How to Know that You Know God: The Test of Perseverance in Sound Doctrine Part 1 - 1 John 2:24-29

1:27We're in this chapter of These tests that John throws out there for us to gauge whether or not we truly are part of this fellowship of light, but also to be able to test those who proclaim to be of God but are not. Those who profess Christ, but in reality are antichrist. He's given us the test of obedience, the test of love, the test of spiritual growth, the test of spirit of worldly affections, the test of doctrine. And now we're looking at this test of perseverance in sound doctrine. The ones who persevere in sound doctrine are the ones who really do know God. Last time we looked at the teaching, or a couple times ago, we looked at the teachings of the Antichrist. Look back, verse 22. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son has the Father also. So the Antichrist theology really denies that Jesus is the Christ and denies the unique relationship of the Son to the Father. But in light of all this, how does one keep a good confession? How does one keep a good confession? Verse 23, the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. The text we just read this morning is John answering that, answering how you and I, if we so want to do so, can maintain a good confession. How you and I, actions that you and I can do to make sure that we persevere in sound doctrine. Though it is a work of God, yet it is also man's responsibility to persevere. And there are actions that you can do to ensure that you persevere in sound doctrine. And this is really important. As it was in John's day, there were first century antichrists. And as you go through history, there were second-century antichrists, third century, fourth century, fifth century, all the way down to our times.

3:58There is a Christ or Christ that emerged that satisfy the political climate of its day, the politically correct Christ. And they're scattered throughout the ages. But they really come down to two fundamental aspects, two fundamental points of agreement. Jesus is not the Christ as Scripture defines him. Whether in theory or in practice, they deny him his Christhood, or they deny the unique relationship that the Son has to the Father, that Jesus is, in fact, God Himself, uniquely of the same essence as God Himself.

4:57And because He is God, that means He deserves worship as God. He has a unique relationship to God, He has a unique relationship to humanity. And throughout the ages, there's a temptation, there is a movement, there are those who are actively trying to deceive the church and move the Church away from the Christ revealed in Scripture. And so, we ask ourselves this question as we're walking through this passage: how do we persevere in sound doctrine? How do we do this? Well, number one, we looked at it last week by meditating upon it. You meditate upon sound doctrine, truth knows what it's doing, and as you meditate upon it, and as you have it in your reserves, when the need comes, there is a response that is. Consistent and pleasing because of the abiding word.

6:06Second way to persevere in sound doctrine is by recognizing that there is a threat to it, a real threat to it. As I mentioned, they're Antichrist down through the ages. What's interesting about these Antichrists that come down through the ages is they tend to come out of the church. They're part of the church for a while. They know enough about the church. They know enough about the claims of Christianity to despise them and to make very formidable foes against it. Even down to our own age, some of the greatest antagonists of the church are those who grew up in the church. But what's interesting about these Antichrists, they don't seem to be content just to leave the church, they want to control the thinking of the church. Why? I don't know.

6:57Why? Maybe I do know. It's demonic. Why? If you just don't agree, if you don't like the Christ, why not just leave? No, they want to stay. They want to control. There's something that bothers them about the way that the church thinks. There's something that gets under their skin and they want to combat Christ. That's the foul spirit of the ages. He's not the Christ. He's not the Son of God. And the force that counteracts this down through the ages is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God through the Word of God. Just as there are those forces that seek to move the church away from Christ, there is that force that seeks to drive the church to Christ, to embrace him, to love him more, to love him more deeply.

8:12And that's planet Earth. So, which brings us to our third point, even though it's our first point this morning. It's our third point in this passage. How do you persevere in sound doctrine? Well, meditate upon it. Second, recognize the threat to it. Third, by knowing that God has anointed you to remain in it. God has anointed you. He has anointed his people to remain in sound doctrine. Look back at verse 27. Let me just read it to you.

8:54As for you, the anointing which you receive from him abides in you, and you have no need. For anyone to teach you, but as his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in him. Look at the beginning of verse 28. Now, therefore, now, little children, abide in him. I'm going to just take those, just walk through that. What is this anointing? Look back. Well, the anointing in verse 27, it's something they had already received. Note that. Verse 27. As for you, the anointing which you received, you have received from him.

9:40The anointing is something they had received. You know, it's looking back at, you remember in John 14, 15, let me read to you John 14, 15, Jesus spoke about this anointing. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper that he may be with you forever. That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him, but you know him because he abides with you and will be in you. So, the idea in some of the Old Testament workings of the Spirit, there is these temporary overshadowings.

