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THE antichrist vs THE TRUE CHRIST
Many people have this idea of the antichrist, that it is a person who will come and rule the world in the last days.
Let’s see what God’s Word has to say.
I John 2:18-24 Little children, it is the last time; and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 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 they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son. Whosoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father. (The rest of this verse is italicized because it was added by the translators…..leave it out) Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
In this day and age (as in that day and age) there is not one antichrist….there are many antichrists. Antichrist is a spirit, and there are many of them. They infect, afflict many people. And it appears that the people afflicted by this spirit of antichrist had been involved in the fellowship of the saints. They were a part of those who joined together in the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord. But they separated themselves…….because simply believing on, trusting in, Jesus Christ was just too simple. They used Jesus as a starting point, but then moved away from him.
There is no ego in Christ….no confusion, no complicated theology. No need for any other head than Jesus Christ himself (verse 27). But those afflicted by the spirit of antichrist separated themselves from this powerful simplicity in order to have prideful influence and sway over those they deceived by their devious preaching and teaching…..which was other than (anti) Christ.
It was complicated, dark, “can’t be explained”, has to be “accepted by faith”. And so many were perverted from the simple truth of Christ into dark, deceitful doctrines and practices, requiring self-appointed spiritual advisors to rule over them, to interpret for them that which were lies and half-truths.
“This doesn’t make sense,” they would say, and those with antichrist would say, “Yes, it is not easy….we will help you understand…. just follow me.” And though the name “Jesus Christ” was used here and there….Christ himself was never heralded, proclaimed, magnified as the way to God.
And today we have the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Baptist Church, the Pentecostal Church, the Unitarian Church, etc. etc……..and each has a hierarchy meant to keep us apart from the simple truth that Jesus Christ is the head of each and every single one of us.
These “in-the-place-of-Christ” leaders don’t walk in the anointing of Christ. Verse 20….”unction” is “anointing”, the word chrisma, which is the verb participle form of the word Christ. (Christ is the noun form of chrisma, meaning “the anointed” or “the anointed one“) This word in I John 2:20 could be translated christ-ifying. We have a christifying from the Holy One…Jesus Christ himself. Having imparted to us his spirit…..we ourselves have been anointed (christ-ified) by the spirit of the Christ, Jesus).
We have been made into (taken on the nature of) Christ by Jesus Christ himself!!! How he did this was by anointing us with his holy spirit, which came from out of his Father, God.
Antichrist….is the Greek word antichristos. Here’s what Bullinger has to say………………
Anti governs only one case (the Genitive), and denotes over against, or opposite. Hence it is used as “instead of” or “in the place of”; and denotes equivalence.
Antichrist means “taking the place of Christ” or “instead of (and equivalent to) Christ.” So you think about it…..what takes the place of Christ in any fellowship? It is meant to resemble Christ, but it’s not….it replaces Christ, taking his place.
The 4 F’s of finding God. The 10 commandments of the New Testament. The 3 c’s of commitment. The 7 steps to a closer walk with God. The 5 G’s of going for it! The formulas and formats and steps and manuals to walking with God………………..All without proclaiming Christ. This spirit which afflicts many churches and fellowships of today is the spirit of antichrist…..the spirit of in-the-place-of-Christ. The spirit of instead-of-Christ.
Here’s a challenge. The next time you go to church, or hear anyone preach. Listen…..how many times is Jesus Christ mentioned? Then….how directed is the teaching toward Jesus Christ? Is Jesus Christ himself proclaimed? Taught? Sought? Magnified? Preached? Go to a Christian bookstore. How many books are there which proclaim Jesus Christ? Instead, Christian bookstores are filled with books that are little more than self-help, self-medicating books of touchy-feely-feel-good Christianity, lacking the real power and wisdom of God. There’s no money in proclaiming something so simple as Jesus Christ.
A true minister of Christ always preaches, teaches, proclaims and otherwise magnifies Jesus the Christ. That is the job of a minister of Christ.
Read the writings of the apostle Paul………see how often he mentions Jesus Christ.
Now look at verse 22 in I John 2…..in this context, a liar is one afflicted by the spirit of antichrist. One who claims to represent God…..the Christian God…….to people, but denies that Jesus is the Christ….the way to God.
Deny means to deny, disown; to say no, refuse, decline. So this is not talking about someone who does not know of Jesus Christ, but rather someone who proclaims something else in the place of Christ. That person has, in his/her ministry/preaching/teaching/proclaiming disowned Jesus, the true Christ (Anointed One) of God, and in his place, proclaims behavior, performance, angel-worship, will-worship, sign/miracle-seeking, works-mongering, devilish take-the-place-of-Christ belief and practices……all of which will keep us from the presence of God, the Father.
But rather, verse 24…..continue in that which you heard from the beginning (of your walk with God). Remain in the truth of Christ…..he is the power of God. He is the wisdom of God. He is the presence of God in our lives. There is nothing you can do without Christ that can in any possible remote way please God even a little tiny bit. So stop trying !!!! Give up, let go….die to self. Rather, seek Christ, and you shall be filled with all the fullness of God.
John 6:28, 29 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom He has sent.
Pretty self-explanatory.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst.
You become what you eat and drink.
John 4:13,14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again; But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The life of Christ within never stops giving, never stops bubbling with the life of God……it never stops giving life!
John 15:4,5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches; He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.
N-O-T-H-I-N-G !!!
John 6:53, 54 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
This last metaphor (he was not inviting cannibalism) indicates the complete immersion in all that is Jesus Christ, that is required of us. Preach no other, proclaim no other, magnify no other, seek no other, glory in no other.
To proclaim anyone or anything besides the Christ, Jesus (as a way to the true God)……..well, that would be anti (in the place of) Christ, wouldn’t it?
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Other related studies are:
The True Purpose of Christ’s Ministers ….. Ephesians 4:11-24
What Christian Group Should I Belong To?
Do I HAVE to go to Church?
An Un-Polluted Gospel
What is Fellowship?
The Glorified Christ
Dark Christian Doctrines
