(Edited for clarity on 9/3/2009)Every night (except when I'm so dog-tired that I can barely muster to find the bedroom), I read a few Bible verses to our son. It's a moment of quality father-son time, that I would not trade for anything. Lately, we've been reading 1 John, which I like to call "the opposites letter", on account of all the contrasts that it contains. The start of chapter 4 hit a chord in me, and I'd like to talk about it a bit.
[1] Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
First of all, we must always be on our guard, because false doctrines and false teachers are everywhere, some so cunning that, if it were possible, they could deceive the very elect (paraphrased from the Bible). Like the famous Bereans, we need to be comparing what we see and hear with the Word of God. That means not only having the Bible handy, but internalizing its contents, so that we are walking Bibles. This is especially important, as there seems to be a church on every corner, and religious people all around us.
[2] Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
[3] And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God....
Here's a litmus test that tells you whether or not a person, organization, or doctrine is of God. Sounds a little simplistic, if taken at face value, but when you look at it a bit closer, you'll find so much more.
What does "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" mean? Just that there really was this historical guy named Jesus, who walked around Galilee, 2000 years ago? Even many atheists will agree to that. But the "Christ" is not a last name, but a title. A title reserved for the Messiah, the one that scriptures prophesied that would come and bring salvation. The Holy One of God, God Himself, come in the flesh, to die on the cross for our sins. There's a lot there! And there are so many who deny this truth, try to water it down, or add man's ideas to it. God's not into that; no, He tells it like it is, and so do His people. Those who don't, simply aren't of Him.
[3] ... and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Many Christians are into "The Antichrist" that's supposed to come at the end of the world, only to be defeated by Jesus. I can understand where that idea came from, but there's nothing in the Bible that confirms that any one personage carrying that title will ever come. Only 1 and 2 John even mention the word "antichrist", and he makes it clear that they are already here today (from his time, even) and are very, very common. By his definition, an antichrist is one who denies that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22, 2 John 1:7). Jews are antichrists (how's THAT for political incorrectness???). Muslims are antichrists. Atheists are antichrists. Hindus and Buddhists are antichrists. The various end-times beasts and false prophets mentioned throughout the Bible are antichrists. I think even some "Christian" sects are that way or extremely close. And, of course, there are those (such as the Catholics and Mormons), who although will verbally agree that Jesus is Christ, they have added so many rules, traditions, and doctrines, that Jesus simply gets lost in the shuffle.
But a true Christian is one whose entire being depends on this simple truth: Jesus is Christ.
[4] Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
So need we fear the falsehoods out there? Naaah! Jesus has already overcome it, and through Him, we are overcomers, too! How do we overcome? Not by beating everyone else over the head with a family-sized Bible, but by not being tainted by their lies. By being a shining example, in spite of them and by not failing to teach our children to walk in God's truth.
[5] They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
How true this is! Here is a phrase software engineers like to use: You put garbage in, you get garbage out. For a computer program, this means that if you feed it incorrect data, you will get incorrect results, no matter how well-written the program itself is. Humans work the same way. We were created in God's image, but if we gorge on the sinful things of the world, that's exactly what we'll be spewing back out. But if Jesus and God's Word are what we put in, then that's what will be on our minds and lips.
[6] We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
We have a choice of what we put into our minds. People of the world like to listen to the things of the world, and people of God like to listen to Him. Worldly people will not want to hear what you have to say (even those who claim to be Christian). Here's a funny one for you: will a TV set ever listen to what you have to say (no matter how much you yell at it)? Where does it fall in, according to John?
The rest of the chapter is totally awesome too, but I'll stop here, for now.
11 comments:
What a post, Greg!! So true...the Word of God does not lie! We are to be aware at all times lest we be led astray. My Sweet Hubby and I had discussed how there is a certain famous, wealthy and influential woman who's name begins with "O" who is leading many, many people straight to hell. So sad. You are right - antichrists are among us today. We need to stay in the Word and claim as many souls for Christ as possible. I don't want to be held accountable for a single lost sheep...
