Avoiding Deception
1 John • Sermon • Submitted
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· 86 viewsBy remaining in Christ, the believer will learn to recognize and avoid deception and false teachers.
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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. 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.
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 to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 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 is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
Friends, before we get started today, take a look at verse 2 in this same chapter.
Here John shares with his readers the lense through which they can examine their relationship with Jesus.
In a sense, he said, “here’s the test.”
If they hold the view of Christ that had been originally taught to them, they would remain in their relationship to the Father.
If not, they would fall away completely, OR, fall prey to a false gospel, which in fact is no gospel at all.
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Friends, how can we be sure that we have been born again and walking with the Lord?
is a good place to start.
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
:1-
But we need to remember that not all in our midst are born again, nor do they have the most valiant of intensions.
This morning I want to share with you from chapter two, how the Apostle John says to avoid deception;
because it will come.
because it will show up in our church.
False Teachers Will Arise Within the Church (19)
False Teachers Will Arise Within the Church (19)
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.
Recognize their fruits (19)
Recognize their fruits (19)
John says, “they went out from us.”
This implies that they originated in the church. Just because they or their ministry started in a Bible believing church, does not mean they are one of us.
How do we know this?
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Their fruits are contrary to those taught in scripture.
What might these look like?
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Pride-they are more concerned with THEIR ministry than that of the Lord’s.
Friends, these are often prideful people who:
do not submit to those in authority.
have no circle of believing people who can speak truth into their lives.
are demanding and controlling.
are feared in meetings, conversations, or in the church setting.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Learn their teachings (19)
Learn their teachings (19)
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.
“but they were not of us.”
How can we confidently tell if someone is not of the faith?
We live in a time when it’s popular to say, “you can’t really judge someone else.”
Jesus gives us a pretty good guideline in Matthew’s gospel:
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
Matt
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Matt 7:
Now, how would we know them unless we are taking a look at their fruits?
Friends, be careful when listening to or reading pastors and teachers who:
focus on money.
emphasize their personal healing ministry.
are trying to sell a certain “brand” of Christianity.
are trying to sell you on a special knowledge that very few know about.
In my last church I did an evening study on this type of thing and named names and had some very upset church members as they had been reading and listening to some of those I mentioned.
Be Confident in Your Faith (21-23)
Be Confident in Your Faith (21-23)
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.
Know that the Holy Spirit abides in you
Know that the Holy Spirit abides in you
Avoiding deception almost begins with knowing that God’s Holy Spirit lives within you.
In order to be confident in our faith, we have to remember that it is Jesus who conquered and overcame and did not leave us to live alone.
When false teachers come into the lives of people, they are often filling a real or perceived void.
A real void may be represented by a life marked without Christ. The false teacher promises something the person thinks they need.
Friends, I’m not saying believers do not have struggles. I am saying that a solid, mature believer will tend to NOT find real voids in their lives as they remember they have the Holy Spirit and are in Christ.
A perceived void may be represented by a life marked without Christ OR by an immature believer who really needs to discipled well.
This type of person is able to put themselves in danger by having an incomplete or wrong understanding of the sufficiency of Christ or the Holy Spirit.
They tend to have the mindset that they need to “help Jesus out.”
Be reassured from the scriptures (21)
Be reassured from the scriptures (21)
Friends, there are times when we WILL need to be reassured. John provided this to these believers through his epistle.
Let me encourage you, please don’t turn to false teachers when you need reassurance.
The scriptures are sufficient.
I know your pastor well enough to know that when you need help, the first place he will turn is to the scriptures.
Scripture provides truth to combat weird Bible teachings.
It gives us confidence to know that our salvation comes from Christ alone.
It is sufficient to tell us how we are to behave as believers.
It’s prophecies have and will be fulfilled, and
We read that we can be reassured that Christ will come again in His own time.
Learn to recognize how a born again person behaves (22-23)
Learn to recognize how a born again person behaves (22-23)
Look at verses 22 and 23 very closely for this.
Those who deny Christ does not have the Father.
This gets a little dicy.
I don’t personally know anyone who claims to be a Christian, who denies Christ outright, but here’s what I do know:
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
Friends, a born again person behaves as if he belongs to Jesus.
Allow the Truth to Abide in You (24-27)
Allow the Truth to Abide in You (24-27)
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 to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 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 is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Remember what you’ve learned (24)
Remember what you’ve learned (24)
Remembering what we’ve learned helps us avoid deception.
Those who are in their Bible daily, being fed by a faithful pastor, and are discipling others are so much less likely to fall to deception than those who are cultural Christians.
Remember the promise (25)
Remember the promise (25)
The promise of the Holy Spirit not only guides us in our daily lives, but He seals us for eternity.
Remember ;
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
How comforting is it to know that our salvation doesn’t rest in you or me, but in Him. Not only does He do the work of saving us, He does the sealing so there is nothing we can do to lose our salvation.
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Jn 15:26-27
Remember that those who aren’t deceived will allow us to testify or witness to others.
Remember the Spirit will continue to teach you (27)
Remember the Spirit will continue to teach you (27)
“the same anointing teaches you all things.”
Friends, don’t just avoid deception, but be on the look-out for deception.
I’ll not name any names, but most of us can call several of the more famous ones out.
These aren’t limited to a few names with large charismatic ministries.
We are seeing some creep into our midst as Southern Baptists on the national stage, in Kentucky, in our local associations, and in our local churches.