"Clearly, this is not simply a "teaching" situation where one would sit at a desk and learn."
[This message is part of a series through the book of 1 John, entitled "Salvific Assurance Through Testimony," preached by Pastor Senter].
A little review is in order and necessary for this section because John is going to bring together a few of the arguments he has been presenting. Throughout this epistle, John has been testifying the truth of Jesus to combat an evil uprising, a heresy known now as Gnosticism. In verse 21, we learned specifically that you who believe in Christ Jesus as Savior are anointed. You have God, the Holy Spirit, living within your newly enlivened heart. In verses 22-25, we learned that we have the promise of eternal life; and that this promise is born from a faith through the grace of God to an unbelieving heart, which is the nature of the true heart of man. Now John is going to bring these arguments to a point. We talked about abiding in Him, sticking with Him, and staying in the fellowship – a stick-to-it-iv-ness. Here John boils this up and strips away the dross to leave only a pure and clear admonition for us.
When we last met, we ended by noting the promise of eternal life. This promise is only possible if you have the Holy Spirit indwelling your soul. This indwelling Spirit is only possible if you have accepted Christ Jesus as your Savior. This Holy Spirit indwelling is the focus of the next passage. Knowing Him, the Holy Spirit is essential to knowing God. Let us look at 1 John 2:26&27.
Once again we find John telling us why he is writing. John’s first statement “I have written” elicits some questions. Does this section concentrate on a purpose for the whole of scripture? Is there an eternal purpose in the writing of these passages, as intended by the Holy Spirit as He gave these words to our apostle John? Is there some deeper hidden meaning to the phrase in verse 26 that can only be revealed in the Spirit, Whom we have been anointed with after our salvation? All of these questions can quickly be answered if we simply read the text and do not attempt to inject our personal wants, desires, or theologies into everything we read. The spiritualist would in fact read into this a great and lofty highly spiritual message that speaks of your soul being instructed in some way not bound to this earthly plane.
However, even though this passage opens with a purpose for writing, is that the focus or the subject of these two passages? How about the abiding and anointing or indwelling that we find here? The thought of being actually inhabited by a force or being outside our own body is quite scary. There have been a number of horror movies such as, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and movies depicting individuals who are possessed of evil spirits. The word of God actually documents cases of individuals possessed by evil spirits and demonic possession of legions or great numbers of spirits, such as in the case of the Gergesene demoniac in Matthew eight. Truthfully, these things terrorize us, and they should. No one truly likes to lose control of themselves. Some people enjoy letting go and giving up control of emotions and bodily activities. We see this in the pseudo worship of charismaticism, which is more a display of lack of self-control than a way to worship a Holy God. In some charismatic services a form of pseudo worship takes place where people let their bodies go limp, feign a collapse, jump, or gyrate about, wave their hands uncontrollably, or talk in some maddeningly incomprehensible babble. None of these activities is biblically supported without a gross distortion or stretching of the text. In addition, none of this is contained in this text.
Could it be that abiding thing you talked about last time pastor? That Greek word “menw” was really important to you preacher. Well, it should be equally important to you –that is why I talked about it in such depth. Moreover, even though it is mentioned here two times, it is not necessarily the focus of this passage.
You might observe one of John’s polar opposite presentations here. When we look at verse 27, at the latter portion, the words “truth” and “lie” are presented as juxtaposed against one another. Is that then the focus of the passage? Are we to learn of the truth and error of man? No, that subject is too long and involved to cover in a single sermon. I believe that may be an annual series–we will have to look at the schedule.
All of these things weigh upon the subject of the passage, the focus of the teaching in this scripture. All of these things are modifiers of the truth we find here. There is one other word that is used a little more frequently in a couple of different forms in these verses. That word is “teach.”
While considering this we will look at “Trusting the truth taught by scripture and the Holy Spirit, not by man,” and consider “Sinners tend to seek salvation through men, not God.” This is because man knows he can somewhat control man, but what man can control God?
