I hope it is no mystery for us here at Cornerstone that life is war. This week I have constantly been reminded of this fact. For example, I am currently reading John Piper’s book on missions entitled Let the Nations Be Glad. In this book, Piper spends the second chapter on the issue of prayer. His first heading is bold and states, “We cannot know what prayer is for until we know that life is war.” From here he begins to talk about the importance of understanding the spiritual battle that is constantly being waged all around us. His thought is that only when we truly understand this will we genuinely begin to earnestly pray. Another example is Dr. Russell Moore, who I heard speak at Union on Thursday night and Friday morning. In both of his talks he emphasized the fact that the call of the gospel is a call to war. We are not simply just trying to give good advice to those who are willing to listen. No, a war has been declared on the god of this age and we are soldiers called to preach the gospel in enemy occupied territory. Likewise, you cannot turn on the news or read the paper without realizing that battles are taking place. Whether it be a battle in the political arena, a battle for the family, or even battles among our churches, it is clear that battles are being fought. We are at war.

I want to begin this morning by telling you of a particular battle that occurred in my own life not too many years ago. In reading and studying our text this morning I was reminded of this struggle. Most of you know that when I was in college I served as a youth minister to a Church in Covington, Tennessee. During the summers, the Church would provide housing for me as I worked full time with the students. One summer, a couple in the Church agreed to let me stay in their camper for the summer. I thought this was a great idea and I was excited to have a place to call my own. What I did not realize is that living by myself would not be the most beneficial action for my spiritual life (and my physical life considering what some of my meals were). At the end of the semester, before that summer, I had been confronted by someone, one of my good friends growing up, who did not agree with the Christian faith. He had been raised in a Christian home, but had never really believed the gospel. He had so many doubts about the Bible, faith, Christianity, and religion in general. As I got involved that summer with youth ministry and everything else, I often found myself at home at night by myself wondering about my friend and why he did not believe. I cannot say exactly why I struggled so much but I remember some specific night where I battled with questions like ‘Is Christianity really true?’ and ‘Have we just made this whole thing up to feel better about ourselves?’ Now I was far from being ready to give up the faith, but I would be lying if I denied my struggle. I think the question that I was putting to myself is ‘Will you remain? Will you continue in your belief?’

As we come to the text of 1 John this morning it is comforting for us to realize that John, and the other biblical writers, understood that life is war. In fact, the only reason we understand it is because the Lord made it clear through them first. In these past few weeks of considering 1 John 2 we have seen John make clear distinctions between those who profess to know Christ and those who really know Him, between those who keep the commands of the Lord and those who do not, and as Lee said last week those who love the Father and those who love the world. These distinctions help us in identifying whose side of the battle we are on. They also help us in understanding our enemy and the tactics they may use to deceive us. Our text this morning is no different. John has much to say to us about the importance of remaining in Christ. This is the lesson that I needed to learn that summer. Let us begin in trying to understand what John is saying by asking the question:

What is John teaching the original hearers?

I ask this question not because it is a new question to ask in our study of 1 John, at least I hope not. Rather, I ask it this way because it is of particular importance for us to keep in mind the occasion for Johns writing. As we have stated before, it seems as if a number of people have left John’s Church and are now trying to deceive those who have stayed. We can infer this clearly from our particular text this morning and it is important for us to see how John is responding to this situation. Thus, we ask the question ‘What is John teaching the original hearers?’

First, John is teaching that it is the last hour.

In verse 18 John writes: 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. What John is arguing here is that since many antichrists have come we know it is the last hour. In a minute we will deal with what John is referring to when he is talking about antichrists. But here I want us to consider what he means by calling this the last hour.

John in verse 8 of this same chapter writes: At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. In looking at this verse a couple of weeks ago, we identified the fact that John is dealing with the new age. He recognizes that Christ’s coming in to the world has ushered in a new age where the true light (or Christ) is already shining and the darkness (the world and all those opposed to Christ) is passing away. John then calls this new age the last hour in verse 18. Why is this significant? Because it lets his original readers (and us) know where we are in redemptive history. We are in the last hour. How do we know this? John says because many antichrists have come. This new age, or last hour, or last days will be characterized by an abundance of antichrists, who are only forerunners of the Antichrist to come, which we will discuss below.

