Some people say, "it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere." Have you heard that? Maybe, once, you believed that....
It is a philosophy that won't go away. But, do you know, sincerity does not make something true. For example, if a nurse gave medicine (the wrong medicine, by mistake) to a patient, and that patient died as a result, it doesn't matter one bit that the nurse sincerely believed the medicine was the correct one, it still didn't stop the patient dying!
If I'm driving to London, but take the wrong road, and end up in Manchester -- I might have sincerely believed I was on the right road, but I wasn't -- no matter what we believe -- truth is truth and error is error!
We've spoken about walking in the light in other messages, about walking in love, walking the Jesus way, because he said; "I am the way the truth and the life,no one comes to The Father but by Me".
So, you see, it's a matter of get the truth or take the consequences, no matter how sincere, we are.
The apostle John tells us we are to watch out for deception, because this is the last hour. Dawn is approaching -- the darkness is passed, and the true light now shines. (First John: 2:8)
The Old Testament, prepared the way for the new thing God is doing in this world through his son Jesus. The cross was, in the eyes of the world, a great tragedy, and massive failure of Jesus's ministry -- but as we know, it was actually the culmination of God's great plan of salvation -- to restore mankind, all of creation -- back to him.
This was the most awesome and spectacular victory there has ever been in history!
Calvary was the place where truth overcame the deception and lies of the devil. Now here is an interesting point that might have caused you to wonder; it's the last hour in John's day -- 2000 years ago, was the last hour, why hasn't Jesus returned yet?
It's a good question, and the answer is in the Bible. In fact, all of life's answers can be found in these pages. If you have eyes to see, and ears to hear,that is.
Look at second Peter chapter 3 and verse eight; "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends, with the Lord a day is like 1000 years, and 1000 years are like a day".
God is not limited by time as we are, he works in human time -- but he's above it! The "last hour," which began in John's time, is growing in intensity, moment by moment.Since we began this meeting -- we are closer to the Lord's return ,than we were first thing this morning. The intensity has grown that little bit more.
The last hour described to us is a kind of time, not so much a duration of time. John is speaking here, in his Epistle, of crisis times. Christians were in deep crisis at the time that he wrote this -- around 70 a.d.
We are still in that crisis time today. Society is crumbling all around us, and the world system is still ignoring Christian witness. What's new?
Now, John speaks of the Antichrist -- the term antichrist,in the Greek, not only means opposed to Christ -- but also instead of Christ, an alternative. Only John uses this term in the whole of Scripture, and explains the meaning in three ways:
1) As a spirit in the world that opposes or denies Christ.
2) As false teachers who embody that spirit.
3) As an actual -- real person, who will head- up the final world rebellion against Christ.
Satan, knowing his time is almost over, and the pit and the Lake of Fire is waiting for him, is in a frenzy, fighting Christ tooth and nail -- trying to destroy the eternal truth, and one of his many ploys is substituting his counterfeits for the reality that we can only find in Jesus!
So, these are very definitely the last days, and so it is vital that we know the truth- believe the truth- defend the truth and walk in the truth -- and we need to spot the phoney and the counterfeit as they come along -- and, they surely will!
How do we spot a false teacher? Read first John, chapter 2, verses 18 and 19.
One of the evidences of a true Christian is their desire to be with the people of God. In chapter 3 and verse 14, John says these words; "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren."
When people are indwelt by the spirit of God, they have the same Holy Spirit -- so they want to be with the church family -- as the Psalmist says somewhere, "deep calls to deep."
Now ,counterfeit Christians mentioned in first John chapter 2 did not remain in fellowship. They went out! Now I'm not saying that being in fellowship gets you saved, but it rather indicates that remaining in fellowship with one another -- is one evidence that a person is truly a Christian.
In Matthew chapter 13 and verse eight, where Jesus speaks of the sower -- in the parable -- he makes it clear that only those producing fruit are truly born-again. You see, it's possible to be close to an experience of salvation and even show some of the characteristics of the born-again believer, (enough to pass you off in most people's eyes as a Christian) -- and yet, you're not actually a child of God!