I. People Mislead You
I know that what I am about to say must be a shock to everyone in here. No one here can truly say that they believe anyone has ever intentionally attempted to mislead you. Equally, you can trust every politician you hear on television. None of them are specifically tilting the arguments their way in order to try to sway you. No one intentionally misleads anyone do they? Oh sure, people get a fact or two wrong in places, but intentionally misleading someone? They never do that. I know, this is a little sarcasm, but it does display a point. Further, if the individual who is misrepresenting the truth, or coloring it to paint a biased picture, actually believes what they are trying to argue, that is a formula for trouble. However, this is not what we have here. John is not trying to discredit just the arguments, but the actual people who are arguing for Gnosticism as well. For the first time he actually states specifically that there are secessionists, those attempting to divide the church. He is arguing against the facts that they represent, and against the people. He has, after all, labeled them antichrists. This may seem a little harsh, actually denouncing the people that are attempting this deception. It is because of and directly associated with the facts that they misrepresent that John argues so vehemently against them.
Deceivers come in many shapes and sizes, colors and hues, but they all carry the same message – Christ alone is not the way. You have to do something else. It cannot be that easy. Many people do not want to get involved with church because they cannot fit it into their schedule – they figure they are going to have to do many other things if they get involved with the church. You know what - they are right. You will have to do many other things when you get involved in the church. You will have a different kind of fun, you will have a different social life, and you will have a different family life. Your whole life will change, and you will end up doing a wide variety of different things in order to effect these changes. However, you do these things not to gain salvation, not to be saved. You do not make changes because you want to be saved. You change because you have changed. The changes are born from a change in your heart, in your mind, and in your soul.
John is writing these things to testify specifically against the naysayers, those who would have you believe anything except Christ’s all-sufficiency for salvation. The deceivers say, ”You can have fun over here, come with us.” The deceivers say, ”You have to do a little more than what they say, they are not telling you the truth.” The deceivers say, ”You do not have to give up what you want just to have Jesus.” The deceivers are missing the point: you give things up, you change, you metamorphose into a godly man or woman because of, not in order that you might, receive Christ. That change does not take place before or in order to, but after and because of.
Salvation – IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU! It is about HIM and what HE does within you that changes you for His glory. John keeps pushing this point home. The deceivers and every lost person out there continues to miss it.
A. John’s response
John is writing concerning or about “them that seduce,” or we could translate this way, “the ones deceiving” you. The words translated “them that seduce,” is not a noun or a verb but a participle that modifies the word “you”–so this deceiving is directly attributable to and directed at you. In this case it is in the present tense and active voice. John is writing about the people who are deceived themselves, and are now spreading this deception, this seduction, to come to another gospel. Satanic influence takes many forms and probably the most dangerous form is that which has mixed truth with error. Many cults today attempt to mix Jesus’ salvation with their own created form of salvation. Any religion that appears to be of Jesus, but teaches that you need to do something else to please Him in order to keep your salvation, or earn a higher level of salvation, or gain more salvation, or gain more rewards in this world this is a deception.
Anything that teaches you have to work to receive Jesus Christ or His blessings or grace is false. They are deceivers. Run from them.
B. John’s focus
These people are taking others from the church. It is that simple. Not taking others from good fellowships and moving them to another good fellowship. These deceivers are taking people from a church that has good doctrine and fellowship and moving them to a church which has an ungodly doctrine. The operative word in this verse means “to cause someone to hold a wrong view and thus be mistaken – to mislead, to deceive, deception, to cause to be mistaken.” There is no indication in any of the renderings that provides for ignorance in the act. In other words, these people know exactly what they are doing. They are attempting to deceive people, to get them to go to a different fellowship, believe in a different doctrine, or worship in a fashion that is ungodly. I see direct connections with this deception and many of the distortions we have in today’s world view of Christianity.