10:28But here, Jesus speaks about. A permanent indwelling. The anointing, the anointing. He says he's going to give his spirit. What is anointing? The word for anointing is the word chrisma. And it's kind of, it's not the act of anointing, it's the stuff that's actually put on. I had a good day at the track meet yesterday. A lot of sunshine. You get sunburned. What do you do? You put on some ointment or you put on some lotion, right? And what does that do? It goes on and then it's absorbed through the skin. It gets through the bloodstream through the skin, right? That's what ointment does. That's what it does. It's like when you drink something, you take it in. The metaphor in the Bible of believing, drinking in something, taking it in by drinking or seeing, taking something in through the eyes or in through the ears. Well, here's this idea of he has put something, he has anointed his people. As for you, the anointing you have received from him.

11:41And it's in you. The spirit of truth is that anointing that he may be with you forever. Not just temporarily, but a permanent indwelling. You see, following Christ. Obeying his commandments is not a work of man. It's a work of God. Man has to be responsible to that work, to walk in that work, to obey. But notice, it's something I already given. Second thing I want you to notice about this anointing is that it's something that teaches. Look back at verse 7:27. And you have no need for anyone to teach you, but as his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie. The anointing is a teacher. The anointing, it is teaching. He is teaching it.

12:44The charisma, that which is applied, it is teaching. It is a teacher. What does it teach? Truth. Truth. And what is truth? Jesus answered that question. Your word is truth, right? Your word is truth. That historical record, that historical testimony of Jesus, that we can understand through that which is revealed in the Old Testament. And when Jesus comes and walks among us, we understand what the whole idea of Christ, we understand sacrifice, we understand the condition of man's heart, we understand what he came to do, and that historic testimony. Of Christ is the word that John is communicating. That which we have heard from the beginning, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we are proclaiming to you. The spirit of truth.

13:46The anointing is that spirit-implanted truth. Some try to distinguish between: okay, is the anointing the truth of God or is it the spirit of God? Well, I think you square it with John. I think it's the Holy Spirit. But you cannot disassociate the Spirit of truth from truth. The anointing is to take you into truth, to guide you into truth. As Jesus Himself said in John 14, 26, but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things.

14:28Bring to remembrance all that I said to you. His anointing teaches you about all things. That is all things that you need to know. It's sufficient. It's sufficient for all that you need to know. It's reliable. It's true. Contrary to Antichrist thinking, it is true, reliable, dependable. You don't need a teacher. And what is he saying there? You don't need a teacher? What's John doing? He's teaching them, right? What is he saying? You have no need for anyone to the ultimate teacher, it is the Spirit of Truth Himself. You see, Christians are taught to know the truth by the Spirit of the Truth, not by anyone else. Yes, I'm setting truth before you this morning that the Holy Spirit has inspired, but I can't make it.

15:26I can't implant it in your heart. I can't bring about a conviction that it's true. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. And that is exactly what he does. You cannot have the Holy Spirit at work in your life and not taking you to the truth because that's exactly what he does. And there is, wow, power in the truth. There is life in that truth. As truth comes in, it lights you up. It's the life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. You cannot separate the spirit of truth from the truth because the spirit of God ministers the truth. He implants that truth in your soul.

16:11And truth comes by the spirit of God. And the spirit of God administers truth. And so, guess what the spirit of God is going to do? He's going to create in you a love for the New Testament and the Old Testament. He's going to minister. That into you, a love. That's where it comes from. Because he's leading you to the apostolic testimony of Christ, not the Christs, little Christs that have come throughout politically correct Christs. He's talking about John 15:26, when the helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. The Spirit of God is going to come to the disciples. He's going to testify about Jesus. And then Jesus says, and you will, speaking about the disciples, will testify also because you have been with me from the beginning. There's only one group of people who was with Christ from the very beginning, and it were those, that was those apostles. And so when the Spirit of God came, he moves them to testify about Christ, as John is doing right here in this letter, testifying about the Christ that he walked with, that he saw, that he touched.

17:34There is a historic reality of Jesus' first advent. And Christianity is a religion that is based, true Christianity, is based upon historic information. And that's why the canon from the very beginning was expected to be completed. But that doesn't mean that God. Is through speaking to people. He speaks to people today through that which He has revealed. And wow, as this truth, which is sufficient and true, as it takes hold in your heart, it awakens, it gives life. And you need the work of the Spirit of God to illumine, to open your eyes, to give you a thirst, to give you a hunger for the word, and to implant that word so that word will come alive. It's the spirit of truth.

