1 John 2:21-23 says,...
Our verses today are 1 John 2:21-23, which read,
v.21 - I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
This is a very interesting verse in the way that it is written. John has just told us about antichrists and that there is "one" coming in the last days and there have been "others" who have been among us (the church). These are persons who have looked like us and sounded like us but true genuine Christians remain and don't depart from the church.
John says I am going to tell you something that you already know and I am telling you this because you need to hear it again even though you already know it. If we know the truth, we need to continue to hear the truth. That is a big and important statement. If we know the truth, we need to continue to hear the truth. There I said it again. I need to be reminded that no lie is of the truth. Those lies will try to make their way into the truth.
I have mentioned this to others about how sometimes lies make it into the truth (not really truth but the popular norm of what is accepted as the truth now). Something is wrong and directly spoken of in the Scriptures. If I can put the wrong in a television show or movie in a funny way or at least so you will laugh at it then the lie is starting to make its way into the truth. How much do we laugh about known sin and call it entertainment? The lie is making its way into the popular truth but John says to those who know that truth and continue to hear the truth that no lie, as much as it tries, is of the truth. Why? Truth is not a thing to John but truth is a person.
v.22 - Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
John tells us that the antichrist denies the true nature of who Jesus is. When we say that "Jesus is the Christ," we are saying that Jesus (physical) is the Messiah, the Anointed One sent by God, the Prophesied One of the Old Testament, the exclusive Savior of the world. Anything less than that starts to diminish who Jesus is and therefore denies not only Jesus but God Himself, for God sent the Son. John is adding to that if you looked up the word "truth" in the dictionary, you would see a picture of Jesus.
v.23 - Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
Remember that the word "confess" means "to agree with." If I confess my sins, I am agreeing with God that these are sin and I have went against something that He has set as wrong. Usually we think of confess in the negative sense, but what about confessing in the positive sense? I confess, I agree that Jesus is Lord, Savior, Messiah, sent of God, etc. Confession of sin brings forgiveness of sin and cleansing. Confession of Christ gives us the Father. Wow! Can I really know God fully if I don't know His Son or accept who His Son is?
John tells those who know the truth something about the truth that they already know because they need to continue to hear the truth. That "something" is that lies will try to become truth but they can not . The biggest lie will be that Jesus is anything less than the Son of God, the Christ, the Messiah, etc. That lie will try to get in as truth and we are to be reminded that it can not because Jesus "is" truth.
"Lord, I pray that You would continue to be my definition of truth and that You are my personification of truth, when I say 'truth' I mean You. I pray to guard that truth that I already know as I may be bombarded with lies to lower who You are. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.21 - I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
This is a very interesting verse in the way that it is written. John has just told us about antichrists and that there is "one" coming in the last days and there have been "others" who have been among us (the church). These are persons who have looked like us and sounded like us but true genuine Christians remain and don't depart from the church.
John says I am going to tell you something that you already know and I am telling you this because you need to hear it again even though you already know it. If we know the truth, we need to continue to hear the truth. That is a big and important statement. If we know the truth, we need to continue to hear the truth. There I said it again. I need to be reminded that no lie is of the truth. Those lies will try to make their way into the truth.
I have mentioned this to others about how sometimes lies make it into the truth (not really truth but the popular norm of what is accepted as the truth now). Something is wrong and directly spoken of in the Scriptures. If I can put the wrong in a television show or movie in a funny way or at least so you will laugh at it then the lie is starting to make its way into the truth. How much do we laugh about known sin and call it entertainment? The lie is making its way into the popular truth but John says to those who know that truth and continue to hear the truth that no lie, as much as it tries, is of the truth. Why? Truth is not a thing to John but truth is a person.
v.22 - Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
John tells us that the antichrist denies the true nature of who Jesus is. When we say that "Jesus is the Christ," we are saying that Jesus (physical) is the Messiah, the Anointed One sent by God, the Prophesied One of the Old Testament, the exclusive Savior of the world. Anything less than that starts to diminish who Jesus is and therefore denies not only Jesus but God Himself, for God sent the Son. John is adding to that if you looked up the word "truth" in the dictionary, you would see a picture of Jesus.
v.23 - Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
Remember that the word "confess" means "to agree with." If I confess my sins, I am agreeing with God that these are sin and I have went against something that He has set as wrong. Usually we think of confess in the negative sense, but what about confessing in the positive sense? I confess, I agree that Jesus is Lord, Savior, Messiah, sent of God, etc. Confession of sin brings forgiveness of sin and cleansing. Confession of Christ gives us the Father. Wow! Can I really know God fully if I don't know His Son or accept who His Son is?
John tells those who know the truth something about the truth that they already know because they need to continue to hear the truth. That "something" is that lies will try to become truth but they can not . The biggest lie will be that Jesus is anything less than the Son of God, the Christ, the Messiah, etc. That lie will try to get in as truth and we are to be reminded that it can not because Jesus "is" truth.
"Lord, I pray that You would continue to be my definition of truth and that You are my personification of truth, when I say 'truth' I mean You. I pray to guard that truth that I already know as I may be bombarded with lies to lower who You are. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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