The Beloved Disciple's First Letter - Pt 9

 

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 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 it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. (1 John 2:18–25 ESV).

 

As I wrote in yesterday’s devotional, there are several principles the apostle uses in our reading for these days. We looked at his meaning for this being the last hour and “antichrist coming” yesterday. Today the key passage is on “the perseverance of the saints”, or true versus false faith, and the spiritual anointing of believers. This is a key principle for those who hold to a more reformed view of Scripture and practice. Here John states that false teachers ("antichrists") "went out from us, but they were not of us". While these individuals were visibly part of the visible church community, they never possessed true, regenerating union with Christ. He explains that if they had truly belonged to the body of believers, "they would have continued with us". Their eventual departure and apostasy (falling away from the faith) serves to make it plain that they did not possess genuine saving faith.

 

It is a basis to support the doctrine of eternal security—true believers will never finally fall away, and those who permanently abandon Christ demonstrate that their inward nature was never truly transformed. In the surrounding context, proto-Gnostic false teachers claimed a "higher" or secret knowledge available only to an elite few. This notion is countered by declaring that ordinary believers have "an anointing from the Holy One," meaning the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because of this divine anointing, all true Christians possess a fundamental understanding of the truth of God and do not need to rely on worldly or false teachers for secret spiritual insights

 

It is always a quandary when we observe people who appear to be believers but then walk away from the faith. Since Scripture teaches that all who truly believe in Christ are justified and will never fall away finally so as to be cut off from salvation (cf. Romans 8:29–30). Many of you may have known or will know someone who appeared to be a genuine believer but then renounced Christ. This “falling away” from the Christian faith is known as apostasy, and there are examples of this reality throughout church history. Even the Apostles had to deal with individuals who abandoned their profession of faith. We can think, for example, of Hymenaeus and Alexander, two men who made shipwreck of their faith during Paul's ministry (cf. 1 Timothy 1:18–20). Certainly, these examples prove that it is possible to renounce one's profession of faith. But do they demonstrate that Christians who actually possess faith can commit final apostasy? We should consider two important matters that will help us answer this question.

 

First, we must consider whether the falling away that we see is actually final. After all, Scripture gives us examples of people who fell from grace only later to repent and return to a life of discipleship. Just think of the Apostle Peter, who denied Christ and then was later restored (John 18:15–27; 21:15–19). If early church tradition is correct, he even was martyred for his faith under Emperor Nero. King David, similarly, had a great fall into adultery and murder, but he later repented and was forgiven (cf. 2 Samuel 11:1–12:15a). In both cases, the man who fell was ultimately restored to a right relationship with God and His people.

 

Second, we need to understand the difference between professing faith and possessing faith. Remember that many people claim the name of Christ without ever actually having the gift of faith in Jesus for salvation (v. 19). They were never one of us; that is, they never possessed living faith in the Savior. Only God can see the heart, so we should not be surprised that some people can make a good show of faith without truly believing in the name of Christ. Not all who profess faith in Christ really believe in Him, and those who fully fall away never had true faith.

 

As creatures, our view of others is limited. We can only evaluate outward appearances. Thus, when someone seems to fall away, all we can surmise is that the faith we thought we saw was likely an illusion. Yet even here we must not assume that a fall from grace is final. There is always the chance for repentance and restoration up until the point of death. Thus, we should pray for people who seem to have fallen away, asking God to grant them repentant hearts. It is never just a matter of what we do or don’t do; it is a matter of the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person. That is where true, eternal faith begins. It is always a work of God, not man (cf. Ephesians 2:8-10).

 

If you are struggling with doubt or guilt, please understand that is a good sign that the Holy Spirit is calling you to life through faith. Repent and keep walking in the path He leads you!