1 John 2:18-20 says...

Today's verses are 1 John 2:18-20, which read,

¹⁸ Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

John continues to use this title to his readers that is of endearment (children) but also to give the assumption of him as the parent or the elder who has the responsibility to care for them (spiritually).  As a parent you warn your children of the dangers of the world.  "Look both ways before crossing the street and then look again."  "Don't talk to strangers."  John needs to tell them about "antichrists."  The word literally means "adversaries of the Messiah."  "Children, there are people out there who speak and act against Jesus."

John makes a distinction that there is an antichrist that is coming at the last hour and there are antichrists that are here and have been here.  The antichrist of the last hour seems to be separated out because of the mention of him in scripture and from the apostle's teaching from Christ.  This would throw us into a whole discussion of the end times and the tribulation so we will set that aside for another day.  John's next sentence focuses on the antichrists that seem to be less or not "the" antichrist that have been and are now here, these adversaries of Jesus who are to be warned of.

 ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

Where did these present day antichrists come from?  John says that they were among them, meaning in the church.  This might seem a scary thought but John is warning his spiritual children of a reality.  There will be people in the church at times who have another agenda than that of Jesus Christ and the Great Commission.  They look good and speak very well but if they are not in love with Christ (a genuine Christian) and that will come out in time.  The word "shown" has the implication of something coming to light or revealed.

 

Their agenda will be to pull Christians to focus on something other than Christ and His word.  Does this sound a lot like the garden of Eden and Satan's (the serpent) appeal to get Adam and Eve to focus on or question what God has said?  Antichrists do great damage to the church and so it is good to know about them and also understand when the church removes them or God Himself removes them.

 ²⁰ But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.

John is reassuring them of a question that has come to there minds, "Am I an antichrist?"  John is telling them that they have an "anointing" from God and that "anointing" is known by you and also known by others.  "Anointing" means "any thing smeared on."  Do you remember Vic's vapor rub or Vaseline?  You can smell it, you can see it, you can feel it, and if others get close to you they know it to.  You are wearing Christ.  He is covering you.  The priests of that day would be anointed with oil for service which would show the covering of what the oil represented.  John is letting his children know that Christ is evident in their lives and others are reaffirming it. 

Tomorrow John will talk more about this.  For now, be warned that there are those who will try to draw your attention away from Christ and His will for your life.  Also know that there are those who you can go to that will affirm your walk with the Lord and that affirmation will be backed by the fruit of your life shown through Scripture.

"Lord, thank you for giving us all of the story, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I ask for those Christian brothers and sisters that help me keep my eyes on You and the opportunity to do that for them.  Thank you for covering me with You.  Amen."

Pastor Adam