Amen, Gigi! Here's a poignant video of the lady you mention. I thought it was great that several people in the audience stood up to her, although the one with the short, dark hair had an obnoxious attitude. :(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf5heuUEUE0
Yes, I've seen the video...and it just sickens me each time to hear the words come out of her mouth. All the "new age" beliefs, authors, trends she introduces to the masses...ugh. And so many are being led astray. If they only knew that "what" they're searching for is a savior...He lives and wants to draw them near to Himself!
Greg,
Thank you for that last comment you left on my blog site!
Every night (except when I'm so dog-tired that I can barely muster to find the bedroom), I read a few Bible verses to our son.
That is so excellent. When I and my brothers and sister were small, my dad would read to us from this fairy tale book. I have fond memories of that, mainly because it was our dad reading to us. But he never read to us from the Bible. Probably because he never really read the Bible himself.
[1] Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
First of all, we must always be on our guard, because false doctrines and false teachers are everywhere, some so cunning that, if it were possible, they could deceive the very elect (paraphrased from the Bible). Like the famous Bereans, we need to be comparing what we see and hear with the Word of God. That means not only having the Bible handy, but internalizing its contents, so that we are walking Bibles. This is especially important, as there seems to be a church on every corner, and religious people all around us.
This has gotten me into so much trouble. I consider myself to be Reformed, and though I have been a member of a number of different denominations (I don't consider the denomination the most important thing), my theology is probably closest to the Baptists. But my family is Charismatic, and they, to varying degrees, follow Word of Faith teachers and just about all the televangelists. They have belonged to churches that have practiced 'holy laughter' (rolling on the floor and laughing hysterically), etc. One of my brothers loved Todd Bentley when he had meetings in our state, and I consider Todd Bentley one of the most extreme in that movement (with things like oil dripping from the ceiling and down the walls, oil appearing in Bibles, "gold dust" appearing all over a person or all over a Bible, rubies and gems 'magically' appearing, kicking old ladies in the face because the Holy Spirit supposedly told them to do that, etc.). I have been a member of online Christian forums where many other members follow the same beliefs. When I have pointed out things I see as unbiblical, I have gotten some extremely vicious and angry responses. So I am still learning how to balance 'choosing my battles' and trying to decide which things are too 'petty' to argue over, vs. pointing out false doctrines.
What does "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" mean? Just that there really was this historical guy named Jesus, who walked around Galilee, 2000 years ago? Even many atheists will agree to that.
My late dad stated more than once that he wasn't sure that Jesus ever came to this earth.
And of course, Muslims teach that it is blasphemy to say that God had a son. Of course, they misunderstand and think in terms of a biological son. But the Bible rejects the notion of the Arabic word for God's Son, 'walad,' meaning physical son, for the word 'ibin,' which is the title of relationship. Jesus is the Son in a symbolic manner designating that He was/is God the Word who became man in order to save humankind from its sin. The virgin birth was supernatural as God the Holy Spirit conceived in Mary, without physical relations, Jesus the Messiah. In this manner even the Qur’an affirms the miraculous birth of Christ (see Surah 19:16–21). Jesus was in this sense "God’s unique Son."
Many Christians are into "The Antichrist" that's supposed to come at the end of the world, only to be defeated by Jesus. I'm not sure where that idea came from, but it's not Biblical.
I don't want to get into an argument, but I disagree that it can be fairly stated, dogmatically, that "it's not Biblical." I know that some Christians believe in a final AntiChrist, the Rapture, etc., and others don't. Just as Christians are divided on pre-, mid- and post-tribulation interpretations. I don't think we can be completely dogmatic regarding interpretation of the things prophesied in Revelation. However, please allow me to present a case from the opposite side---to supply a counter viewpoint just for consideration, even though you may not agree with this interpretation.
