Do Not Deny the Son

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are going to talk about the Antichrist. The Antichrist. Who is he? What's he gonna be? What's this all about? We're at 1 John 2, verses 18 through 23. Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your Word, and we thank you for the blessing it is to get to read. Father, we pray that as we read your word, your Holy Spirit would be our instructor, that we would read and understand and believe in Jesus' name, amen.
Here we go, 1 John chapter 2, 1 John chapter 2, and we will be looking at verses 18 through 23. 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. 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 you have an anointing from the Holy One. and you know all things. 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. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Well, we need to ask ourselves our three questions. A, what's this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this? And C, what are we called to do? So what's this about?
You have heard, this is what he says, it is the last hour, and as you have heard, the Antichrist is coming. Those who would oppose Christ, those who would be against Christ, those who would try to deny Christ or even supplant Christ. And so, who are these people? What is this Antichrist? The Antichrist, well, I mean, historically, in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, we follow the Westminster Confession of Faith, and as we follow the Westminster Confession of Faith, it speaks of the Antichrist, that man of lawlessness, specifically being the Pope, right?
As one who sets as the vicar of Jesus Christ. He says that he speaks for Christ. He says all sorts of things about him as Christ here on Earth, and we say, eh, no, no. we deny that, right? So that's the supplanting of Christ. But notice here where 1 John goes. He doesn't go there first. He says, we know that it is the last hour. And he talks about people in the church, right? He knows that there are people in the church who have left the church. What does he say about them?
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 us, right? Meaning, If they truly were Christ-elect, if they were of Christ's people, they would have stayed with Christ's people. But they've separated themselves. They've gone their own way. They've left Christ and left His people. And so they've shown themselves not to truly be God's people. But you have an anointing from the Holy One. So verse 20 through 21.
And you know all things I've written to you because not that you have not you do not know the truth But because you know it and that no lies in the truth. He's reassuring them. That's what he's saying He's not writing because he's concerned about them. All right that they've been duped or something like that He says no, no, no. No, I'm reminding you because I know you know it. I'm not writing a new stuff I'm writing you old stuff. You know these things.
I'm just refreshing your mind about this and It says, who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? That Jesus that John had said before, that which we have seen, which we have heard, which we have felt, we declare unto you. That Jesus Christ who John truly walked with, laid his head against his bosom, saw him, that Jesus, that's the one that John is writing about and reminding them that that's the Christ. There are going to be many who will come and say that they were the Christ. Jesus even warned his disciples about that.
And John is saying, don't believe them. They're liars. He doesn't mince any words here. And there are even people who will say this type of bogus stuff today. Have you ever heard of Rastafarianism? They actually believe that one of the kings of Ethiopia was Jesus reincarnated, right? Just bogus type stuff, and he says it's a lie.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. But the Antichrist is the one who is going to come, he says, who denies the Father and the Son. There are those who would come, and this has happened in church history on both ends, those who deny that the Son ever existed.
I was just having a conversation with somebody online the other day that was trying to deny that Jesus Christ ever actually lived, despite the overwhelming evidence that Jesus Christ was a real historical person. Everyone would say it was just a fabrication of the early church. That's the spirit of Antichrist. It's a lie.
But then there are others who will deny any relationship between Jesus and the Father. Or they'll deny the Father altogether. And we find the Unitarians who will deny any distinction between them. And we've seen the way that they've gone with their universalism, and they're accepting of absolutely anything. And both of these are lies.
But you know the truth if you have read the Scriptures, if you are believing what the Bible says about itself. about what the scriptures say about Jesus. Walking in, I just want you to be on guard here. This is me speaking to you. Many of you who are watching this, I can see you in my mind's eye. I know you, you're members of the church, and I just want to encourage you to be on guard. There are those who would try to dupe you, lie to you, trick you, swap out Jesus for some Jesus of their own making.
Go back to the apostles' words. Go back to the scriptures. What did they actually say? Who was Jesus? Don't let a usurper or somebody who's switching or even denying Jesus, and don't let those who leave the church kicking and screaming, saying that you don't know Jesus, don't be too worked up over it. We go to the scriptures. We trust who God says he is. And that's how we overcome the evil one. So, what's the best verse to summarize this section of my Bible? I would underline verse 22. Verse 22. I would also maybe underline verse 18, even marking, right?
Even now many antichrists have come. By which we know it's the last hour. By the way, that should play into our eschatology. John thought when he wrote, it was the last hours, right? It was the last days. And so when people even are like, oh, the last days are coming, John thought the last days were upon them because antichrists were popping up. There were Gnostics and Docetists, and there were all sorts of crazy people popping up all over the place, making their own vain philosophies and teachings about Jesus. And this is exactly what Jesus said would happen. He said, don't be too concerned about it. Jesus told us it would happen, that wolves would rise up amongst the sheep. And so we go back to the foundation. What do the apostles and the prophets teach? What do we find here? Where do we go? We go to the canon. We go to God's word. And we have a measure for our faith in our life.
And so what you're calling, cling to Jesus Christ, the one who was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, was circumcised on the eighth day, the one who truly healed the sick, gave the blind their sight, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, buried, and rose again from the dead, who set apart his 12 disciples to be his apostles and sent them out to the ends of the earth. Trust in that Christ who ascended up into heaven and has promised that he will come again. Trust in that Christ.
Let's pray. Father, we thank you for sending us our King for sending us your Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Lord, we thank you for giving us our Savior. And Father, we pray that you would please give us wisdom. We pray that we would know who you are, trust in you, and not stray from your truth. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Well, may that great shepherd of the sheep watch over you and care for your soul. May you follow him with joy all your life. I'll see you next time, bye.