1 John 2:15-24

15: Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17: The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

18: Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
19: They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
20: But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
21: I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22: Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
23: Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
24: As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

*** 

John said not to love the world or the things in the world--meaning the world which is in a fallen state and led by lusts of the flesh, the eyes, and boastful pride. This is all passing away. God loved the world in that He sent His Son to save those who would believe in Him (John 3:16), yet the love of the Father is not in the one who loves the world (James 4:4)--meaning the one who lives in the darkness of the world and not in the Light, doing the will of God.

John told his readers it was the last hour. He said they knew that because of the "many antichrists" who had appeared just as they heard would happen (Mark 13:22). He explained that these antichrists are those who deny that Jesus is the Christ. They deny the Father and the Son by denying the Son--Jesus. Whoever denies the Son, doesn't have the Father either. Jesus said He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). There is no other way. So, for one to believe in the Father, but not the Son lives a lie.

John said these antichrists who opposed Christ--denying the Son--"went out" from them, but were not really of them. There are those who appear to be religious, to have faith in God, but deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; they are not of the truth. Yet John said they--his readers--had an anointing from the Holy One and they knew. We too know, by the Holy Spirit--the Spirit of truth--that we abide in Him and He in us (1 John 4:13).

He said he didn't write to them because they didn't know the truth, but because they did know it. He was not trying to get them to see the truth, but to remain faithful to it, to what they'd heard. What they had heard was the Word and commandments of the Lord from the beginning. John wanted them to be alert and aware, and, by the Spirit of God, guard against all that would oppose Christ to try and lead them away from the truth into a lie.



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