“I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 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. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

Assurance in Christ Alone

Last week as we looked at 1 John 2:18-25, we discussed the working, rebellious spirit of the enemy in the many antichrists that have come into the world. We ended, looking at the foundation of our faith. This week as we continue in 1 John, we look further at this idea of combating the deception of the world, not through some new idea or approach, but through the same Truth that first called us out of the darkness. There is a movement that seems to have grown in popularity (if it’s not growing, it is at the very least is taking its sweet time in dying), around the idea of deconstruction. Deconstruction itself isn’t remotely new, originating (under this title at least) from among the Post Modernists of the late 1960’s, however it seems to have enjoyed a certain degree of popularity in conjunction with Christianity over the last decade in particular. On the surface, a key component of deconstruction would be critically analyzing your beliefs. If things stopped there, this would be not only beneficial, but entirely Biblical. Paul writes in Philippians 2:12–13,

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

While the middle portion of, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” is what’s usually honed in on from this passage, what we see in context is that our salvation, approached with reverence and humility, is something we “work out” through the continued obedience to the Light that called us out of the darkness to begin with. It is the Spirit that indwells us that enables us to work to the glory of God. We should not grow complacent, we should not simply go through the motions of obedience and worship, but worship in Spirit and Truth. But deconstruction isn’t so much about asking questions, as it is questioning – it doesn’t build up, but does exactly what it’s name describes, and deconstructs. 2 Corinthians 5:1 tells us,

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Deconstruction seeks to dismantle what God has built in us, and rework this with new components of false doctrine and worldly teachings incorporated. When we are called to Christ we are called to One greater and beyond the world. There is a new gravity to things, a new understanding around the nature of reality. We come to know that we are not just flesh and blood, that the world is not simply made up of the material creation around us – we are made in the image of the Holy, eternal, invisible God who existed before there was space and time and reality as we know it. Through wrapped in sin stained, perishable flesh, we are made for eternity in God’s presence, we await new bodies, new flesh that is unstained and glorified through Christ. We are called to look past the world, upward, to the highest, most glorious point, we are given greater and higher things to think on and observe, and our minds are presented with an upward trajectory. Jesus prays before the disciples during the High Priestly Prayer, saying in John 17:14–19,

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” This is a deep and layered statement. Jesus is both fully God, and fully Man, He came into the world to save the world, to preach the good news, to glorify God, to suffer, die, and rise again. He also came into the world to be tempted. Hebrews 4:15 tells us,

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus was above the world, yet physically in the world, He was entirely supreme in His deity, yet subject to the struggles of the flesh as a Man. He didn’t move through His days on earth removed and unaffected, but suffered as we suffer to overcome what we could not. I draw your attention to this, firstly because it’s always worth considering and revering the work that Christ came to do out of His love for us, but also to remember that as Jesus was above the world, we are made above the world, and as Jesus was tempted, we too are tempted. When Jesus is directly tempted by Satan (recorded in Matthew 4, and Luke 4), this isn’t some toothless, playacting – if anything, this is the most wicked, powerful temptation ever seen on earth. Jesus, perfect and righteous, was above the snares of the enemy, and in His Spirit we may know deliverance from temptation. But, if we yield to the shortsightedness of our flesh, then we will fail. Through the Spirit we must hold two things within us simultaneously – the Truth of Christ that first called us, and the upward aim we’ve been given, knowing both where we’ve come from, and where we’re going. If we neglect the gospel that first called us in favor of looking only to what seem to be loftier things, we allow the upward aim we’re given in our salvation to be twisted, and we each become a timebomb, waiting to deconstruct. Isaiah 14:13–15 speaks of the fall of the king of Babylon, using imagery that calls back to the fall of Satan,

“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.”

If we aim to the highest point without our roots fixed in Christ, then in time we will find that we reach up, not to glorify God, but to glorify ourselves. Instead of serving the Truth, we will come to serve whatever lie we find most desirable, and come to call that “our” truth. As we look at today’s passage in 1 John, we can see this fleshed out in the person, attributes and titles of Jesus. We can see the absolute necessity that we develop only in the Truth, only in the sound doctrine of the gospel that first called us, and that in this alone, we may grow with assurance.

1. Assured in the Teacher

“I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 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.”

Jesus is called by many names, there are many titles that belong to Him. He is called the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the Prince of Peace. He is also called the Son of Man, the Lamb of God, and the Chief Shepherd. One title that sometimes gets overlooked in comparison to the others is Teacher. In Matthew 23:8–11, as He rebukes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Jesus says,

“But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant.”

“Teacher,” is also how Mary Magdalene addresses Jesus when He calls her by name and she finally realizes who she’s speaking to after the resurrection. It may not have the same ring of majesty as some of the other titles Jesus holds, but there is great significance in knowing Him as our Teacher. All wisdom, all understanding, all insight and discernment comes from Him. He is Truth that gives knowledge, He is Light that exposes, it is He alone who gives true instruction in all things, and so knowing Him and His Spirit as the Teacher carries great weight. John starts off this week by turning our attention back to what we discussed in last week’s section – those who have come to deceive the followers of Christ. It’s so crucial that we understand that the spirit and intent of the antichrist and the spirit and intent of Satan are one in the same. The father of lies, the great deceiver, the one who is a murderer from the beginning, and murdered to this day, the one who offers work that pays the wage of death. From a human perspective we may attempt to philosophically view light and dark from different angles, to try twisting and distorting the nature of what is righteous and what is evil. But there is no middle ground, no compromise. There is no darkness within the Light, and given that the Light drives back the darkness by its very presence, no darkness can be found in the Light. Light exposes, it teaches, it informs, and guides. Darkness obscures, it hides, it distorts, and deceives. Those who oppose Christ veil themselves in darkness, covering their lies. Jesus teaches in Luke 8:16–18,

