I John 2:18-27
Be Not Deceived

Introduction
1. Churches are not becoming more biblical. The closer we get to the 2nd Coming the more
apostasy we will see.
2. How can we keep from being led astray?
3. I John 2:18-27 John exposes a real danger to baby Christians or those Christians who have not
grown.

How can we keep from being led astray? Four ways:
I. BE AWARE 2:18
There are three important words or phrases.
A. Little Children
1.It is not the word of v. 12 teknia which means ‘born ones’ speaking of all of God’s family.
2.It is the word of v. 14 paidia ‘young children’. This group is the most vulnerable to deception. He is addressing the new Christian or the Christian that has not grown. They are weak in the Word and they want all that God has for them.
3.Discipleship is so important. Get into the Word. Get around the Word!
B. Last Time (last hour)
1.Since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the world has been in the last hour. It is the Church Age. God is doing something new in the world.
2.All history since that time is merely preparation for ‘the end’ when Jesus will come and establish His kingdom.
3.The last day began in John’s day and has been growing in intensity.
4.There is the last days of the last time. It is important to know what you believe and why you believe it.
C. Antichrist Two concepts:
1.The Antichrist will be revealed after the Rapture of the Church. He is a man of lawlessness. (II Thes. 2:1-8)
2.The spirit of antichrist was prevalent in John’s day and so that spirit is alive today. This spirit of antichrist is preparation for the coming of The Antichrist.
3.What is that spirit?
*It is a world that denies and opposes Christ.
*Teachers and preachers who propagate this spirit.
*Anti is against or instead of.
*Satan is in a frenzy fighting Jesus Christ and God’s Word. He is substituting his counterfeits for the genuine found in Christ. The Antichrist will be the ultimate counterfeit! The Spirit of antichrist is already at work!

How can we keep from being led astray? 4 ways: Be Aware
II. BE AWAKE 2:19-21
A. The Walk…Departure They were with us, but not of us.
1. Some had made a profession of being a Christian. They had all the decorations: They bore the name…identified with some local assembly…baptized…immersed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit…took communion…sang the songs.
2.They left the assembly of believers and went back with the world. Such was the case with Demas (II Pt. 2:22) (Col. 4:14 Demas greet you…Greet Demas) (II Tim 4:10 For Demas has forsaken me having loved this present world).
3.Some make believers remain. I believe in the security of the believer, but I also believe in the insecurity of the make believer. Christians want to be around God’s people and God’s word. PBC…Good people can leave her and go somewhere else that preaches the word of God. Here there has been a departure from the faith once delivered to the saints.
B.The Witness…Dependance 20
1. All have this ‘anointing’. They became ‘anointed’ by virtue of the new birth. They received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer.
*The Gift of the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with maturity or an experience (Eph 1:13) Upon believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit.
*The Holy Spirit indwells every believer and is our Guide. Listen when He speaks: “Something isn’t right.”

2. You know all things.
*The context is truth and error.
*The potential to learn is there. The Word is our curriculum. Listen to the Holy
Spirit.
C. The Word…Decision 21 You know it no lie is of the truth.
1.They knew the truth of the Gospel. John is writing to encourage them and to warn them.
2.Some in today’s churches do not know the Truth. They are not taught God’s word.
3.Truth is from God. The Devil is the Father of lies. There is no middle ground.

How can we keep from being led astray? 4 ways: Be Aware…Be Awake
III. BE ALERT 2:22-25
Where do you stand? Three important questions to ask any pastor…cultist or religious
organization:
A.What do you do with Jesus Christ? 22, 23 Who is Jesus Christ?
1.John is hard…The spirit of antichrist…who is a liar? He that denies that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) He is lost!
2.He moves from the abstract to the concrete:
*The one denies Jesus is the Messiah of the Old Testament.
*Jesus is God in the flesh. Gnostics believed that Jesus was a mere man, the son of Joseph with unusual power. They denied the Incarnation. (I John 4:2) Jesus is God, come in the flesh.
*Liberals and all cults and isms deny the deity of Jesus Christ.
3. They say, “We believe in God”, but not the God of the Bible: The God of the Bible
sent His Son into the world to die for our sins. Since the Son is God, He alone is the
One who can make a satisfactory sacrifice to God on our behalf for our sins. If He
were anything other than God He would not be worthy to be my Savior.
B. What do you do with salvation and the Word of God 24
1.Abide is to continue in harmony, fellowship which they heard from the beginning.
*What had they heard from the beginning: salvation and the teaching of the Apostles.
*The Incarnation of Jesus: heard concerning His life…His death…His resurrection.
What we taught! Which to us is found in the New Testament.
2.Salvation: How do I receive eternal life? Grace alone…faith alone in Christ alone.
*How does their approach line up to the Word? The Christian Life continues as it started…through faith in the message of the Bible.
*If anyone comes along with ‘something new’ watch out!!
C. What do you do with heaven and hell…the eternal? 25
1. Eternal life…the only life that God gives is eternal. If you lose it tomorrow or next
year…it may be something, but it is not eternal life!
2. There is a life after this life and what I do with God’s word and Jesus Christ will
determine where I spend eternity.
3.There are many liars today and hundreds of Jesus’ and hundreds who use His name.

How can we keep from being led astray? Be Aware…Be Awake…Be Alert
IV. BE ABIDING 2:26, 27
A. The Witness
Abide in God’s Word v. 24 Abide in God’s Spirit v. 27
1.God has given gifted men to the church. There ought to come a day when we can stand on our own.
2.(I Peter 3:15) Be able to give an answer to the hope which lies within you.
B. The Word Truth
1.Get to the place where the Holy Spirit teaches you.
2.Ask the Holy Spirit: Is Pastor Murray preaching the Word of God? Is he teaching God’s Word or his opinions? If he isn’t…get out!

It is possible to be sincere, but be sincerely wrong!
I believe that we are in the last days of the last day.
THE BIBLE MUST BE OUR COMPASS, GUIDE AND ROAD MAP!