Antichrists
We all can agree that there has been much supposition about antichrist, the man of sin, the mark of the beast, and many different things which prophecy and the Revelation have set before us so explicitly. Since many believe that antichrist is the man of sin mentioned in the Scripture, many different men in the past have been named as the antichrist. Yet, all these have died and have been buried.
As we turn to 1 John the second chapter, remember this: Too many are prone to feel that Revelation is the last book in the Bible. Yet, chronologically, the last books written were First, Second, and Third John. John, in his writing, mentions the word antichrist four times. The word antichrists (plural) is mentioned one time. In fact, this is the only place it is found in the Bible.
Let's read 1 John 2: 18, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now [A.D. 96] are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." When John wrote this letter, he had just returned from the island of Patmos. The apostasy had already had an effect on the Church; the people were waiting for antichrist and didn't know that there were many already there.
We have the same situation today. While the devil has the religious world charmed, waiting and looking for the antichrist, there are many antichrists right among Christendom, doing the antichrist work. What better way can the devil deceive people than to have them believing that antichrist hasn't yet come?
Who are these antichrists? When we look for antichrists, what kind of people do we look for? Many people don't recognize them because they've not been taught what the characteristics of an antichrist are. They are neither political leaders nor atheists. Antichrists are apostates---Christians who have fallen away from Truth and are right among the people of God.
Verse nineteen tells us, "They went out from us [not physically, but doctrinally]..." They once knew the doctrine of the Church, but apostatized from it. When John refers to antichrists, they were people who professed to be Christians but denied the Lord by following false teachings which were creeping in among the Church.
The Original Faith
John's burden for the Christians was for them to hold to the original faith. Why? The devil believes and trembles; he believes the Word of God. The devil knows when we hold to the original faith of God's Word, that he is powerless against us. The devil knew in the garden of Eden that if Adam and Eve obeyed God, there was nothing he could do. His efforts are to cause men to transgress or move away from God's Word. It was true in the morning-time of the Church, and it's true today.
John, therefore, was instructing the Church to stay with the Truth which was taught in the beginning. When I say "in the beginning", I don't mean in the beginning of some reformers day. We must look deeper into history for the original teachers: Jesus, Peter, Paul, James, John, etc.
John tells us in 1 John 1:1, 5: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled...This then is the message which we have heard of him [This is the beginning.]..." If we will get back to this original message, it will still free us from confusion.
First John 2:7, 24 tells us: "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning... Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father." Everything which John preached was in complete harmony with what Jesus taught.
Second John 5:6 reads: "And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I write a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." John kept reminding the Church of what they had been taught from the beginning because apostasy had set in. He began to parallel the error they were believing with what Jesus taught in the beginning.
What does this have to do with antichrist? John insisted that we must continue in the original faith and referred to those who departed from this faith as antichrists. They were members of the Church who had become lukewarm in their experience and had changed their mind about Truth. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us..." (1 John 2:19). They were professing Christians who had adopted doctrines which were not part of the true faith which Jesus was the author of. Paul told the Hebrews to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Then, we need not look for antichrists outside the realms of professed Christianity. We have too many who feel they are still in the Church because they are sitting in the assembly, but they have gone out from us doctrinally. This is one reason the Church is not going forward any faster; we have people who have left us doctrinally but are still trying to take an active part in the service. The Church can be just as militant as She ever was, if we will clean her up
Denying the Father and the Son
Let's read 1 John 2:22-26: "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you." The word seduce is used here to describe people who come at us in a very deceptive, sly way. If we're not careful, we will think they are good people.
Many a young lady has been seduced because she put too much confidence in the young man she was dating. Today, there are people being seduced spiritually because they are not listening to the Holy Spirit. They are not allowing the Lord to give them divine discernment. Instead, they are leaning on their own wisdom.
These apostates, whom John called antichrists, denied the Father and the Son because their doctrine was not the same as that which was taught from the beginning. This verse (22) produces confusion in some people's minds, "He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." Some people feel that antichrist has to be an atheist or an infidel because these deny the Father and the Son. Please reason with me. The pope (his office) is antichrist, but he claims to believe in both the Father and the Son. He talks about them and teaches people about them, to a certain degree. The pope is not an atheist or an infidel; nevertheless, he is an antichrist. This Scripture does not deal with those who deny the existence of the Father and the Son; it refers to those who deny Him in other ways. Essentially, they were people who claimed to be Christians but followed after apostate doctrines.
Let's read Jude 3 and 4: "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares,...ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."
Jude said,"For there are certain men crept in unawares..." If antichrist was an atheist or an infidel, would he creep in unawares? An atheist makes it known that he doesn't believe in God. The reason they creep in unawares is because they profess Christianity; they profess to be the Church. Yet all of the time, they're being used of the enemy.
Jude said, "...it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." God doesn't deliver this faith to the priest, pope, potentate, or such like; He delivers it unto the saints. Every move of antichrist religion is to take the Word from the saints. We must contend for this faith which was once delivered unto the saints because these antichrists will try to lead us astray.
