18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore 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 it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us— eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
Continuing on through chapter 2. John starts to warn about the coming antichrist and the lesser antichrists. As John addresses new Christians, he tells them that is the last days. The world is going to be coming to an end when Christ returns. Peter warns the people in his first epistle, "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers." (4:7) Luke in the book of Acts quotes Peter saying "But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams(.)' " (2:16-17) It is clear to John that the final hour is here since there is a rise of antichrists. The Antichrist has not yet come but other false teachers and prophets have already came to deceive the Christians. So John is warning the new Christians in Asia Minor that the spirit of the antichrist is upon them.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul gives us what the Antichrist is going to do when he comes, Matthew 24:15 and also Daniel 8:9-11 and 11:31-38. This is not the focus of John at this point. John is preparing to talk about the antichrists that are coming now. Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves(,)" and Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect (,)" explain that many false teachers will come some appearing to be like Christians. So John is warning this new Christians that false teacher are here now. In verse 19, John starts to explain the different characteristics of an antichrist. The first characteristic is the fact that antichrists will rise and leave Christian groups. John is providing these new Christians a test of preservation. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 states that some will depart from the faith by evil spirits, while Paul explains to the Ephesian Elders that will arise and take away disciples (Acts 20:29-30). These antichrist are going to appear like Christians and might more some time. In due time, they will leave and take some disciples, if possible, with them.
John stresses that if they did not leave, they would be Christians but since they did leave that are not. Note to stress, not all be people that leave a Christian group or church is not a believer. Some leave because of doctrine issues or style issues. Some also leave because they were not of the faith. This last group is what John is referring to. The elect will prevail and continue to worship with Christians. Psalms 37:28 states that "For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off." John also says that once some on is in the hands of God, they can never get plucked out (John 10:28-30).
Another reason that Christians would remain in Christian circles is that they have an anointing from the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul tells the people in Ephesus that they get the Holy Spirit as a deposit for the inheritance that is to come in Heaven. Not only is it a deposit, it also allows us to know all things (vs 20). The Holy Spirit is what informs us when we are lied to by the antichrists. John writes in his gospel, that the Holy Spirit "will bear witness about (Christ) me." (15:26) The Holy Spirit is our build in lie detector for false teachings. We know all truth because the Holy Spirit passes the truth to us from God the Father. So John stress that lies are not in truth.
Take notice that John also tells these young Christians that they already know the truth. This truth is the message that they heard from the beginning (1 John 1:1). This is the Gospel message. The truth that they need to understand is the truth for which John testified to them when they first started to believe. John testified to them what he say when we was with Christ. This is the truth which John wants them to get a hold of. This truth, which John told them, has no lies in it. So John is warning them, that no lie is of the truth.
So in verse 22, John gives us the 2nd characteristic of an antichrist. An antichrist is going to deny Christ. So not only have they left the church or fellowship, they deny Christ. Since John warned them that lies are not part of the truth, he says a liar will deny Jesus. This lie is from the spirit of the antichrist. That make the readers remember that John is of the truth. Verse 23 John tells us that no liar is of God, no one that denies the deity of the Son will have God the Father. This is not the only time John has said this. He repeats it many times in his gospel where he says know Christ know the Father (8:19), Jesus and God are one (10:13), and hate Jesus you hate God (15:23 & 24). This marks shows that Jesus and God can not be separate in anyway. Look at many of the false religions and we see this very denial of Jesus and others saying that there are more than one way to heaven.
John makes an urge to the readers of the letter that they must remain in the truth that was taught to them when they first believed. This is an important message that we to must remember. Since the antichrist is going to deny the deity of Christ, we must remember that only Christ is way to get to Heaven. The truth that we read in the Bible is still valid today as it was when John wrote this letter. Remaining in this truth is what lets us remain in Christ and God the Father. This is a parallel with John 15 where John tells us about the Christ as the vine. This truth of the gospel keeps us with Christ and therefore with God the Father. This truth also gives us the promise of eternal life (vs. 25). This when we came to God on his terms and trusted him to save us from his holy wrath because of our sinful condition. Salvation in Christ is a promise of eternal life with him in paradise.
As the truth is that Jesus is the Son of the living God and God, we see that they not only will the antichrist deny the deity of Christ but he will try to deceive people. The antichrist are trying to deceive the Christians that they left to follow them in their destructive ways. Christ tells us that they will come and try to deceive the elect if they can (Mark 13:22). Paul mentions quite about that false teacher will deceive the members of the different churches. How much more must we remain in the truth that saves us now? They are people now trying to deceive the elect. A good example is the universal atonement that all will be saved by Christ even if they do not believed in him. What a preposterous idea that the Bible does not even mention. Again the way to defend against these false teachers in the Spirit that transcends all understanding. The same Spirit that John talked about in verse 20. This is the key to defend our souls from the evil one. Walk in truth of the Gospel. This is what John wants us to understand. That only God can helps us and that is through his Holy Spirit, that same Spirit that was given to us by God as a deposit for our souls.
