LEARNING DAILY

 

1 John 2:19, 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.

 

John knew those he was writing to were living in “the last hour”. This means he knew their time would foreshadow the final period of history before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eventually the Antichrist will rise to power, claiming to be God. He will oppose all of God’s work and lead people astray. This is a counterfeit spirit which was already in the antichrists in the world when John wrote; they were already teaching deceptive doctrines that were leading people astray. John writes a general statement. “They went out from us”. By a general statement, he indicates that these false teachers came from within the church and that can easily be seen since the time John wrote this.. How can this be?

 

This seems strange but the implication is that the beginning of heresy began within the Christian doctrine and truth. We often look at an antichrist as one who is against Christ, as one who obviously denies God and Jesus; ultimately this will be what occurs. Here the word antichrist means “instead of Christ” (Ray Steadman). Steadman refers to these as declaring they are Christians and that they are declaring the truth of Christianity. He states that a closer look at what they are saying and by comparing their words to what is in the Scriptures, one will see they are not the same. These people are the antichrists John is writing about. Do you understand what John wrote “they went out from us”?

 

Would you agree with me that the main purpose of the gospel as found in the Scriptures is for life to be found through Jesus Christ and to present the way for Believers to walk on the narrow way to eternal life in God’s kingdom? Along with that the Believer can have peace, guidance, the armor of God and the fruit of the Spirit and so much more. Those who are the antichrists will preach and teach one can have these things without the life Jesus gives. Do you see the difference? That belief is heresy; it is contrary to the Christian doctrine presented in God’s Word. John’s writing is very relevant to us today by warning us to not get caught up in issues that are secondary to salvation offered by Jesus.

 

“They went out from us”. False teachers or the antichrists will eventually leave the church or the fellowship with True Believers. Either they were not True Believers to begin with or they abandon their faith, the saving relationship they once had with Christ. They break away from the truth of God’s Word because they believe they have new truth, new revelation which takes the place of an “outdated Bible”. Read the rest of John’s writing, “for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us”. Those who love the Word of God, have the Holy Spirit in their life (all who have been saved through Jesus Christ) and seek to be obedient to the Word, will continue in this faith and in the truth. Antichrists will eventually cut themselves off from True Believers.

 

Your responsibility and my responsibility is to read and study God’s Word. If there are false teachers, antichrists around you will know because of their lack of respect for what the Scriptures say. Study the Word as it is; parts of it cannot be removed or changed. We must not be ignorant of what the Word says. Instead, we must be willing to learn and dig into what it says when we hear something that does not seem to match with what the Word says. The Bible has the ability to correct error and instruct us in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

 

You and I can and must be aware that false teaching will only increase as we near the time of Christ’s return. To avoid the confusion this brings, we must be in God’s Word. In all of this we can be confident that everything is headed as God desires as He brings this age to a conclusion. Each of us must bring our lives into line with Him as we walk on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom. There is no doubt in my mind that this is His desire for each of us!