Consider churches that would take our youth and convince them that listening to rock music is not bad. After all, that is what you like isn’t it? All the other kids are listening to rock music and they are doing just fine. “Music is amoral”. They are not doing just fine. The suicide rate for teens in Christian circles is almost equal to that of outside the church. Why do you think that is? It is because deceivers have told our young people they can have their cake and eat it too. Your young people are being deceived in the ways of the world. What about marriage? Christian divorce rates are about equal to that of the secular world. We are suffering all the same ills as the secular world in Christianity, because Christianity has fallen prey to deceivers who tell you that you can have everything the world has. The failure in that thought is that if you covet everything the world has, you will receive everything the world offers. You will receive not just the things of the world, but the sufferings of it as well because you are not a Christian, but a false Christian. You are, in fact, a Christian in name only. You are not depending upon Christ for your whole life; only for the parts you want Him involved in. That, my dear friends is not Christianity, it is not Christlike, it is not living in faith, and it provides no salvific assurance. In fact, it testifies of a lostness, a life without Christ Jesus at the center. A life in the world and not of Christ.
If you have truly taken Christ, you depend upon Him, you become more like Him, you love like Him, you seek only Him, and you want only His desires in your life.
How do these changes take place, what is it that happens, and what is the teaching that we are supposed to absorb then?
II. The Holy Spirit (verse 27)
The difference, the change, the uniqueness, the dependability, the salvation are caused by the Expeditor of salvation. This is Christ Jesus. The Indweller of salvation, the Holy Spirit, superintends the growth, the edification, the instruction, and the changes. God is His own best interpreter. That is why expositors so severely struggle to exegete the scriptures and give to you what is contained in them, not what we want the scriptures to say. You have this Holy Spirit anointed in you. With the Anointer, the thing with which you are anointed, and the reason for the anointing itself, you should have the ability to discern the truth from the errors. The most grievous errors we find today with the way scriptures are handled involve the interpretation of spiritual gifts and their usage. In addition, studies involving typology or the study of types of Christ often result in the superimposition of these types on biblical passages. Another is the distortion some parables can receive concerning their studies. If Jesus Christ the righteous sent this Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is going to testify of Him in all that He does to comfort us, how then can we assume any interpretation that would place the Holy Spirit before Christ in importance? For instance, why would we want to speak in tongues to gain more of the Holy Spirit’s anointing when it is Christ Jesus Who is the focus, not the Holy Spirit? This is a huge distortion of scripture with respect to spiritual gifts. You would never have the Spirit without the Son; in fact, we just studied that you cannot have any part of God without the Son.
The encouragement is to depend upon the Spirit of God to interpret the Scripture, not that you are to do anything to get the Holy Spirit. The Comforter indwells your spirit for the glory of God, not for His own glory. Your indwelled spirit glorifies the triune God.
What of this Holy Spirit? We should learn more of Him, what, and how He teaches.
A. Sent from Christ.
This Spirit is sent from Christ Jesus. Turn with me to John 14, we will first look at verse 16. This is a section of scripture where Jesus is telling His disciples that He will be leaving. They are concerned that they are unable to go with Him. Here, Peter (always the impetuous one) asks where Jesus is going, and why he cannot follow Him. Peter’s next statement is the one that gets him in trouble, where he attempts to say nothing could keep him from coming with Jesus–that he’d even die for Him. However, Jesus responds with a prophecy that Peter will deny Christ three times before the rooster will crow. Then Jesus comforts His disciples encouraging them to not worry, that Someone else will come. In verse 16, we learn of the one who will come. Not only is this Comforter coming, but He is also the Spirit of truth who cannot be deceived. He knows truth, is truth, and represents the whole truth. The world will not ever see or know Him. Think about that statement. Because the world will never see or know Him, they will not be influenced by Him in the ways we have been discussing. However, you do experience His influence. He lives here on earth in you; He resides here on this plane within you.
Now, move to verse 26. Here we find that the Holy Spirit is not just going to live here in you, but He will have a specific ministry. He will affect your life. “He will change you. He will teach you all things”, and He is the one who reminds you of the things of Jesus. When you struggle with a temptation, when you are troubled, when you face a trial or persecution, He will be the voice you hear in your heart encouraging you. Further, it says He will testify to you, all things that Jesus said. We should look, then, at what Jesus said.