The people in first John chapter 2, left fellowship because, when push came to shove -- they didn't possess the true life, and the love of Jesus Christ was not in their hearts.
Today -- there are, unfortunately, divisions, some of them deep, among the people of God -- but all true Christians, have certain things in common; they believe the Bible is the word of God. They believe that Jesus is the only son of God, who came in the flesh, and dwelt amongst us. They confess that men are sinners and that the only way one can be saved from eternal separation from God is through faith in Christ.
They believe that Jesus died as man's substitute on the cross, and that he rose from the dead. They believe that the Holy Spirit indwelt all true believers, and they believe that Jesus is returning to earth again.
When a group leaves a church where the full Gospel is being preached, and leaves for reasons solely of doctrine, one really has to wonder!
These people often follow after human leaders and their writings, which are often books denying the true doctrines of Scripture, rather than looking to Jesus Christ and accepting the absolute authority of the scriptures. No wonder there is a mess in Christendom!
In chapter 4 verse two of John's Gospel, John makes this statement; "Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh."
That assertion, will mark you out as a true believer also. False teachers will say, "we worship the same Father". We fully believe in God the Father, even though we disagree with you about Jesus Christ. But -- the Word says to deny the Son means to deny the Father. You cannot divide them! Jesus said, "I and my Father are one."
So, we must " test the spirits to see if they are of God." (First John, chapter 4 verse one) That,by the way,means the spirits of men, not,as spirit mediums declare,spirits of the departed!
Let us be careful not to seduced -- John is warning us -- and Paul ,writing to Timothy, says in first Timothy chapter 4 and verse one: "now the spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving way to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons."
We shouldn't, by the way, accept everything a person who claims to believe the Bible states -- because, as everyone knows, it is possible to twist the Bible scripture to make it say what you want it to say! Check out second Corinthians chapter 4 versus one and two, and you will see the argument.
Something to remember is this; Satan does not originate anything, he no longer has creativity, he has become a copy-cat, and imitator, and so have his demonic cohorts.
Yes, he imitates the genuine works of the Holy Spirit. He has counterfeit ministers, who preach a counterfeit gospel, which in turn produces counterfeit Christians. Look at the following scriptures; second Corinthians chapter 11, versus 13 to 15. Galatians chapter 1 versus 6 to 12. John chapter 8, versus 43 and 44.
The well-known parable of Jesus in Matthew 13 about the wheat and the tares, is a good illustration here; you will recall that the weeds and the wheat look identical, and you can't tell the difference until the fruit appears.
Satan's plan, right now, is to plant a fake work in the field where Jesus has planted a true one. So, we need to be discerning.
How do we steer a clear course through all this deception? We depend on the Spirit of God, who dwells within every believer. It is this Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth!
Why are some Christians led astray? Why do some follow false and distorted teachings? Because they are not abiding in the spirit. To "ABIDE" means to continue -- to continue in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Christian faith. They are our real family, spiritual, and not of this world.
In conclusion, let me say this: we must abide, go to church regularly, study the Bible, abide in prayer -- abide in love for each other --abide in good works to bless people -- abide in The Spirit -- keep getting filled with The Spirit -- so we can abide in the glory!
False teachers do the opposite, and teach the opposite. They are as far away from God's glory as the North Pole is from the South, and just as lacking in warmth!
A final word in closing: it's not enough to believe the truth, we must walk in its light -- constantly -- and as we can do it -- because it all by God's grace -- and he loves to pour out his gracious blessing upon us, His little ones. My prayer, is that God will seal His Word in your heart, that you will walk in the light, and abide in Jesus Christ, the true vine. If we believe and walk in Truth,we never need fear the consequences,which brings me rather neatly to the "big question"; If you died Today,do you know for sure,beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you would go to Heaven?
I will leave you, with that thought.