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

To the one who stands in Light and embraces Truth, an eternity of Light and Truth awaits. To the one who obscures themselves in darkness, what little Light they think to brush against will be stripped away. They hide false doctrine and blasphemous lies in the shadows of a lit room, but an eternity of the pitch-black separation of the outer darkness is what awaits them. We can see again the recurring divide, Satan the deceiver, the dealer of falsehoods, and Jesus, the Teacher and upholder of Truth. As Christians, part of our worship and sanctification is that we read our Bibles. I’ve heard if said in church more times that I can count, that if the only time you send in your Bible each week is the time you spend in church, then you’re hurting your walk with Christ. Hebrews 4:12 says,

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

And 2 Timothy 3:16–17 tells us,

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

We neglect the Word to our very great detriment. What we read in today’s passage underpins this, that any teaching we receive – whether from personal reading of Scripture, through sermons or classes, or through Biblical commentary is not from external means, but through the anointing of the Holy Spirit we share in Christ. In John 14:23 Jesus says,

“… If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

Paul writes in Romans 6:3–7,

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.”

In our estrangement from the world, we lose our limitations and reliance based in worldly teaching. This is not to say that we are above reproach, a law unto ourselves, but that our Teacher guides and instructs us directly. When our foundation rests fully in Him, then we know peace and understanding. John said previously in 1 John 2:7,

“Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.”

This isn’t about conveying some grand, new, transcendent ideas, but instead growing in the transcendent greatness of the Truth we were first given when we came to Christ. The anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth teaches us, guides us, and refines us. It is Truth and Light, no lie, no darkness. Paul writes in Philippians 1:3–6,

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Christ is our Teacher – when we abide in Him as our foundation, we grow, His work continuing in us. This is the promise we have in Him, the safeguard against worldly deception, and the peace of understanding that only He can provide.

2. Assured in the Great High Priest

“And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”

When we are in accordance with Christ, we are taught and instructed in Him through the anointing He has given us, through His Spirit that lives within us. As John continues, we can gain a sense of the enormity of what this means. Exodus 33:17–23 says,

“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.’ Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ And he said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name “The LORD.” And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.’”

Moses was a singular prophet, chosen by God to bring His people out of Egypt. It was through Moses that the Law was given, and as God says in this passage, he found favor in His sight. But even Moses could not look upon the glory of God. Even with his given station, even under the Law, Moses could not take in the glory of God and live. 1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us of the promise we have for our future through Christ,

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

It is only because of the blood of Christ, it is only because of the finished work of our Great High Priest that we will one day look upon the face of our Father. It is only because of His Priestly intercession that we can, as John writes, “have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.” Hebrews 4:14–16, which I referenced a piece of earlier, says,

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

But this doesn’t apply if we do not continue to abide in Christ. Some professing Christians treat Jesus like the base in a game of tag – you call out His name, declare that you’ve accepted the offer of His freedom, then walk away, back to whatever you were occupying yourself with before. If Christ is your foundation, if you are being built up from Him, then you cannot grow without Him. Philippians 1:9–11 says,

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

 If you have a teacher that you disregard and fail to listen to, how much will you learn? To what degree can you call yourself their student? Likewise, if you do not obey and follow Jesus as your High Priest, then the sacrifice He has made doesn’t apply to you. If He is not your center, you’re left to wander, to adopt false doctrines, to feast your heart and mind on the things of the world. Where this leaves you at the coming of Christ is guilty, judged and cast out. To know Jesus as the foundation is to greet His coming with joy, and to enter eternity at peace with God, instead of condemned and eternally separated.

3. Assured in the Holy One

“If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:5–8

“… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Righteousness is not something we know in our flesh – we cannot serve or glorify God when we’re estranged from Him in rebellion. When we come to Christ and receive salvation we die to our flesh, we are made new, and are reborn in the Spirit. We are not perfect after this – we still exist in flesh that awaits glorification, and until then remains stained by sin, and we struggle against this in temptation. But though we find ourselves stuck in a state of unrest on this side of eternity, the mind that has been renewed and set on the things of God lives differently. With the Light of Christ inside us, we do not interact with the darkness of the world in the same way. This again doesn’t mean that we become a law unto ourselves, able to determine right and wrong by our own understanding – we know wisdom because He has given us wisdom, we have understanding because He has blessed us with understanding, and we begin to practice righteousness because the Holy One, who is righteous in all things lives within us. What we cannot lose sight of as the righteousness of God is manifested in us is where this righteousness comes from, that it is a mark in us, and in our brothers and sisters that we have been born again in Him. Paul writes in Romans 3:10–18, citing the Psalms and Proverbs,

“as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’ ‘Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.’ ‘The venom of asps is under their lips.’ ‘Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”

This is who we are apart from God, this is what we cultivate within ourselves. Isaiah 1:3–4 says,

“The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.”

Isaiah 29:18–19 later goes on to say,

“In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.”

Taken side by side, these two passages show us the contrast of what is it to be with, and to be without God. If we lose our roots, if we forsake the Holy One who is our foundation then we spiral into corruption and destruction. On the other hand, to know God, even from the lowest, most broken point, brings fresh joy. By His righteousness at work in us we may truly know ourselves, and know those who serve Him alongside us. There is no limitation to the heights we may be lifted to when we are firmly founded in Him, and we cannot fathom the pain and destruction we court when we seek to make gods of our own thoughts, and idols of our own passions. Hebrews 10:23 says,

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

We are called to learn, and grow, and mature in our relationship with Christ, but this is only possible if we develop in Him, our eyes fixed on Truth, and our hearts guarded from the deception of the world.

Pastor Landon’s sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jP7k5ak9Vo