Let’s look at Chapter 15 and verse 26. Where does the Spirit come from? He comes from the Father. Moreover, who will He testify of, what will He be telling you and me, what encouragement will He provide for us? He will testify of Jesus Christ. This is not a subordination of the Holy Spirit to Christ; but it is simply what He will do to glorify Himself. Just as God the Father sent His Son to die for us on the cross, just as the Son’s blood was shed, it did not give glory to only the Son for doing so, but to the entire Godhead. The triune God’s glory is exceedingly testified of concerning the salvation provided in Christ Jesus; so too the whole Glory of our great God is testified of in the Holy Spirit.
There is no testimony in scripture that guides us to an understanding that the Spirit is given to us in varying degrees. He comes, and He is given to us by Christ Jesus to testify of Christ Jesus, to Glorify God for our comfort.
Rest in the truth of the Holy Spirit, and this truth will keep you free. Seek the truth in the Holy Spirit, and you will glorify God. Depend upon the truth of the Holy Spirit, and you will always find Christ at the center, not a work you can accomplish, but one completed in Christ.
What are some specifics that the Hoy Spirit does for us in this world?
B. Three of four ministries
The Holy Spirit first regenerates our souls. In John 3:1-8 we find Nicodemus. We also find that the Holy Spirit regenerates the soul when He indwells it. Before we are saved, our souls are dead in the world. We are dead in trespasses and sin. When we are saved, we find salvation and our soul is given new life. If our soul is dead in sin, it is enlivened in Christ Jesus. In John 3:1-8 Jesus tells Nicodemus that this change is so drastic, such a new event, such an all-encompassing metamorphosis that it is akin to a rebirth of the spirit. As we were originally conceived in sin, born with a sin-filled heart, and created under the curse with nothing holy–a Holy Spirit separated unto God can not exist within us. Logically, this is the only way someone can be indwelt with the Spirit of God. The way this is done is to renew a spirit in that person, to “create in me a clean heart” as David said in Psalm 51. This, therefore, is not a new instruction. The Holy Spirit is simply going to do that which He has always done. He is going to create a new heart in believers. He is going to bear a new soul. People are reborn spiritually because their previous spiritual life was one of pure sin. Now they have a Spirit living in them Who helps combat those sin-filled temptations. The truth will set you free, and the spirit of truth testifies of your freedom.
Second, He reproves the world of sin in John 16:7-11. This is done through your testimonies. The reason people continually look at Christians and call out the word “hypocrite” is because the Holy Spirit has shown the world what they know to be right and true in others. When Satan has a hold of someone, they will take all opportunities to denounce Christianity as an unattainable goal. Christians demand perfection in their lives, a perfection focused upon Christ Jesus. However, man cannot obtain this perfection, only Christ Jesus can do so. Because true Christians know this, they are humble; their humility is based in this. Unbelievers call us out at any opportunity because they are convicted themselves. Their only hope is to make themselves equal and, to do so, the only avenue they have is to say, “See, we’re not all that bad.” The world can only work to bring you down to their level. The world’s people must make themselves look equal to or better than Christians. In this, they can claim Christianity themselves because they see it as a moral endeavor. Another ploy is to claim that everyone sins according to the Bible. Yet, another is to try to point to the multitude and say “everyone does it” and they claim to be Christians. None of these are born of Christ Jesus. They are the result of a world that sees and knows there is a Holy way; but the Holy Spirit is the one Who testifies of this Holy way. That one and only way to Holiness is Jesus Christ the Righteous. In addition, the Holy Spirit testifies only of Jesus. These people would not be making excuses for their sin if they did not feel some guilt because of it. That guilt is caused by the testimony of the Holy Spirit to all of them. That testimony comes through your testimony.
Third, the Holy Spirit restrains evil influence and the complete exercise of the antichrist before the tribulation. Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8. We know this passage as one that tells of the coming antichrist who will be above all men and all known gods. Not even the Islamic Allah will be counted above this. In verse six we find the testimony of Paul that tells us of the restraint of the full blown satanic evil influence. In Genesis 6:3, we find that God even tells us that His Spirit will not always dwell with man.
