The Spirit of Anti-Christ
1 John 2:18-29
Introduction
The influence of Gnosticism…
There was prevalent philosophy/religion existing during the
days that John would be writing this letter. It was known a Gnosticism. Know
Gnosticism cannot be summed up in a simple paragraph; it is much more
complicated but for the sake of time allow me to share a brief explanation.
The Gnostic believed that there were two worlds, the
physical world that was totally and completely sinful and the spiritual world
that was without sin. A person’s body
was sinful – always would be sinful but a persons spirit was holy.
This produced some interesting ideas that sadly continue to
influence man today.
1.
One was the idea that “knowledge” was the enlightenment of
the spirit and to really find oneself – he needed to gain knowledge.
2.
Another was that sin the body was sinful then one should
afflict the body to bring it into obedience.
This method is still used but because many found it totally impossible
to bring the sin under control they adopted the next idea.
3.
Since the body was sinful but the spirit was good, allow the
body to do whatever it wished – besides if knowledge is the key to being full
why not let the body experience every experience as possible for ‘knowledge’
sake.
It wouldn’t take a normal thinking person long to see the
wild extremes that this could lead.
You can also see where Gnosticism and Christianity would
clash. Especially when it came to the person of Jesus Christ. The Gnostic could
not see how a Holy God who is Spirit could ever live within a fleshly body.
Can you see how that might influence the early church and
how many would attempt to compromise Christ with Gnosticism?
Can you see the friction and the fraction that it has caused
in the Church? V.19
Can you see the need for the facts to be repeated? V. 20-21
Can you see the need to firm up the faith? V.28
A)
Superiority Complex (Knowledge)
Proverbs 16:18
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty
spirit before a fall.
There is no pride more harmful – more destructive to a
person than the pride of knowledge.
1. A man that
thinks he is knowledgeable is not teachable.
Psalm 10:4
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not
seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
2. A man that
thinks he is knowledgeable is contentious
Proverbs 13:10
Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is
wisdom.
I have seen this in church work.
People who believe they have arrived, they know more than others. They tend to
drift off, get their own little ‘holy-knowledge’ and leave others behind.
Read Proverbs 18:1
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and
intermeddleth with all wisdom.
Illustrate Abercrombie & Fitch
– The Dirty Look is in with clothing. They have jeans that are called ‘the
dirty wash.” They have jeans that look
like a car has run over them. Their clothes are deliberately wrinkled. Crumby
is better!
The world wants to bring sin into
fashion. If a clothing store can make dirty clothes better and be successful at
it, then why should the world try to make sin acceptable – even
fashionable?
The fact is that true believers
will not get sucked up in this whirlpool of lies!
Why?
Romans 8:15-16
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God:
Illustrate Acts 19:1-2
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth,
Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding
certain disciples, 2 He said unto them,
Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto
him, We have not so much as heard
whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Ephesians 1:13
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye
were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Somewhat of a poor translation in
verse 20. It does not mean that you know everything there is to know. I
certainly do not. But it does mean that you can know what is true and what is
not. V. 21
You can never get away from this simple truth – True
believers do what is right, what is good. Obedience is a reflection of true
faith. Indeed faith without works is a dead faith. A real faith produces a real
Christian and a real Christian is “his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them.” Ephesians 2:10
What is the faith of Christianity?
It is not looking for ‘an inner
knowledge.’ Like much of the New Age movements teaches and may eastern
religions.
It’s not self disciple like some
think. Afflicting the body nor abandoning morals can never obtain
Christianity.
A)
It’s Believing Jesus is the Christ
B)
It’s Believing Jesus is the Son – The Son of God
C)
It’s Believing Jesus is the life – therefore v.25