18:31That's the anointing. Something else I want you to see about this anointing. Not only is it something they had already received, not only is it something that teaches, it's something that is abiding. Look at, as for you, the anointing which you received from him abides in you. Now look at, drop down a little bit. And just as it has taught you, you are abiding in him. You abide in him. It is something that fosters a relationship. It is. Notice this.

19:06See how this is working? The anointing is abiding in you. And as a result, you are abiding in him. Not just the anointing. His anointing is abiding in you. And therefore, you are. Abiding in him. Do you see the relationship? The word fosters a relationship. That's how the spirit of God, that's how the relationship with God works. And that is why truth. That is why we are to remain and persevere in sound doctrine. Because to remain in sound doctrine is to remain in him.

20:06The anointing is abiding with the church because Jesus has a purpose for it. For anyone to remain in the truth, you're going to have to be taught the truth. You're going to have to understand the truth. You're going to have to obey the truth. You're going to have to remember the truth. I love what Jesus says in John 16. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. Verse 14, he will glorify me. He will take of mine and disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore, I said that he takes of mine and will disclose it to you. The Spirit of truth is going to make the person of truth known. Truth Himself. God is truth. It's part of His essence.

20:54Yes, He speaks truly because He is truth. You see, Jesus knows that his people need an abiding teacher that are going to guide that's going to guide them in truth. That was true of the first century disciples who actually walked with him. How much more is that true of us today? We need his internal witness of his Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, His anointing. His Spirit implants the truth. All earthly teachers are temporary. We need someone permanent, right?

21:35And Jesus knows that. And so he gives His Holy Spirit. But how are we to respond to His anointing? Look back, verse 28. Now, little children, abide in him. What He's just said in verse 27 is: You are abiding in Him. You abide. Verse 28. Now you abide in Him. You are abiding. He's not writing to them because they don't know Him. He is writing to Him because they do know. And He's saying, This is indicative of your spiritual condition. You, into verse 27, you are abiding in Him. And then verse 28, He gives the command: So abide in Him.

22:28What do writers do? Writers do, what do they do? They write. What do believers do? What do engineers do? No, they get sued. No, yes, engineers engineer, right? Believers believe. What do abiders do? They abide, right? They abide. You are abiding, therefore, abide. You're someone who abides. Why are you someone who has abide? Because you have been anointed. You have been anointed to abide. When a king in the Old Testament was anointed, guess what? He did.

23:19He reigned, right? Why? Because that's what he was anointed to do. Why are we to abide in sound doctrine? Why is there a category of people, regardless of what's thrown against them, across the ages, why is there a people that are going to stand firm in sound doctrine? Why? Because they're anointed. They abide. We have been anointed to abide, so choose to abide. That's what John is saying. Abide. Exercise your volition to the. To its limit, set up your routine to abide.

24:09Remaining in Christ is the answer to wrong thinking and wrong living. We were here talk a lot about vaccines today, right? Vaccine, you got your vaccine, you've got your vaccine. How far along are you? You're on number one vaccine or number two vaccine? Are you going to get it at all? Or are you in the vaccine process, right? Because we know there's a real threat out there, right? A threat to the body. Well, John's talking about a threat, and remaining in Christ is the vaccine to being deceived. Remaining in the Christ, and what does that mean? Remaining in Christ means remaining in His teaching. When you depart from His teaching, you depart from Him.

24:53It is the vaccine to wrong thinking. It is the wrong, I mean, it is the vaccine to wrong living. It is the vaccine to a life of emptiness. So, how to persevere in sound doctrine? Well, meditating on it, recognizing there's a real threat to it, or understanding the threat, and number three, by knowing that God has anointed you to remain in it. There's a fourth action by looking forward to the reward of staying in it, there is a reward for the Those who remain in sound doctrine. Look back at verse 28. Now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame at his coming appearance. So that when he appears, that is, when he is revealed, when he is revealed, you see, Jesus at his first advent, the word became flesh.

25:58That which was not seen became visible. God himself walked among us. That word became flesh, and we saw him. And then Jesus left bodily. Now he's still with us spiritually, still present spiritually, but he is bodily absence, absent. And what John is talking about, there is a time coming when he will be revealed, when he will appear, when the when who is now invisible will become visible. That day is coming, that moment is coming when he will be made to appear. His visible presence will be again planet Earth. We will see him.