Reverence and Fear are Essential
Jude then describes these men as "ungodly men." Please notice the next word--"turning"." Why do men want to turn or change the Truth of the living God? Romans 1:25 tells us they went so far that they changed the Truth of God into a lie. Why? Because they were ungodly men, men who had lost the fear of God from their soul. When they lost the fear of God, they began twisting and turning the Scripture. This is the first mark of an antichrist: They turn the grace of God into lasciviousness .
Reverence and fear for God is the first essential for faith and revelation of God's Word. Whenever we lose that holy awe and reverence for God, we will soon lose our revelation of God's eternal Word. One thing which God demands is that we hold Him in reverential fear and awe. We must respect Him as God Almighty at all times.
The teaching of eternal security is antichrist. The grace of God was given to give us salvation, deliver us from sin, and give us power to live free from sin. Yet, eternal security teachers try to make the grace of God a license whereby we can live in sin and still go to Heaven---that is antichrist. maybe everyone who teaches eternal security is not an ungodly individual, but it had its beginning in ungodly men.
Many people who don't know the Truth are following that perditious way. God hates this damnable, eternal security doctrine more than any doctrine which is being fabricated today. They turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, and by doing so, they deny the Lord Jesus Christ. The word lasciviousness means "lustfulness, wantonness, leudness, or loose living." These people join the church and are baptized; yet, they are not too careful about their living.
God's children must be careful or the spirit of this doctrine will try to creep in. I've never seen such a time when people who profess Christianity live so carelessly. The devil charms them with the idea that even though there are some things in their life which should be straightened out, God will have mercy on them because they go to church.
People must be awakened to the fact that the judgment is real and that the lake of fire is everlasting. Heaven or hell is right out ahead, and we are only one heart-beat from that eternity.
Paul said in Titus 2:11, 12: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." On the contrary, eternal security teachers tell people that they cannot live above sin. How do they deny God and the Lord Jesus Christ? By denying God's Word. John said, "He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22). People may be saved from sin, but if they play around with sin, it will destroy their soul.
Human Reasoning versus Truth
The second reason these men were "ungodly" was because of human reasoning and human appearance. When we begin to look at sin in the human, it appears less hideous when committed under the cloak of religion. Preachers who teach eternal security will expose a sinner and tell him that he is going to hell. Then turn right around and tell people to put on a cloak of religion, and God will overlook their sin. They are changing the very message of the grace of God. I read a bumper sticker the other day which expresses my thoughts very well. It read: If I can sin and go to heaven, what do I have to do to go to hell?
One reason we cannot get a good, old-fashioned revival stirred up in the community is because so many people have been taught eternal security. The Apostle Paul had only one thing to say about eternal security. He said, "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein" (Romans 6:2)?
The reason these "ungodly men"turn the grace of God into lasciviousness is because the authority of our only master and Lord is against the license which they afford the flesh. We have never seen such a time when false religion makes so much room for the flesh. Jesus only has one message for us concerning the flesh--crucify it! We are not to pet, pamper, or polish it. How many times do we have to crucify it? Every day (maybe several times a day, if necessary). When we take Christ out of the Gospel (I mean the real, living Christ), any use can be made of the Gospel; but if we give Christ His rightful place in the sphere of divine Truth, the force is definitely against sin.
Let's read a little more of that which was from the beginning. 1 John 3:1-4 tells us: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he [Christ] is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law..."
Verse four lets us know that there cannot be sin without a transgression of the Law. Yet, there might be a transgression of the Law without it being sin. We may have been ignorant of the Law, and if we were ignorant, it was not sin.
First John 2:27 tells us, "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." What lets us know whether we have sinned or not? We know by what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us in this New Testament day. In Old Testament days, the Law was written on the walls and door posts, and they might not have read it. They could have transgressed and ignorantly sinned, which could be atoned by an offering. In this new Testament day, the Holy Spirit writes the Law on our hearts and minds. When He writes it there, we cannot be ignorant of what we are doing. If the Holy Spirit has not written it on our heart, we're not accountable.
In Romans 7:5, Paul dealt with the motions of sin. He said, "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." Temptations will come to our mind, but there must be some motions (decisions) made down in our heart ("I know it's wrong, but I am going to do it.") before it ever brings forth spiritual death.
First John 3:4 tells us, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." Now, suppose we have been doing something which we didn't realize was wrong. Then a message is preached and we are enlightened to our wrong doing. What's our reaction? If we're honest, we will walk in the light; that is spiritual growth. When light comes, we just walk in the light by not continuing in that wrong doing.
God's Seed
Lets read 1 John 3:5-9: "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hat not seen him, neither know him. Little Children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he [Christ is righteous. He that committeth [John used the word commit; we cannot commit sin without action on our part] sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
John's not saying that it's impossible to sin, but he's giving us a good reason for not sinning: God's seed. 1 Peter 1:23 tells of this seed, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." Where is that seed? If we are His child, it's the center of our affections, down in the center of our heart. As long as we love God's Word and His seed remains in our heart, we cannot sin.
