Day 241
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 John 2:26-27 Message - Alan Burke Parents have many hopes for their children growing up, one of them is that they will have a good group of friends who will gather round them. Maybe when you were a wean you were guldered at by your ma or da because they thought your friends were leading you astray or got a cauliflower ear because of what you got up to with them. Well John as he wrote to these his spiritual children (2:2,12,18), to his beloved (2:7) his desire is that they may not be led astray. Who were those that were trying to lead them astray, well they were the antichrists, because they deny the truth of Christ (2:18, 23). They are those in every age, Jesus himself taught about the future and warned about the coming of false christ’s and false prophets that would arise, who would appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect, Jesus wanted to be on our guard (Mk 13:22, Mt 24:24). John mentioned this so that they would be prepared for that which would threaten their faith, that they would hold on to Word of life and not be swayed by the nonsense being spouted, the false teachers, the antichrists. As believers we should be in no doubt that there are those who are trying to lead us astray, antichrists, heretics, apostates, those who are opponents of Christ and teach nonsense, untruths. There is danger and they as well as we need to know it, not so that we may live in fear but that we may protect ourselves, so that we may know that not everyone who speaks, speaks the truth and sadly there are those who claim to be ministers of the Gospel who deny the truth whether they are aware of it or not. But we who believe, we should not be deceived by the false teachers because we have been warned by John, that’s what John now makes clear in verse 27, “as for you, as for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you and you do not need anyone to teach you". Does that mean Scott and I are redundant, after all we set aside to teach? Well there would have been no point of John writing this letter if it wasn’t necessary for him to teach, he is not denying the importance of gifted, truth professing teachers in the church (Cor 12:28, Eph 4:11). Rather it is a reminder that in faith we have received this anointing given by Jesus, and it is still at work in us in our hearts by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at work inside the believer and is the safeguard we need against falling away, the safeguard from listening to the nonsense and believing in it. The Spirit of God and the Word of God, what we have heard from the beginning is at work when we remain in Him (27). There is no secret knowledge that we need, no gospel plus that we must follow, it is simply the truth that God has given to us and applied to our lives by His Spirit at work within us. The promise here of divine grace does not exclude the need for human responsibility and effort, everything that we read and hear should be examined against the Word of God and the Spirit of God will work within us. This coming Lord’s day and every Lord’s day have your bible open, is what is being said the truth, or are you being deceived. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q 19 What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, (Gen. 3:8,10,24) are under his wrath and curse, (Eph. 2:2–3, Gal. 3:10) and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. (Lam. 3:39, Rom. 6:23, Matt. 25:41,46)
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