26:42And John speaks of a future event that really includes all of humanity. All of us are going to stand in his visible presence. What future event specifically that John has in mind here is. Debatable. Talking about the rapture. That is that point where he raptures the church out and we are gathered together. Is that the event? Or is it the second coming when he comes back to step foot on earth? Or is it the appearance that you will see him when, after you die, you stand in his presence? Well, John isn't really distinguishing that so much. It's the more the fact of his appearance than what specifically he's talking about here. But I believe he's talking about the rapture. And I say that because now, little children, he's talking to those who are believers. He says, little children, that's referring to little children, abide in him so that when he appears, we, he's including himself, may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame at his coming. The word forecoming is the usual expression for the visit of an emperor or the visit of a king.

28:06Which event does he have in mind? Well, I can say this. What John has in mind here is two different responses, those who have confidence in his presence and those who shrink away. And in the context of the second, Coming, you can be sure that we're talking about unbelievers. In the context of the second coming, when he appears, this will be the end of Antichrist theology. It's coming to an end. When 2 Thessalonians 2:8, then that lawless one will be revealed from whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of his coming. So, yeah, the Antichrist theology that began is coming to an end. As Philippians 2:10 says, every at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, those who are heaven and earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Antichrist thinking is going to disappear from humanity. But in the context of unbelievers, listen to the terror.

29:28We get a picture of this in Revelation 6: the shame and the terror of unbelievers. Revelation 6:12, I looked when he broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood. And the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was so. Split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the presence of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?

30:45That's the terror of unbelievers. When holiness comes, his very appearance drives them away. Where are you? Is that you? You will see him. You are going to stand in his presence. And there are those who at the very sight of him will cause them to shrivel, to shrink, to cower in shame, to flee in terror. What about believers? I believe John's speaking about the rapture here. John had. Witness those who shrink back. And then he had to stand before Jesus again, right? I think he himself experienced some of that pain. He saw Peter deny him and then have to stand before Jesus. He saw Thomas. He understood. I mean, he saw him crucified. He saw the whole group of disciples scattered.

31:58And then he saw Jesus come back. Some people might say, well, if he's talking about the rapture, then maybe what he's doing is he's setting up two classes of Christians, some that are going to do well and some that are not going to do so well. He doesn't go in. He doesn't spend any time on that thought. What's he trying to do? He's trying to produce one kind of Christian, the one who goes with him, who stands firm in sound doctrine, who is joyful at his coming, who stands there in excited boldness. He's here. He's here. And they're not running. That's the kind of disciple John is speaking to. But the reality stands.

32:42There's two responses in his presence: those who have joyful confidence in his presence and those who shy away, shrink, or ashamed. And he's exhorting us to be the first. There's a reward for those who are abiding. Joyful excitement. That is the reward. Joyful excitement, confidence that when he appears, we may have confidence. Peter writes about this. 1 Peter 1:6, in this you greatly rejoice, even thou for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith is more precious than gold. It's the proof of your faith, and more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. That's what's exciting. It's all going to pass.

33:50But how blessed is the one who stands firm to the end and the truth? Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Remember what Jesus said to his disciples, Who do you say I am? They gave a bunch of answers. Who do you say I am? What did Peter say? You are the Christ, the Son of God. And what does Jesus say? Blessed are you, Peter. You got it. That was revealed to you from my Father. Who needs glasses, right?

34:25Listen, the reward. Imagine this. Celebration. Imagine the celebration. Unlike any of the greatest emperors or any of the greatest kings, the celebration beyond any of that. The reward is joyful confidence, confidence in Christ at His appearance. You know, this is why John is preaching Christ. He preaches Christ to believers and unbelievers. He doesn't want any shrinking back in His presence, right? To the unbeliever and eternal ruin. Why do we preach Christ? Because we want one kind of disciple, one kind of person, one that's going to go forward with Christ, who is going to stand firm.

35:24Listen, I can't stand it when my chickens are going without water, or when I see an animal suffer. I don't think there's anybody that delights, even the most ardent hunter that I know, doesn't delight in seeing animals suffer. I can't stand to see an animal or something going in want, right? I think we all, your dog or your cat. Or your pet, or whatever is thirsty or hungry, you want to meet that need, right? You don't want to see creatures longing and not being satisfied. Listen, there is a final separation that is coming, a final separation from the only source of true satisfaction.