When David committed adultery, he wasn't thinking on the twenty-third Psalm; he was thinking on something else. The Bible tells us to "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22). The first appearance of evil is always a thought, an evil thought. If we will shun it right there, as the Bible instructs, we won't sin. The grace of God gives us power to shun the evil when it appears.
The devil hates holiness; he only wants one spot on our garment, regardless of how he accomplishes his end. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning..." (1 John 3:10-11).
These false teachers, according to Jude, were so deceptive that they crept in unawares with their counterfeit doctrine. 2 Peter 2:1-2 tells us: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways [It is always a mystery to me how many people, who we really had confidence in, will follow apostasy.];..." Peter said they come in privily, in secret, or in a hidden way. They have damnable heresies, through which they deny God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I repeat: They deny the Lord by turning from the Gospel which He has taught and by teaching these heretical doctrines. There are countless millions in Christiandom following these pernicious ways which ungodly men laid out in the very beginning.
Let's study the word antichrist; it actually means "one who denies or opposes Christ". These people who John talked about (apostates) were not only openly against Christ but professed to be Christians. Apostates claim to be as Christ; they take the position in their life which actually belong to Christ. The same spirit works today. An anointed ministry can show people definitely what the will of God is; yet they say, "I am going to do it my way."
The Beast and His Image
Most people understand the Revelation message of how the beast (Roman Catholicism) rost out of the sea which the mountain on fire went into. This is a picture of Mount Zion (The Church) on fire, falling away into the hands of the people (the sea). Out of the sea arose this beast, Roman Catholicism.
Roman Catholicism began with the popes heading a system which teaches false doctrine. They teach things in exact opposition to that which Christ taught from the beginning. I can't explain it all in this message, but for example, just take the matter of prayer. Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." In contradiction, Roman Catholics are taught to say the same few words over and over and over and over. This is exactly what Jesus said not to do, so it is antichrist.
Jesus said, "...Love your enemies...pray for them which despitefully use you...(Matthew 5:44). Nevertheless, they murdered sixty million Christians. Hebrews 13:4 tells us that, "Marriage is honourable..."; yet, they forbid some to marry. One of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image..." (Exodus 20:4). On the contrary, every place of worship in Catholicism is full of idols and images; that is antichrist. Roman Catholics are not governed by the Bible; they are governed by what the church teaches.
As we move our thought into the realms of Protestantism, we see and image (Protestantism) built to the beast (Roman Catholicism). It's the same situation": We can read to a protestant what the Word of God says, and they will rise up and say, "Our church doesn't teach that." Protestants are not guided by the Words of Jesus; they are guided by whatever their church teaches.
This spirit even tries to attach itself to the people endeavoring to be the true church. A minister may spend hours praying and studying to be able to deliver the Word of God in an understandable way. Even so, some people say, "I'll do what I want to; I don't care what he says." Well, if what the minister says is in harmony with the Bible, those people are displaying the spirit of antichrist!
Therefore, where are these antichrist? Are we going to see them appear in Rome, Spain, German, or Washington? No. They are working in Christendom, just exactly where they have always been working. Anywhere there is a group of Christians, the devil is working for a place to creep in.
Reckless Speech Occasions Great Disorder
In what other ways can we deny him? For the answer, let's read Titus 1:10-16: "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobates."
Paul lets us know that reckless speech occasions great disorder. A pastor knows this better than anyone else. Churches and families have been led to quarrels and divisions because of reckless, unruly talk. We must be careful by what influence we speak. Some people will say anything for gain. This "filthy lucre" doesn't always mean money; it means gain. Some people talk the way they do for prestige, popularity, or friendship. God is looking, not only on what we say, but why we say it.
Second Timothy 3:1-5 tells us: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded. lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." We're facing this very condition today. Every trait of old heathenism is being carried out among people who profess to be Christians. It's the same spirit of antichrist. If we are truly the Church, we will live as the Bible teaches.
A Service of Love
We're in a time of loose faith, loose practice, and easy law. Few people hear anything about real, practical religion. The move in religion is to do as little as necessary, yet get to Heaven. That very motive will send people to hell because there's no love in that attitude. One demand in the service of Christ is that it is a service of love; we must keep His commandments because we love Him.
According to the Apostle Paul, this is a time when true godliness is being falsified (having a form of godliness). Vice is blacker in the eyes of God when it's practiced under the cloak of religion than when it's practiced out in the world. Men in religion today attempt to drag God down to the levels of sin.
These Scriptures also lead us to believe that it is a period of time in which there will be little hope of ever reclaiming apostates. 2 Timothy 3:7 reads, "Ever learning, and never [never] able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Apostasy doesn't pay. Denying God and the Lord Jesus Christ, by refusing to walk in the light of His Word, can put us in a place were we will never come to the actual knowledge of the Truth.