1 John 2 - What Does It Mean To Be Anti-Christ? Who is the Anti-Christ?

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Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he ands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

As I mentioned yesterday the specific heresy John is confronting in the early church is "Gnosticism", which comes from the Greek word, "to know". So John reframes the real meaning of the word when he says, "You have come to know him if you keep his commandments". Knowing Jesus is not just in a mystical sense, but we experience our knowledge of him every day as we keep his commandments. 

The "Gnostics" claimed they knew God from some secret knowledge obtained in the "spirit", but they lived godless lives. Since the body was bad they thought they could do whatever they wanted with their bodies. When we obey God through Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit our love for God is made complete. In our relationships you may say you love them, but if you never act in love there is no experience of that love.

Finally, John says something very challenging. "Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did!" A while back there was a popular bracelet worn by Christians with had the initials W.W.J.D. It stood for the words, "What Would Jesus Do". The idea was that everyday wearing this bracelet would be a reminder to ask the question in any given situation, "What Would Jesus Do?" 

As you hear me say quite often, my favorite definition of being a disciple of Christ is "I am learning to live my life as Jesus would lead if he were me." This might seem simple, but we all know it is hard. It is hard to do what Jesus would do in any situation because it means dying to ourselves and our selfishness. 

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

The Jewish believers knew the commands from the Old Testament, yet it was new in the sense of Jesus' life, which now lived in them. The laws of Moses were written on stone tablets, but the new commandment is written on our hearts.  It is seen in those who live with the power of Jesus in them. The new commandment comes from Jesus himself, "Love others, as I have loved you!" 

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b] is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

There was obviously some internal issues in the church, as John confronts the fact that some people claimed to be in the light of Christ, yet hated their brothers and sisters. By treating their brothers and sisters in Christ this way, they were showing their true colors. Loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is not always easy. New Testament commentator David Guzik says, 

Sometimes it is easy to think, “Following Jesus would be easy if it weren’t for all the Christians.” And many, many Christians live as the walking wounded, crippled by the scars other Christians have inflicted on them. Yet this measure still stands. If we can’t love each other, then we have no way to claim a real love for God. Our relationship with God can be measured by our love for other Christians. 

Reasons for Writing

12 I am writing to you, dear children,

    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

13 I am writing to you, fathers,

    because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

    because you have overcome the evil one.

14 I write to you, dear children,

    because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers,

    because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

    because you are strong,

    and the word of God lives in you,

    and you have overcome the evil one.

John frequently uses the word, "dear children" showing the love he has for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It also points to the fact that John is getting up there in age. Indeed, John is the only apostle we know lived to an old age. He finished his life on the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. 

He writes to three age groups, "children, fathers, and young men". It leads us to believe that there are different challenges in each season of our lives. 

Children - The focus in on knowing God and knowing their sins were forgiven. This is the beginning of our relationship with God. 

We each begin the Christian life as little children. When we are in this state spiritually, it is enough for us to know and be amazed at the forgiveness of our sins and all it took for God to forgive us righteously in Jesus Christ. - Guzik

Young Men - The focus is on the spiritual battle with the "evil one". In this season of life many young men battle with the desires of the flesh. Becoming a Christian does not eliminate our sinful nature. Though everyone battles with their sinful nature, in this season of life we are more vulnerable as we are exploring new ideas and gaining independence from our families.  

They are engaged in battle with the wicked one. We don’t send our little children out to war, and we don’t send our old men to the front lines. The greatest effort, the greatest cost, and the greatest strength are expected of the young men. - Guzik

Fathers - John says the same thing to them twice. "Because you know him who was from the beginning". The focus seems to be on their knowledge of God. As the elders in the church, it would be important for them to be spiritually mature. Hopefully they would be seasoned having gone through many trials while still maintaining the knowledge of God. 

Just as surely as there are little children, there are also fathers. These are men and women of deep, long spiritual standing. They have the kind of walk with God that doesn’t come overnight. These are like great oak trees in the Lord, that have grown big and strong through the years. - Guzik

On Not Loving the World

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Our primary battle is against the evil one, but the evil one also works in the world. The world is run by the evil one, which is why we should not be surprised by what is happening in our world right now. Everything in the world is made for our sinful nature to indulge in. I.e. Lust of the flesh - Sexual immorality. Lust of the eyes - wealth and greed. Pride of life - popularity and position of adulation. 

Those who love the world and give their lives to this love are very deluded. Though they think all these things can give them happiness, but all these worldly pleasures are temporary. On the other hand, the person who has the knowledge of God through His Son and strives to do His will by loving others has an eternal inheritance which will never fade away. 

Warnings Against Denying the Son

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

The evil one is a spiritual force who has set his face against God and all humanity. But the physical manifestation of the evil one will come in the form of the anti-Christ. As the name implies he is against everything Christ stands for, and the people who are called by His name. There are many other evil spirits who also assault the saints, but their leader is the anti-Christ, also called Satan. 

Verse 19 implies these anti-Christs are believers who have fallen away from Christ. Quite possibly they were never believers at all.  He says "They went from us but really didn't belong to us". Like many of the apostles, John thought they were living in the end times. This was mainly because of the persecution they were facing, which increased toward the end of the 1st century. 

Many people talk a lot the characteristics of the Anti-Christ. Some have thought various evil people throughout history have had the traits of the anti-Christ. Some thought one of the Catholic popes was the anti-Christ. Here are some thoughts from different commentators. 