36:26Which side are you going to be on? Listen, humanity has one purpose, one purpose, and one purpose only. You have one purpose, and one purpose only, and that is to image God. There isn't anything else. And part of imaging God is the desire to do so. The volition to welcome him. Even that may come from God, ultimately comes from God, but you must welcome him. You must receive him. And if you don't receive him, if you don't receive his Christ, the one who perfectly imaged God, if you do not receive him, there isn't any other course for you. You are to image God.

37:23And what do you do with all of humanity that doesn't want to image God? You separate them. Isn't something else? Well, I think I'll maybe we'll image something else. No, humanity has one purpose: to image God. That is your one purpose. Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? It is your purpose to image your Creator, and He is the only source of true satisfaction. Those who throw this privilege aside and embrace something else, you have thrown away the greatest privilege, the greatest gift, and the only source of true satisfaction, and you will be cast into everlasting want, where there never will be satisfaction.

38:26For the fire is never quenched. Those who reject this purpose, those who reject your purpose of imaging God, you have no other purpose. But the good news is, there is Christ, the source. Scripture says, Come to him. The Spirit of God says, Come to him. The bride of Christ says, Come to him. And all of us who have heard and have put our faith in him, we have tasted. We have seen, we continue to echo the same chorus. Come, come, come.

39:09Come to him. There have been and will be many versions of Antichrist theology until Christ appears. They basically boil down to these two elements: a denial that Jesus is the Christ and a denial of the relationship between the Father and the Son. Do you want to keep up a good confession? Do you want to persevere in sound doctrine? You do so by meditating upon it, by recognizing the threat to it, by knowing that God has anointed you to remain in it, and by looking forward to the reward of remaining in it.

39:56Look at verse 29 as we close this section out. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of him. Righteous. Christ is righteous. Jesus, the righteous. Righteous means doing what is right. Somebody asked me that on the way in today. What does righteousness mean? Doing what's right. What is right? Consistent with the character of Jesus, character of God. That is what's right. The practice of righteousness. Look at that. If you know that He is righteous, then be knowing, be convinced of that everyone who is doing what's right has been born of Him.

40:49What is the birthmark of God's people? They practice righteousness, they do what's right. Who is not going to shrink back? Those who practice righteousness. Why? Because they have been born of Him. That's where it all comes from. What does practicing righteousness look like? Well, if you put it back to this whole chapter, what we've been talking about, whole chapter: the one who obeys Jesus, that one's doing righteous. One who lives like Jesus, that's the one who's doing practicing righteousness. Test of love, the one who loves like Jesus loves, that's the one who's doing righteousness. The one who isn't caught up in worldly pursuits, that's the one who is doing what is righteous. The one who believes sound doctrine and remains in sound doctrine, that's the one.

42:00And how does all this come about? Through the abiding of his word. Boils it all down to it. The word knows what it's doing. You set up the routine. You embrace what Scripture says about Jesus. John's saying, Look, you don't need a new fangled Christ. You need the one that we proclaim to you, that which is from the beginning. Remain in him. And as we come down to the century, even to our 21st century, you don't need another Christ. You need the one that's been proclaimed from the very beginning.

42:39Let his word abide. Let this word abide in you. And so when it comes time to obey him, you will. You see, if we abide in the word, the word will be present in times of need. Whether it's temptations, whether it's loving someone, whether it's being obedient, whatever it may be, if we abide in the word, the word will be present in our time of need. But it all starts, the whole journey starts very first with accepting who is Jesus. He is the Christ.

43:23Yes, he went to the cross. Why did the king go to the cross? So that his people could be forgiven. Forgiven and pardoned. Have you come to Him as Christ, your sacrificial King, Lamb? Have you come to Him as such? Pardon is there and only in there. He also is God Himself, and He deserves your worship. Come to Him, come to Him as such. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the revelation of your Son. Thank you, Father, that you really don't give us difficult commands.

44:16When you boil it all down, it's very simple. Just let the Word of God abide. Letting the Word, believing the Word, bringing it in, letting it have its impact in our life, and we don't have to worry about what situations we may face because Your Word will always equip us. It's sufficient. You tell us what we need to know. You call it to mind, and you empower us to obey. And so, Father, thank you. Help us to respond.

44:50Jesus' name, Amen.