The more people you see around you who are convicted by your testimony, the more the Holy Spirit is using you for that purpose. Rejoice in His using your testimony to convict man of sin. This calls man to Him for the glory of God.
Finally the Holy Spirit ministers to us through the scriptures.
C. His personal ministry for you
Phillips in his commentary while discussing ministers writes,
“…we, too, have an anointing (unction) from the Holy Spirit so that we can handle the scriptures with authority and accuracy, knowing how to bring appropriate passages to bear upon the lives of those to whom we minister.”
This is not such an isolated incident or focus as Phillips has somewhat portrayed it. We are all given the Holy Spirit once we accept Christ Jesus. Some of us are given gifts that are not given to others. Some are preachers, teachers, and administrators. Some are given the gift of music, some the gift of giving, and the list goes on. We are all given the gift of being able to understand scripture in Christ Jesus. If we cannot read, someone reading them to us instructs our heart. If we can read, we are held accountable for the ability to do so.
In 1 John 2:20 we just studied the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the ability to see and ascertain truth through that unction, the power, the ability given to us to discern the things of God from the things of man. The word “chrisma” carries the connotation of being given a task, an assignment. This is an admonition that we not only can know “oida” things in the spirit, but that our spiritual abilities with the indwelling Spirit also give us the ability to better understand teachings and doctrine. Further, you are to study, to learn, to explore this knowledge, to increase in it. The word we see as “teach,” “teacheth,” and “taught” are all forms of the same word “didasko.” Louw and Nida’s lexicon levels a caution concerning the interpretation and translation of this word by saying, “In choosing a term for ‘to teach’ it is important to avoid an expression which will denote merely classroom activity.” Clearly, this is not simply a “teaching” situation where one would sit at a desk and learn. The lexicon makes it clear that this word is far deeper than this. The instruction we receive is of the Spirit born in study of the scriptures. The result also is effective learning, our testimony. You have to ask yourself, “What does this produce in my life?” If your life changes increasingly for Christ through this instruction, through this spiritual learning focused upon Christ and His revelation, the scripture, this is you abiding in Him and Him abiding in you.
Do not muse concerning what scripture says, search for yourself. The problems with Gnosticism did not arise because the people were not learned; it was because they chose to follow men or charismatic leaders of the day and not seek the truth for themselves, in the scriptures. Any believer must take this as strong admonishment: don’t follow men, follow scripture and seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in the interpretation of scripture–then apply that learning to your life, not the false teachings of others. This testimony, the change in your life, provides you assurance of your salvation.
We opened our discussion with the well-known fact that people deceive you. I believe it is increasingly difficult to find honest business people in the world. Everyone seems to believe that everyone else cheats in some way to get ahead, so it is an acceptable practice. Spiritually, this has eternal consequences. What do you believe of the spiritual world? Do you look at, read, and depend upon the only proven, the only factually accurate, the only completely truthful book ever written on the subject–the Holy Bible? John writes to us concerning those who would deceive us so that we can know the truth, and Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to give us the ability to discern this truth. We looked at John’s focus too. To write to us so that those who deceive us would not prevail, but would fail miserably in their efforts at deceit. We also looked at another far more powerful ally, the Holy Spirit. John encourages us that not only did he write, but the Spirit of God has been given to us for even more specific and powerful discernment. We push away our personal thoughts and seek the will of God, the power of Christ Jesus, and the unction of the Holy Spirit in order to interpret the scriptures. We look at Christ and Him crucified, the one who sent the Comforter for us. This has to be our focus, our determination, and our driving force. Christ Jesus did not only send the Holy Spirit, He provides four vital ministries to us. There is much more He does in our lives every day, but here we isolated a few of His ministries. First, He regenerates our soul, then He reproves the world, and He also restrains evil in the world. The final ministry we discussed today, the final service He provides, is a personal ministry to you. The Holy Spirit gives you the ability to discern the scriptures. He indwells you and provides you with insight into the scriptures that no unbeliever can gain.
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love* toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Ephesians 1:15-21 (ESV)
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