November 30
“Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son,” 2 John 7-9.
In all three of his Epistles, the apostle John warns against listening to and following false teachers. This ought to make a lasting impression upon us. The three Epistles of John were written around the year 95 A.D. This was about 65 years after Jesus ascended into heaven. In that short time, false teachers appeared in the vicinity of all of the Christian congregations that had been established.
The situation has not improved with the passing of the years to the very day in which we are living. Furthermore, the false teachers in the past were not and in the present are not just a few in number. John writes, “Many deceivers have gone out into the world.” There are many religious deceivers and liars, who are in the service of Satan, the father of lies. The liars and deceivers deny that there is only one true God, the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Especially, the liars and deceivers “do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.” They deny that the Son of God became also the son of Man. Their limited human understanding tells them that it was not possible for the Savior to be God and Man in one Person. Many of them deny that we even need a Savior. They are deceivers and antichrists. They mislead troubled sinners, and they are against Jesus, both as to who He is and also as to His work.
As Christians, we must constantly be on our guard, lest we lose our Christian faith to which the Holy Spirit has called us. The Savior urges us, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life,” Revelation 2:10. The devil and the religious deceivers and liars will tell us that we must work our way to getting right with God. With nice-sounding nonsense they will talk about heaven, but they dread telling people that there is also a place called hell. The Savior’s word is totally rejected: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned,” Mark 16:16.
John writes, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.” The religious deceivers and liars do not proclaim the Biblical teachings about Jesus’ Person and work. They do not believe and teach that He is the Son of God and the only Savior who suffered and died on Calvary’s cross to redeem all people from sin, death, and the power of the devil. They are not worshipers of the one true God, and they have no hope for heaven.
John concludes, “He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.” When you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the only Savior, then you are a child of the heavenly Father. Continue in the truths that are clearly taught in the Bible.
“All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded,
Till Thy Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
Thou alone to God canst win us;
Thou must work all good within us.
Glorious Lord, Thyself impart,
Light of Light, from God proceeding;
Open Thou our ears and heart,
Help us by Thy Spirit’s pleading.
Hear the cry Thy people raises;
Hear and bless our prayers and praises.” Amen.