barefoot you know jeans and just just a hippie and I'm standing there and they're looking at me and so you know we're Jehovah's Christian witnesses they said and I said you're Christians I don't know the difference I'm brand new in the Lord I'm two weeks old yes we're Christians so am I I got really excited because I was taught that you're supposed to be well if they're Christians aren't they you know I didn't know anything about truth or error yet but when they started speaking to me and at first you know they didn't really want to they were kind of freaked out me but you know I was really exuberant and so they finally started trying to share things with I still remember this I don't remember what they're saying but I do remember how I responded I remember looking at them as they were speaking and when they finished sharing with me what it was that they wanted me to know I said you know I don't think I agree with you I said I just don't I don't think what you're saying is is true is accurate I wasn't arguing arguing with them I was just saying I just don't think so I had no idea that that is the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit was giving to me a brand new believer a sense that this there's something wrong with what they're saying that's what John is saying the Spirit is within you he gives you discernment you'll you'll hear something it sounds wrong because it is wrong and that's why Jesus had said to us that the Spirit will teach us all things and bring to our remembrance the things that he said so I trust the Holy Spirit I trust the Holy Spirit who will awaken us and say to us that's that's not true that's not in my word obviously we should stay in the word and know the word but there are times when the Holy Spirit is just on duty like that and awakens us to it in verse 28 he said now little children abide in him and when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming abide in him dwell in him abide in him produces security and it gives us confidence for our future when he says abide that means remain vitally connected to Jesus the true vine in John 15 4 and 5 Jesus said remain in me abide in me as I also abide or remain in you no branch can bear fruit by itself it must remain in the vine neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me I am the vine you are the branches if you remain in me and I and you you will bear much fruit apart from me you can do nothing so abiding in Christ and in his word is the antidote to false belief and ungodly behavior persevering in Christ is the evidence that you're a genuine Christian so you continue in his word you continue in fellowship and you continue in fellowshiping with his children now notice in verse 28 it says when he appears that word appears simply means when he is made visible or when he's seen abiding in Christ causes us not to fear his return as we love him and serve him we live in confident assurance that we'll see him and when he appears we will see him as he is we'll see that in later chapters and when the rapture occurs we're going to go and be with him now false teachers have no confidence they're going to be ashamed that word ashamed when he speaks about it there in verse 28 means to be openly disgraced or being put to shame by Jesus why is that because Jesus's return will mean judgment and rejection of them and then he says in verse 29 if you know that he's righteous you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him if you know that he is righteous you know that the one practicing righteousness is of him if you know that he's righteous one god is righteous we see that all through scripture I just give you a couple verses Deuteronomy 32 verse 4 the rock his work is perfect for all his ways are just a god of faithfulness and without injustice righteous and upright is he Psalm 11 verse 7 the Lord is righteous he loves righteousness his countenance beholds the upright Isaiah 5 16 the Lord of hosts will be exalted in judgment and the holy god will show himself holy in righteousness so if you know he is righteous well since god is righteous it follows that his children live righteously god's children don't practice and don't live in sin god's children live pure lives you see some of the false teachers had been teaching that believers could remain in sin because they believed that physical actions did not impact spiritual reality and so they taught that the spirit would not be corrupted by fleshly works for them that meant that someone could sin but it wouldn't affect their spiritual selves well john had said that's that's error he had said in chapter one verses five and six this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you that god is light and in him is no darkness at all if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth if he is righteous it goes without saying his children will be righteous also because we are his children so those who are saved no longer practice sinful lifestyles you turned away from it you turned away from sin you confessed it you received forgiveness and the scripture says in Psalm 119 verse three as a result they do know iniquity they walk in his ways you see if you don't want to be ashamed then be made righteous through Christ because the fruit of regeneration will be a life that is earmarked by righteousness and true righteousness is only possible if someone has been born again again we're going to receive communion in a moment so i want to be careful with the time you are all know we are all known by something every one of us in this room has a reputation every one of us is known for something i was sharing with a friend of mine just the other day how that when i first got saved i had the opportunity to go up north to a place called pacific grove i had a friend of mine his name was paul we used to call moody he was a surfer so we called moody because of his loving to surf and all and so anyway i wanted to see paul and i took two friends two friends and i went up there two christian friends and i went up to see paul up in pacific grove and i went specifically as a new christian to share with paul who was an old friend of mine that jesus had saved me i wanted him to know that so we got in my car we drove all the way up to a pacific grove over there by it's by monoray up north and i remember pulling in knocking on his apartment door and my friends and i stand in there and paul comes to the door and he says hey it's great to see you he says come on in so we go in and we sit down as receded there in his living room he says i i wanted to introduce some friends of mine that i know up here i wanted to introduce you to them they'll be here in a few moments and he said great so i'm just sitting there not talking to him yet just kind of you know just passing the time until the the guys showed up and and when they finally did arrive there were two of them they came in sat down and this is how paul introduced me i'll never forget it he said guys this is david my friend from high school david is a guy who got me loaded for my very first time that's how i was known and he was right but david is a guy who got me loaded for the very first time that's how i was remembered by him and that's what he told his friends you have friends who will introduce you in a certain way what are they going to introduce you as so when he said that to me i looked at him and i said paul this is what i told him i'm a brand new christian but i said to him paul i introduced you to drugs that's true but i've come up here so i might introduce you to jesus christ because he has saved my life and so i wanted to present to him that which changed my life and that's what we do right and so you're known in a certain way you are known for your lifestyle we know that we have reputations everybody has one everybody has a reputation they'll call you by your nickname a lot of people have nicknames or a reason for those nicknames that they gave to you you know little savage sad girl anyway they there are there are names that was a characteristic of yours they gave you a nickname jesus gave nicknames you know when you look at thomas thomas is called diddakie you know he is the twin um simon peter had different names you know the rock you know is rocky you know syphus and there there are different names that you find in scripture there are names that were given to you that would expose your um who you are and and what is your nickname what do people know you as you know i would i would like people to not know my past i want them to know what god has done now i want them to see me as as a changed person not the same person right and so you have a reputation it's something to be aware of it's something to to to know it's something to to to um allow to to inspire you to be an influence to other people what is your what is your reputation may you have a reputation amongst those who know you as being righteous as being a person who loves the lord may that be your reputation that people know that about you we don't walk in the way that we used to you see if you don't want to be ashamed then you're made righteous and be made righteous to christ that's the fruit of regeneration and again true righteousness is only possible if you've been born again and when that happens you have no fear of final judgment in romans 8 1 and 2 paul said it like this therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in christ jesus because through christ jesus the law of the spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death there's therefore now no condemnation for those who are in christ jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit that's us see i i don't fear final judgment i don't have a fear in my heart for that because i have passed from death into life because of christ i have been born again and somebody says well you know you're putting your your how do you know that how you're taking it what if what you believe then they've said this to me what if what you believe is just a joke it's not even true you wasted your whole life no he didn't no i didn't because when i turn around and i look at my life from before i came to christ and where it is now there's no comparison at all prior to christ was sorrow and and hurt and shame and sin and regrets and since christ that's been washed away and god has replaced so much with joy with blessings friends even if it weren't true and it is but even if it were not true i've had a great life i've had a great life god has been present every step of the way and he's given to me a beautiful wife and and beautiful grandchildren and four kids and it's and the best is yet to come and the best is yet to come because one day i get to see him face to face there is therefore no condemnation walk with the lord and you won't be afraid again if you know that he is righteous you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him you can tell if somebody is walking with god if they live a righteous life