Most people have focused on the idea of the “opposite Jesus.” This has made them think that the Antichrist will appear as a supremely evil person. They think that as much as Jesus went around doing good, the Antichrist will go around doing bad. As much as Jesus’ character and personality was beautiful and attractive, the Antichrist’s character and personality will be ugly and repulsive. As much as Jesus spoke only truth, the Antichrist will speak only lies. This emphasizes the idea of the “opposite Jesus” too much. The Antichrist will instead be more of an “instead of Jesus.” He will look wonderful, be charming and successful. He will be the ultimate winner, and appear as an angel of light.

Some have wondered if this Antichrist will be an individual or a political system. This is really a small distinction, because it will in a sense be both a person and a political system. To a large extent, a man does represent and personify an entire government or system; when we think of Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, the figures of Hitler as an individual and Nazi Germany as a state are virtually the the same. The Antichrist is an individual, but he will also be associated with a powerful government.

The Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come: There is a distinction between the Antichrist and many antichrists. There is a “spirit” of antichrist, and this “spirit” of antichrist will one day find its ultimate fulfillment in the Antichrist, who will lead humanity in an end-times rebellion against God.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.[e] 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

John keeps using the word "anointing", which is a way of referencing the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. The Spirit guides us into all truth and helps us to spot false teaching and errors. The Holy Spirit inspired the bible and inspires us when we read it. It takes the dead and wooden word and makes it come alive in our hearts. 

At the heart of an false teaching is denying Jesus is the "Christ", or "Messiah". This was mistake the Jewish people made. In John's day the biggest heresy which was a subset of "Gnosticism", is "Docetism". The basic error here is that Jesus only appeared to be a man but really was a "spirit man".  

The problem is if Jesus wasn't a "man", he did not come in the flesh. There was no incarnation. If Jesus wasn't a man, he didn't really die on the cross and did not really rise from the dead. The whole Christian faith rests on the man Jesus taking our sins upon his body on the cross, and then proving He was God by rising from the dead. 

John says anyone who does not acknowledge that Jesus came in flesh is a counterfeit. Notice there is no gray area here. Either Jesus is the Christ or not! Either Jesus died on the cross or not! Either Jesus rise from the dead or not. The story of Jesus is historical and factual not just a "nice story". Anybody who teaches anything other than the physical, literal, and bodily resurrection of Jesus is anti-Christian. Why? Because it takes all the essentials of what it means to be Christian out of it.  

There are many philosophies and even some Christian denominations who water down the nature of who Jesus was and is. Only God knows those who have actually left the faith altogether. But the scripture is clear that church always need to be on guard for this kind of teaching.  A church may say it is a Christian church, but unless they preach, teach, and confess the Orthodox doctrines the church has preserved for for 2,000 years, they are not. 

Are you grounded enough in the Christian faith and teaching to recognize false teaching? For instance in the Mormon church they teach about Jesus Christ, but when you look deeper the actual doctrines put individual believers on a par with Jesus, and even as gods inheriting their own kingdom.  This is why it is called the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. (If you are interested in more aspects of why Mormons do not align with orthodox Christianity read excepts below!)

Do you get caught up in the values of the world? We call this becoming worldly. What aspects of the way John describes the ways of the world do you struggle with?   

Because Mormons believe that everyone must receive certain ordinances to be saved, Mormons perform ordinances on behalf of deceased persons.[60] These ordinances are performed vicariously or by "proxy" on behalf of the dead. In accordance with their belief in each individual's "free agency", living or dead, Mormons believe that the deceased may accept or reject the offered ordinance in the spirit world, just as all spirits decided to accept or reject God's plan originally. In addition, these "conditional" ordinances on behalf of the dead are performed only when a deceased person's genealogical information has been submitted to a temple and correctly processed there before the ordinance ritual is performed. Only ordinances for salvation are performed on behalf of deceased persons.

Latter Day Saints also believe that there are other gods and goddesses outside the Godhead, such as a Heavenly Mother—who is the wife of God the Father—and that faithful Latter-day Saints may attain godhood in the afterlife.[31] Joseph Smith taught that God was once a man on another planet before being exalted to Godhood.[32]

This conception differs from the traditional Christian Trinity in several ways, one of which is that Mormonism has not adopted or continued to hold the doctrine of the Nicene Creed, that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are of the same substance or being.[26] Also, Mormonism teaches that the intelligence dwelling in each human is coeternal with God.[33] Mormons use the term omnipotent to describe God, and regard him as the creator: they understand him as being almighty and eternal but subject to eternal natural law which governs intelligences, justice and the eternal nature of matter (i.e. God organized the world but did not create it from nothing)

Mormonism describes itself as falling within world Christianity, but as a distinct restored dispensation; it characterizes itself as the only true form of the Christian religion since the time of a "Great Apostasy" that began not long after the ascension of Jesus Christ.[35] According to Mormons this apostasy involved the corruption of the pure, original Christian doctrine with Greek and other philosophies,[36] and followers dividing into different ideological groups.[37] Additionally, Mormons claim the martyrdom of the Apostles led to the loss of Priesthood authority to administer the Church and its ordinances.[38][39]

Mormons believe that God re-established the 1st-century early Christian church as found in the New Testament through the restoration of Joseph Smith.[40] In particular, Mormons believe that angels such as Peter, James, John, and John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and others and bestowed various Priesthood authorities on them.[41] Mormons thus believe that their Church is the "only true and living church" because divine authority was restored to it through Smith. In addition, Mormons believe that Smith and his legitimate successors are modern prophets who receive revelation from God to guide the church. They maintain that other Christian religions have a portion of the truth and are guided by the light of Christ.[42][43]