Last week we observed from 1 John 2:18-19 that we must beware of false teachers. In the following six verses, John informs us that the primary way that we can identify false teachers is by holding firm to foundational Biblical positions. He begins this section by stating that we can have confidence. We will persevere because we have an anointing from the Holy Spirit. He also says that he did not write these hard things because we do not know them, but because we do know them and in verse 24 stated that we should abide in them.
This means Christians innately understand that this relationship in which the Christian remains in God is vital, intimate, and constant. A sign of a true believer is that they maintain foundational Biblical beliefs. This text shows that John is confident that those who belong to God will remain with God and the church.
True believers will hold firm to foundational Biblical beliefs. John then identifies two of those foundational beliefs which were under attack in the churches surrounding Ephesus. Unsurprisingly, Satan is still attacking these truths 2000 years later.
John’s first foundational belief (found in verse 22) is that every believer must believe that Jesus is God. This is an interesting and important statement. Remember 1 John 1:6 – If we claim to enjoy fellowship with God while we walk in darkness, we lie. And 1 John 2:4 – He who says he knows God but disobeys his commands is a liar. We will see later in 1 John that the person who claims to love God but hates his brother is a liar (4:20). But the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is THE liar, the great liar. Sadly, the KJV weakens this significantly by its mistake in translation, “who is a liar.” The Greek construct (ο ψευστηs) highlights that he is The great liar.
“The height of heresy is to deny that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God and Savior. To reduce Jesus to the status of a mere man, or to allow no more than a temporary indwelling of some divine power in him is to strike at the root of Christianity” (Marshall, 159). We see this heresy highlighted through the attempt to separate the historical Jesus (the human person of history in the first century) and the Christ of faith (The Jesus presented in the Gospels). Every Christmas and Easter, these same old heresies are resurrected. But we must hold fast to the truth that Jesus is God because the Word of God teaches it all over.
The belief that Jesus is God in the flesh results in some necessary and vital conclusions that Scripture presents. Jesus is the eternal God who created all things (Jn 1:1-10; Col 1:16-17). He is eternally God (John 1:15; John 8:58). Jesus is equal with God the Father (John 5:23; John 5:26; John 10:30; John 14:9-11). Jesus accepted and will accept worship as God (John 20:28; Phil 2:5-11). Scripture leaves no wiggle room; Jesus is God (Col 2:9; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:8; 1 Jn 5:20).
So, either Jesus was who he said he was, or he was the greatest liar, fraud, and lunatic ever to walk the planet. It is vital that Jesus was God. If he was not God, he could not have been our savior. He would have had to die for his sins and could not die for ours. Eternity hangs on the deity of Christ.
The second foundational belief that John identifies is found in verse 25: Because Jesus is God, He brings life. As God, Jesus promises us life. There is a literal place called heaven, and there will be a literal new earth. And we will gather for all eternity with some from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. This is the hope to which we anchor our lives. It is not a myth, and it is not a legend. It is a reality.
As we have worked through this section of 1 John for the last two weeks, there are two distinct takeaways so far. First, we must be very careful listeners. Our spiritual lives are too valuable. Just because someone claims to speak for God does not mean they do. Judge preachers. Judge them harshly. If they do not remain faithful to what the Word of God says, they are to be rejected. The title of pastor holds no authority. The authority flows from the Word that the pastor is to be preaching. Don’t settle for lousy preaching. Don’t allow your soul to be famished and starved by unfaithful, untrustworthy, or lazy preachers.
Second, we must hold to and live out our faith. This means that you know what you believe. Why do you believe what you believe? Is it your faith or simply your church’s faith? You must study on your own. There are not enough hours for your pastors to teach you everything. You must take the tools they give you and use them to feed yourself. Read the Word, meditate on the Word, ask questions of the Word, seek answers from the Word, and live the Word out.
Next week we will look at the second mark found in genuine believers, which this passage provides. We do this so that you may look in the mirror and check your life to ensure that you are of the faith.