1 John 2:15-28 NKJV 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world----the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life----is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 18 Little children, it is the last hour and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
1. 2 dangers to fellowship with God, loving
the world/loving the things in the world; The world’s foundation is flesh: seen
in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,/the pride of life ;The world is
passing away. It is “dead”.
2. Antichrists: they are anti-Jesus! 1 John
2:19 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 they might be
made manifest, that none of them were of us. 20 But you have an anointing from
the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you
do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the
truth. 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is
antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does
not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Made
manifest are those who are anti- Jesus: Deuteronomy 13:13 Corrupt men have gone out
from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods”---which you have not known.”
Reminded of
Matthew 24:24 For false-christs and false prophets will rise and show great
signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
2
Thessalonians 2:9 the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of
satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous
deceptions among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the
truth, that they might be saved.
Can you imagine those who will not receive the love of Christ?
From verse
9 of 2 Thessalonians 2….people are giving the announcements of aliens from
other planets….God did not create other beings from other planets. He would
given it in His word! No, liars are growing in multitudes to renounce Christ! There are those who just make up stories to rally unbelievers into something so out there, they fail to see, fail to know Jesus and die in the lie!
Scriptures
given to us is that those who will perish is those of have not received the
love and the truth, they have put no faith in Jesus Christ: they did not
receive the love of the truth! Be discerning: understand Satan can imitate
signs and wonders. Through the Holy Spirit, you and I discern what is truth in
God and what is the lie in Satan!
1 John 2:
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. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised
us----eternal life. 26 These things I have written concerning those who try to
deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in
you, & you do not need that anyone teach you, but as the same anointing
teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie and just
as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 28 And now, little children,
abide in Him that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed
before Him at His coming.
1. From V. 24-27 it is 2 things that will
keep and protect the readers from falling victim to the seductive teachings of
heretics. Constantly abiding in the truth concerning Christ, which they had
received from the apostles, Gospel truth given to keep hearing to abide in the
Father and the Son! And point two, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, whose
illuminating power will enable us to distinguish truth from error! To receive
spiritual knowledge under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is to know truth in a
way that human instruction cannot provide. Holy Spirit in our lives moves us
into the empowering life God intended for us to live.
2. This text is not an argument against the
ministry of teaching; Romans 12:7…… let us use it in our ministering; he who
teaches, in teaching. Teaching as to the revealed truth of God’s words
regardless of any public office. If you are not living in the gift God granted
you as to a teacher, you sin. If you do not live in the gifting as to being a
giver you sin. Remember Jesus cursed the fig tree: He cursed that which had
beautiful leaves and no fruit. If we do not live in obedience to what He has
for us, it is sin! If you living just to sing and God called you as a prophet,
you sin against Him! ( it is like your mom giving you a toothbrush to brush
your teeth, but you only wet the brush and never put the paste on to go inside
your mouth to clean the teeth.)
From 1 John
2:15-17 the word world is given: The world does not refer to the physical
creation but only to that sphere under the control of evil operating due to the
dominion of satan. 1 John 4:4 You are of
God, little children and have overcome them, because He who is in you is
greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world, and the world
hears them. 6 We are of God. he who knows God hears us; he who is not of God
does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. He
who Knows God hears us…to understand God!
Growth is
always seen in the presence of love. Loves is as a test of the Christian life
we read in 1 John 2:7-11. The love source in God should be revealed in us as we
move from salvation at the Cross to reach our neighbor. That love will always
manifest as sacrificial in attitude and in action like it did in Jesus! Our lifestyle must represent Jesus in that
attitude that is of sacrifice for another. Holy Spirit has come to enable us to
love others! We are to remain steadfast
to the gospel through faith and the love of God.
From 1 John
2:10-11 NKJV 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no
cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and
walks in darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has
blinded his eyes.
1. Walks in darkness: John 12:35 Then Jesus
said to them, “a little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have
the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know
where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you
may become the sons of light. John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. He who
follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
2. Has blinded his eyes: John 12:40 He has
blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their
eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should
heal them. ; 2 Corinthians 3:14 …but
their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remain had remained un-lifted in
the reading of the Old Testament, but now the veil is taken away in Christ.
; 2 Corinthians 4:4 ; …whose minds the god of this age has blinded,
who do not believe, let the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine on them.
As to
Growth in the Lord: Little children will always find out that there is more to
salvation, as to growth in the Lord. Romans 8:1 there is
therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus……who walk not
after the flesh but after the spirit for the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has
made us free from the law of sin and death. From a young one in infancy with
God, one becomes the young adult; they encounter that challenge, their faith is
tested and they can know victory :For we walk by faith, not by sight. “Fatherhood” is that place designated and is
given to saints who have come to know God as friend.
Jesus spoke
this in Matthew 18:2-5 NKJV Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in
the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are
converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom
of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like
this in My name receives Me.
Only the
humble is devoid of arrogance and self-exaltation; Humility is one willingly
submitted to God and His will. Child likeness is character Jesus pointed to: as
to being a servant at heart. As the
child depends on his or her Father , so too we are to depend as a child does ;
In the kingdom of God there is no dominance over others. The dominion or
authority of the kingdom of God is for victorious, fruitful living and for the
overthrow of hellish powers by those who want to dominate by a single rule of hate!
Those of
the fatherhood in Christ, grow in joy and peace daily. They encourage others in
the faith. They reside in that peaceful state with joy in their heart and willingly reach out to others to make the Gospel love known! 1 Thessalonians 3:11
Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to
you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and
Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul the apostle wrote in a letter to the
Philippians that he was thanking God for the remembrance of the believers
always in every prayer of his making request for them with joy. Philippians 1:4……Paul saw his fatherhood in
the Father and how it related back to the church by having a joy to pray for
others of the faith! As the “fatherhood” begins to disciple spiritual offspring
through the loving progress of reproducing that walk they have had there are always new levels in the spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is not speaking the
culture of their day, but of the truth in Jesus Christ where character is the
image of God Himself!
In the
relationship with God our Father, we walk by faith with Him. We speak words
that He has given us to speak. We live as we saw Jesus walk His life out on
earth. It will always come back to if we have a walk with the Lord. For living
godly, the personal growth is seen both to the spiritual life and the
sensitivity to the social relationships around us. Anything without these two
function is dead because if you are inclined to talk your way to heaven instead
of walk your way there, then you will be noted as never leaving earth to see
the glory of Him Who created you in your mother’s womb. Have a heart of the
Lord, and have a heart for those God sees and to whom He defends. Amen.
New teaching at: Voice of Prayer
The Categories of Faith: No Faith, Little Faith or Shipwrecked Faith