Text:      1 John 2:20-29

By:          Atigbi, Wilfred (bishop)

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INTRODUCTION;

The term “antichrist” is used in the Bible by John (1Jn. 2:18-22, 4:3, 2Jn. 1:7). John states only one characteristic of antichrist. “The one who does not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” (1Jn. 4:3, 2Jn. 1:7). The Book of Revelation’s beast (with the number 666) is usually regarded as representing antichrist (Rev. 13:18).

In 2Thess. 2, Paul certainly seems to be talking about someone with the characteristics of an antichrist, and a person so evil that he portrays a pattern for all antichrists

WHY THE WARNING BY JOHN HERE?

It is very likely that Paul’s message about the antichrist is what John referred to when he said, “Children… you heard that antichrist is coming” (1Jn 2:18). So, what is this wicked person like? Let’s look at the characteristics that Paul predicts this enemy of Christ was going to have.

It is likely that the false teaching involved the denial, mentioned by John, of Jesus as the Christ “coming in the flesh” (2Jn. 1:7). In other words, a mark of the antichrist was that he denied that Jesus the human being was Lord, Christ, and the Son of God. He denied “the good confession” (Rom. 10:9, 1Tim. 6:12-13).

SATAN DEVICES THAT REVEALS ANTI-CHRIST:

1. FALSE RELIGION- (1 Jn 2:20-21)

In contrast to the false teachers and their teaching, who claim superior knowledge, through Christians possess an understanding of spiritual realities through the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit that duel in them.

2. FALSE TEACHINGS. (1 Jn 2:22-27)

These heresies were a denial of the Incarnation, which created a gospel of mysticism that obstructed a true understanding of the father and personal relationship with Him (Jn.14:7-110).

Two things will protect believers from falling victim to the seductive teachings of the heretics: (verse 24-27)

• Constantly abiding in the teaching of the apostles concerning Christ which they received initially and to protect them from errors of men. 

• The anointing of the Holy Spirit whose anointing power will enable them 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 instructions cannot provide ( 23:23). The text is not against the knowledge of true teaching (Rom.12:6-8, Eph. 4: 11) but an emphasis that only the holy spirit is able to bring revelation to the human heart on the right teaching (Eph. 1:17-18). Abiding in Christ is not only by faith, but by obedience in its entirety without substituting human opinion for Christ. (1Jn. 2:28-29, 2Jn 9).

THE IDENTITY OF THE ANTI-CHRIST:

It is a very difficult task for anyone to tag somebody as Anti-Christ especially with the multiple religions in the world today. After all they are reading the bible and call on the name Jesus Christ. It takes the highly spiritual and scripturally informed mind to identify these persons. (Rom. 10:2-3, Jn. 14:15, Jn. 17: 20-23)

Paul described such persons as the “Son of Perdition” or Anti-Christ in the Bible (2Thes. 2:1-3)

While Paul used the term “man of perdition or lawlessness” to describe the evil figure that will be revealed in the last days, the generic term for this figure is the Anti-Christ. The actual term “antichrist” occurs only in John’s letters.

• Daniel seems to refer to this anti-Christ figure as “the ruler who will come,” who will set up in the temple of God “an abomination that causes desolation” ( 9:26-27).
• Jesuswarns, “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel,” you are to flee (Matt. 24:15-16).
• Paul,in Thessalonian, seems to be referring to this same anti-Christ figure as “the man of lawlessness,” who will set himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thes. 2:3-5). Paul insists that this figure has not yet appeared on the world scene (2 Thes. 2:7).
• The Apostle John, writing about 90 AD, notes that while the Antichrist himself had not yet come, his spirit is already in the world in the form of many antichrists (1 Jn. 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 Jn. 7).
• Revelationrefers to the antichrist figure as the “beast coming out of the sea” (Rev. 13:1), who acts as a puppet of Satan (Rev.13: 4), makes war against Christian believers (Rev.13:7), and causes the unbelievers to worship him (Rev.13:8), aided by the “false prophet,” the “beast out of the earth” (13:11-18).

This figure may also be mentioned by other prophecies — we’re not trying to be exhaustive here.

INDIVIDUALS CHRISTIANS AT WAR WITH GOD (Acts 5:34-39) 

Often times, we declare and go to war with God and we ask how do I fight with God? We understand the concept behind the existence of God and so we find it difficult to believe that we can war against Him. We fail to know that our actions and practices contrary to His commandment amount to warring against God. God is Spirit and those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Though we cannot see God face to face but he speaks to us from time to time from the pages of His words, the Bible. For us not to fight against God, is for us to keep to His words, and walk according to His precepts. Many of us war against God in our congregations today and we do not know. Whenever we unjustly antagonize servants of God in our midst and even confronting the teachers of God’s word we are at war with God. When the church takes a decision for every member to follow and we fail to obey, we are at war with God. It is high time we stop warring against God. He loves us, no doubt about it, but we fight Him regularly by way of our dressing, haircut, association, attitudes and words that are not bringing glory to God. Various ways by which we war against God are inexhaustible. Christians should beware of this and take caution in every aspect of our lives lest we find ourselves warring against God. Remember, the Jews did it to the apostles but they did not succeed so also whosoever may want to attempt it today will fail. Let us stop being at war with God.

CONCLUSION:

The existence of Anti-Christ and those trying to deceive Christians is alarming in the world today.  But John is confident that we Christians can find the resources to abide in Christ (1Jn.2;29)

The last hour began with death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His second coming could occur at any time (1cor. 7;29-31, 2Tim. 3:1). An anti-Christ is anyone who denies that Jesus is Christ the savior of the world (1Jn 2:22). More so John specifically consider such a person as a representative of the evil one (Jn 17:15).

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