I John: LIGHT/LOVE
Endure: I John 2:26-29
Pastor John Weathersby
Sunday February 20, 2022
Draft, Not a Transcript
John continues with the disciples, encouraging them to endure in the Christian life because of the truth of God in the face of error. He points them to the Word and away from humanistic philosophies.
We do well to hear that also, we live in a world of dis-information. So much so that dis-informers accuse other dis-informers of disinformation.
We cannot get caught up in that, we need to be in the WORD.
In our morning study today, we were talking about the order of salvation and noted that we can only understand that BY the word, not though knowledge of the world.
1 John 2:26–29 (ESV)
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
“these things.” What are these things – well, the thought continued from our reading last week. In 1 John 2:19, we read:
1 John 2:19 (ESV)
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 it might become plain that they all are not of us.
John starts 2:26 on the heels of what he revealed in 2:19. Imagine the church group that John had been talking about here. They didn’t just leave to a neighboring church in town for a closer commute or change from “excite church” to “eXuberate church.” Both of them have decided to capitalize the X in their name and not the first letter of their name. Or move to another church of the same denomination because eXcite changed from bi-fold to tri-fold bulletins – instead, they left the true orthodox faith.
Consider,
2 Timothy 2:16–19 (ESV)
16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,
17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.
19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
Those who left the Church that John was writing about were 2:19 out from them because they were never truly of them. They weren’t fellowshipping in truth. Perhaps they were subversive the entire time, on the side saying
• It isn’t true, you know, what they’re teaching
• This church doesn’t REALLY understand Jesus
Acts 20:29–31 (ESV)
29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
2 Peter 2:1 (ESV)
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
They were experiencing this – people not among them, bringing in heresies, speaking twisted things, and seeking to bring people WITH them. When we tune our ears to scripture – we hear these things coming a mile away. As the word transforms our minds, we learn to listen through the lenses of scripture and ultimately right doctrine. When our ears just want to entertain philosophies
Colossians 2:8 (ESV)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
John is pressing on this. He says: I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 1 John 2:26. Why, pastorally, for these “little children,” he cares for them deeply, and false doctrine is evil. That is why we read in Titus:
Titus 1:10–16 (ESV)
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.
11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
Paul is instructing Titus about preachers and leaders as he serves in Crete. The Church must focus on the preached word. John, in our passage, is NOT writing to the church leaders about how to select leaders or disfellowship and discipline. He is writing to the believers about continuing in their personal walk with Christ.
1 John 2:26–29 (ESV)
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
This passage says it is written about those who “are trying to deceive” – in the present tense. It’s something that I still and continually happening.
It’s pretty easy to focus outside yourself on others. We can see with near perfect clarity faults and flaws in others. It’s harder to see them in ourselves.
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.
They’re in a church body, participating in the fellowship and regular preached word. They don’t need those who left the fellowship to teach them about hidden knowledge. They don’t need human teaching at all, no man-made, man-centered philosophies. No human-based ways to reach the scriptures like CRT or using a gender-neutral Bible. They need only the Word understood in its context as the spirit intended.
John is not making injunction against Bible preaching or 1:1 discipleship. In fact, his is an encouragement to keep it Biblical:
2 Peter 1:19–21 (ESV)
19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.
21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
If your discipleship group first thinks to read Wild Heart something equally silly, prefer scripture first.
The scripture’s aren’t from men, but rather the ultimate author, God through is Spirit.
John 21:15–17 (ESV)
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Do I take every word of the Bible literally … wait for it…. no. I don’t. Just like I don’t take every word you say literally. If I said something to you and you said, man, get out of here, would you expect me to leave? Did Jesus desire that Peter take care of his lambs and feed them while he was gone? No – he wanted Peter to care for them, “tend to them and feed them,” to care for the church and teach from the Word.
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.
The anointing received is FROM Him – and it remains with them. The illumination of the spirit of God in us is that we’ll know Him and be found in Him.
2 Timothy 4:3 (ESV)
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
People focused on their “passions” will find teachers to satisfy those, but the illumination from the spirit is of the Word – and for the end of growing more in Christ, not in the world. Not impacting our worldly life and kingdom, but God’s.
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
And now, little children – now that you know those who left, left because they’re not of us, and by not of us we mean, not found IN Christ, abiding in the spirits teaching but centered on the words and passions of men, vain philosophies and myths, now – abide in truth so that we’ll be found in Him in the end.
Endure.
How are we to endure,
29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
Dwell on the truth of all that Jesus is, because – in Him, we find the fullness of deity. Col 2:9
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Pray, Observe, Apply.