First, let's look at a couple Scripture verses that might be interpreted to mean that there will be a final Antichrist.
"Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send [note: future tense] upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-11, NASB)
"Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour." (1 John 2:18)
As you said, the apostle John was the only Bible writer to use the name "antichrist." And as you have also already pointed out, many antichrists (false teachers) will appear between the time of Christ's first and second coming---but it could also be interpreted that there will be one great Antichrist who will rise to power during the end times, or "last hour," as 1 John phrases it. He will deny that Jesus is the Christ. He will deny both God the Father and God the Son. He will be a liar and a deceiver.
The first Scripture verses you mentioned, 1 John 4:1-3, says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the *spirit* of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."
By the end times, many will easily be deceived and embrace the Antichrist because his spirit will already dwell within the world.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, the Antichrist is described as the "man of sin," or "son of perdition." Here Paul, like John, is also warning believers about the Antichrist's ability to deceive:
"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (NKJV)
The NIV makes it clearer that a time of rebellion will come prior to Christ's return and then the "man of lawlessness, the man doomed to destruction" will be revealed. The Antichrist eventually will exalt himself above God to be worshiped in the Lord's Temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Verses 9 and 10 say that the Antichrist will do counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, to gain a following and deceive many.
And if you disagree with this interpretation, that's fine. One day we will know for sure. And this is not a foundational issue which determines salvation, so it's OK if we do not exactly agree. In my case, I am not absolutely dogmatic that there will be a final Antichrist, but I do believe Scripture seems to be saying this, and I have also long suspected that the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem may be the 'abomination of desolation' that Scripture speaks of. The last few Presidents we have had have made allusions to a one-world government, and in my research I have read that groups such as the Bilderberg Group and Trilateral Commission have been working toward a one-world government. And, though many Christians have long taught that the Pope/Vatican/Catholic Church will be the Antichrist, I am wondering if Islam, or a Muslim leader, will be the Antichrist. Interestingly, Muslims teach that the Christian Messiah will be the AntiChrist. But people such as Walid Shoebat say that the Muslim mahdi, whom many Muslims are looking forward to the coming of, will be the Antichrist. A Muslim Antichrist would make sense to me. Already in countries under Shari'a law, it is a capital crime, punishable by death, for a Muslim to convert to another religion. And, in places such as Indonesia, many job opening advertisements, as well as apartments and houses for rent, will say "Muslims only." In other countries, if you are a Christian, the only job you can get is the very lowest job that exists, which is cleaning human feces off the streets. For many years now, some Christians have also talked about a microchip being implanted under the skin, which will contain all of our data, and will replace money currency. We already have bar codes and digital chips in pets, so the technology is certainly there already. But like I said, we will know for sure after the fact.
How true this is! Here is a phrase software engineers like to use: You put garbage in, you get garbage out. For a computer program, this means that if you feed it incorrect data, you will get incorrect results, no matter how well-written the program itself is. Humans work the same way. We were created in God's image, but if we gorge on the sinful things of the world, that's exactly what we'll be spewing back out. But if Jesus and God's Word are what we put in, then that's what will be on our minds and lips.
Yes, and that idea has been very helpful to me in the past. TV, movies, the radio, books, magazines, billboards, video games and the Internet can very easily pour tons of garbage into our minds. When we measure those things against how much time we spend putting God's Word into our minds, by reading and studying His Word, especially in private devotional times, I fear that, if we were to weigh them against each other, like on a balance scale, too often the 'garbage' would far outweigh the time we have spent putting God's Word into our mind.
Jeff, I'm sorry that I came on kind of strong in my post, regarding "the Anitchrist". Although much in Revelation is symbolic, I agree with the scriptures you mention, that they point to a few great misleaders that are yet to come. My only point is that while the false prophets that they refer to may be classified as antichrists, I read nothing in the Bible that talks about "the Antichrist" specifically. That term was added later and I think distracts from the problem of antichrists today, which is exactly what John was talking about. And all the guesswork about who it will be (the Pope, a president, etc...) is pure speculation and a red herring.
