For goodness and truth and rightness are what men live and die for.”
–J.V. James (Frye)
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.”
–Acts 20:29 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Key Verse: “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.” –1 John 5:19 (NLT)
I want to be sure you read 1 John 2:18-23 (NKJV). There are several important aspects in these verses to help us understand our confused world.
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
This is the atmosphere in which we live. Add to that which we have already studied, especially that of fear, and the world could be a frightful place if not for the fact that we are Christians. Notice that John states that, “this is the last hour.” Now that does not mean this moment, but the times in which we are living. William Barclay writes, “Men have the choice of allying themselves with the old world, which is doomed to dissolution, or of allying themselves with Christ and entering the new world, the very world of God.” This is done continually–men making choices for the devil or for God.
The danger is all around us and we need to realize that we live in a danger zone. It may be terror on the streets, drugs, the virus, hostile environment which is to include the liberal ideology that is contrary to the Word of God. Christians need to realize that this is a spiritual conflict! Oh, the devil may use thoughts and sickness, but underlying it all is spiritual warfare.
John is warning us and telling us how to confront the issues. We are indeed in the last days, therefore, we must be sure and recognize from whence the fight is coming. Take a minute and look at the term “Antichrist/antichrist.” Do not confuse them. There will be a man of lawlessness, as Paul puts it; a man known as the Antichrist who will arise. With that being said, there is also those who are “antichrist.” They are antichrist in their thinking, in their actions, in their beliefs, in their agenda. They are those who oppose Christ and Truth.
William Barclay puts it this way, “The simplest way to think of it is that Christ is the incarnation of God and goodness, and Antichrist is the incarnation of the devil and evil.” Do not be confused by the term “incarnation.” I do not believe that Antichrist is born supernaturally, but he will be filled with the devil. He is not “incarnated” in the sense that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and the seed was planted by the Holy Spirit.
There is much clamor about a progressive way–progressive democracy, cancel culture, woke are all terms and some of them have worked their way into the Church. John points out that they are not of Christ, but have separated themselves from the Truth, from the real Church. Lloyd-Jones says that these, “claimed to delight in the true religion and yet they destroyed it.” The Church has always been confronted by a seducing power (see Acts 20). Early the Gnostics came on the seen with their heresies and was face by the Truth of the real Church, of those opposing the ideas that were antichrist.
One thing you can be sure of is that the Church will stand. It will not be stained, nor will there be any wrinkle in the robes of white. Another sure thing is that we realize that the power of iniquity is working, the ideologies of the antichrist are involved in the activities of this world. Be strong, stay in God’s Word, let the Holy Spirit guide you in these trying and difficult times. Do not be swayed by the power of the antichrists around you.