Again, John recognizes that we are at war. It is the last hour. Many antichrists have come. The true light is shining and the darkness is passing away. Although Christ has one the decisive victory on the cross, we still wait for the Kingdom to come in all its fullness. Yet, we do not wait in inactivity. No we are called to battle. We are called to fight against the rulers and powers of this world. We are called to wield the sword of the Spirit and to carry forth the gospel of peace to all the ends of the world. We are called to war even with ourselves to fight for our own belief and for the belief of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Brothers and sisters, it is the last hour and the King is coming to establish His Kingdom forever. Until then, may we fight as His soldiers.

Second John is teaching his original hearers (and us) that there is a major contrast between the antichrists and the Christians.

Although the enemy is all about deception, John is trying to help his readers distinguish between fellow soldiers and the enemy. Needless to say, this is an important distinction. If we are to battle faithfully then we must know what makes us soldiers and what makes the enemy the enemy. So, then let us consider how John distinguishes between the two. We will begin with the enemy.

Who are the antichrists? As we saw in verse 18, John is making a distinction between the Antichrist and the antichrists. Although the word ‘Antichrist’ is only used here in John, it is clear from other apocalyptic literature that the end of this age will bring the appearance of the One who John refers to here as the Antichrist. Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 writes of the man of lawlessness who will come and will exalt himself against every so called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Paul goes on to write that Jesus will kill the man of lawlessness by the breath of his mouth and by his appearance. For other references you could also look at Revelation 12-13. So there is this idea in the New Testament of the One figure who is to come at the end of the age. John says to his readers that they have heard of his coming.

Yet, John goes on to write in verse 18 of the fact that so now many antichrists have come. Thus, we must ask who are these antichrists who have already come? John identifies them for us in verse 19. He writes: 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. Thus, John equates those who have left the Church, that he has already been writing against in this letter, with antichrists. But what does this mean? The word antichrist could be taken in two ways: either one who sets himself up as a false Christ (as we see in 2 Thessalonians 2 and in Matthew 24) or one who opposes Christ and is against Christ. So, what does John mean seemingly in this context.

Here, he is referring to those who have denied that Jesus is the Christ and has come in the flesh. Look at verse 22-23: 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. John has criticized these people for walking in darkness, for claiming to not have sin, for disobeying the commands of the Lord, for not loving their brother, and for loving the world. Here, his critique is doctrinal. They do not believe that Jesus is the Christ. Now it is hard to know exactly what they did believe about Jesus. They believed that a man named Jesus lived. They possibly believed that at some point the Spirit of the Christ descended upon this man. Yet, they do not believe that Jesus, the Christ, came in the flesh. 1 John 4:2-3 confirms this: By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. John makes a similar statement in 2 John 7. Thus, their problem is that they deny the incarnation. They deny that Christ was truly God and truly man. For John this is the spirit of the antichrist.

Obviously the difficult reality for the original readers is that these who are denying that Jesus is the Christ were once members (or somehow affiliated) with their Church. Verse 19 is not to be taken lightly. We have heard reports from the war in Iraq of US soldiers turning against other US soldiers. And this is not a reference to friendly fire, where someone accidentally shoots a fellow soldier in battle. No we have heard of reports of a man attacking his own troops in their base camp. This is what has taken place in John’s Church. Those who have left did not just get tired of coming or whatever. No, they have believed lies and have encouraged others to believe as well. They have turned on their own soldiers and have revealed themselves not to be soldiers of Christ at all. Rather, John calls them antichrists for denying that Jesus is the Christ and has come in the flesh.

So, then who are the Christians? First, John says that the true Christians are those who remain. Look at verse 19 again. John writes if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. In other words, if they were true believers in Christ then they would have remained with us. Instead, there going has shown us that they in fact are not true believers, for true believers remain. John says this again in verse 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. John reminds his readers here of what Jesus taught in John 8. Jesus says in verse 31: If you abide in my word you are truly my disciples. The idea of remaining in Christ is also found in the warning passages of Hebrews. In Hebrews 2:12-14 we read: Take care brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that not of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. Thus in these passages we see the stress on believers remaining faithful and continuing to abide in Christ. John likewise is reminding his readers to hold firm to what they have heard from the beginning. We do this, as John Stott says, “not because salvation is the reward of endurance, but because endurance is the hallmark of the saved.”