I think we agree that what's important is to be wary of the antichrists already in the world today, especially those disguised as pieous and religious. We also need to be careful ourselves, to represent Christ in a way that glorifies Him and makes the Way attractive to those around us.
Love it! Insightful, Biblical, applicable and readable! Keep it up, brother. Nice work.
Hey Greg,
This was a tremendous post! And your explanation of verses 2 & 3 were very well done. When someone confesses that "Christ" has come in the flesh, unless they are understanding this as God Himself, then they are not confessing the same Jesus as we are. Very nice.
For the record, I think that there may one day be a singular individual that encompasses the idea of "antichrist" in its full measure, but not as the Lahayes, Van Impe's or Hal Lindseys of the world suggest. I think this kind of infatuation only leads to confusion (at best) and irresponsiblility (at worst). I see people getting so caught up in "end times" paranoia that they forget to live there lives in the here and now as witnesses of Christ.
I think it best to speak of "antichrist" as you have suggested: as a reality that has always been and will always be. Everyone who is not with Jesus is against Him, no matter how "moral" or upright (or religious) he is. Everyone who is not a "born again" Christian is "antichrist".
By thinking this way, I think we better represent the opposition to Christ that the Bible stresses while also keeping our minds focused on our responsibilities as Children of God in the here and now.
Anyway, great post Greg!
GGM
Jeff, I'm sorry that I came on kind of strong in my post, regarding "the Anitchrist".
No problem. I have 'come on strong' many times.
And all the guesswork about who it will be (the Pope, a president, etc...) is pure speculation and a red herring.
I agree that it is speculation.
I think we agree that what's important is to be wary of the antichrists already in the world today, especially those disguised as pieous and religious.
Yes.
We also need to be careful ourselves, to represent Christ in a way that glorifies Him and makes the Way attractive to those around us.
Agreed. But boy, it is hard to do sometimes. I just finished having a conversation with a Muslim online, and wow...I have never been so viciously attacked online before...up to this point, a few Atheists had attacked me in the past pretty hard (while other Atheists have been nice and quite polite), but homosexuals attacked me even more harshly and viciously than Atheists ever have. But the Muslim I talked to today topped them all. Not even the viciously angry homosexuals that have verbally attacked me in the past were as filthy and disgusting as this guy was. It is really hard to be Christ-like when you are being called a filthy pig that will be killed...and that is merely the "nice" part that I can write here. The rest of it is too filthy and perverted and disgustingly vile to even write. But I suppose the best thing to do in such a case is to just wipe the dust from your feet and go on. I want to spread the gospel to people no matter what religion they follow, but boy, I sure have a lot to learn as far as how to witness to Muslims. They are more of a challenge, it seems to me, than Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses ever were.
Jeff, I'm so sorry you had that frustrating experience with that wacko. I've encountered plenty such people (of many creeds) on the Amazon Christianity forum. It got so bad that I had to give it up. This was some time before I started blogging, and I've never looked back. You did the right thing walking away; that's so hard to do, because you feel like you're letting them win. But you cannot win against such people, whose only goal is to get folks riled up.
For what it's worth, I know a very kind Muslim family, whose son was a year behind me in college and also one of my (future) wife's classmates. About a year ago, we had an extensive, but friendly exchange about Islam and Christianity. While we got nowhere in trying to proselytize each other, I think I came away with a better understanding of Islam. That said, there's something horrendously wrong with a religion that produces so many homicidal extremists.
What I find most ironic is those "coexist" bumper stickers. You know, the ones that are spelled using symbols from the world's main religions. The irony is that out of all the religions represented, it is the Islamists that are best known for their intolerant views. People accuse us Christians of being intolerant, but that's just for SAYING that certain things are immoral, NOT for blowing up dozens of innocents.
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