Love On: A Study Through 1 Johnनमूना

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?”—1 John 2:22 (NKJV)

John is preparing the Church against the spiritual attack that’s inevitably coming its way. It’s inevitable because the Church is the instrument that God uses in this world, and Satan’s forces are in perpetual conflict with Him. Therefore, conflict is coming!

But we see in the verse above that John gives the Church a way to detect Satan’s attack. He tells us that the “liar,” which represents Satan’s forces that are in opposition to God, will also deny that “Jesus is the Christ.”

As a reminder, “Christ” is a title that represents the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. “The Christ” signifies “The Savior,” and we know that there is one and only one Savior that this world has ever seen: Jesus of Nazareth. John warn that the enemy is going to deny that there’s anything special or unique about Jesus. The enemy is going to tell us that we can find a Savior in other people. 

Satan’s forces are always going to lie about who Jesus is and what He did, and John goes on to elaborate why: “He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:22-23 NKJV).

Three times John links God the Son (Jesus) with God the Father. He’s reminding the Church of a critical truth: There is no approach to the true and living God except through His Son, Jesus. Keep in mind that the devil’s objective is to keep us from a life-giving relationship with God. So of course, he’s going to attack the one way for that to happen. Satan is going to deny, dismantle, and disfigure our understanding of Jesus—because if he can do that, he can block the way, the only way, to God!

So what? There’s a two-fold application in light of this. First, we ourselves must make sure we are absolutely clear on Jesus at all times. If we are an expert at one thing in this world, let it be Jesus because He is the one way for us to overcome it. Secondly, we need to understand the stakes for the sake of others. Know what people need to know about Jesus and be present to share it and refute Satan’s lies. 

“Jesus is not the Christ.” There’s no greater lie, and there’s no greater service we can be to those who are under its influence than to present them with Truth.  

DIG: What is “the lie”?

DISCOVER: Why does Satan make Jesus’ status as the Savior a focus of attack? How should you apply the knowledge of this?   

DO: Share the gospel with someone who does not believe in God.