Second, John says that true Christians are those who have been anointed by the Holy One and know the truth. In verse 20-21 we read: But you have been anointed by the Holy One and you have all 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. He speaks of this anointing again in verse 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. I believe what John is referring to by ‘the anointing’ is the Holy Spirit. This is in keeping with texts like John 14 and 2 Corinthians 1:21. Every believer has been anointed with the Holy Spirit who Jesus says will lead them into all truth.

Yet, what does John mean when he says that you have no need for anyone to teach you? Here, John is referring to the blessing of being in the New Covenant. If we look at the promises of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31, we see that under the New Covenant God will put his law within us and write it on our hearts. Also we see that we will not need our neighbor to teach us to know the Lord for we will all know the Lord. What does this mean? Under the Old Covenant, it is only the priests who could speak to the people and only they could enter the holy of holies once per year. Yet, this is not the case in the New Covenant. Under the New Covenant we all know the Lord and can come freely into his presence (see Hebrews 10:19-25). It is possible that those who had left the Church were claiming some sort of special knowledge or special revelation from the Lord, but John says you do not need to listen to them because you have the anointing of the Spirit, which leads you into all truth. This is what is meant by priesthood of believers. Now this can and has been abused by many who either add to the Scriptures or completely ignore them. But the understanding of the New Testament, and of John here, is that the Spirit has inspired the Scriptures and will lead us as believers into understanding and application of what He has revealed in the Word, which is what we are laboring in even in this moment. Thus, John is saying that true believers will remain in their belief in Christ and will have the anointing of the Spirit, which will lead them into all truth and calls them to abide in Him.

So then, how do we apply this to our lives today?

I think the clear exhortation to us this morning, found specifically in verse 24 and 27, is to remain in Christ. In light of the fact that it is still the last hour and the enemy is still battling, our clear call from the text is to labor to see that we persevere in our belief in Christ. Again, this is much of what we have already seen in this letter and will be something that John will return to again throughout the letter. Thus, we must take it seriously. We have to realize that we are not above or exempt to verse 19. Those who had left were seemingly professing believers. We must not think that we are above temptation to believe falsehoods about Christ or living the Christian life. Rather, we need to develop a plan of perseverance. This plan could include the following:

First, we need to preach the gospel to ourselves. As verse 24 commands us we need to constantly be reminding ourselves of what we have heard and believed from the beginning. We often struggle with this because we are always looking for something new. Yet, we need the gospel as much today as we have ever needed it, and the same will be true of the next day and the next. The other day I was driving in my neighborhood and I came to a place where I was going to cross a fairly busy street. When I got to the stop sign and stopped, it was like a fear came over me. For some reason, I really paused and took time to make sure nothing was coming two or three times before I crossed the street. Now that is silly, but it illustrates what we are talking about. If we ever loose our fear at stop signs, then we will be dangerous drivers. Likewise, if we ever loose the great truths of the gospel, then we will be in a dangerous place. We constantly need to be reminded of our great need for a Savior. We constantly need to hear of His great love for us, as demonstrated on the cross. We need to tell ourselves over and over again that our righteousness, which makes our relationship with God possible, has been imputed to us from Christ. We need the gospel. We need to abide in what we heard from the beginning.

Second in our plan of perseverance, we need to join a local church an ask them to hold us accountable. We need to be involved in a community that will speak truth to us and hold us to the profession that we have made. If you are college student and you have not joined a Church, I cannot encourage you in this enough. It may not seem this way at times with everything going on at Union, but you need the Church. Our prayer is whether or not you join here, you will place your membership at a faithful Church and that you will be involved. We could also say under this one, that if you are a member here, then you need to labor in holding one another accountable. God forbid that we would ever have to speak of people leaving because they did not believe in Christ. May we labor for one another, even as we have covenanted to do.

Last, I would add that our plan of perseverance must include our being involved in studying and learning and applying the Word, both privately and corporately. We constantly need a steady diet of the Word of God.

As we come to the table this morning may we indeed declare to the Lord that we have heard His Word and our longing is to remain in Him. Also, may we remember and hope in verse 25 which says, And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

A CALL TO REMAIN IN HIM