day 18 1 John 2:18-27

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 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 it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.4 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Messiah? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us — eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. In verse 18 the word translated as last,ἐσχάτη, means the last in a series or the lowest in rank. So if you think of this as the "final countdown" then what John seems to be doing is to shake up his readers and make them alert. If one knows that the enemy is coming you don't go around acting as if everything is okay. you are alert and ready for action. If you want to know if this is the final hour or season then stop speculating because the proof is now here. but the proof is not that the opponent of the Messiah is coming externally but through a form of treason. John talks about those who went out but not from us. Jesus says that a tree is known by it's fruit and that the only way to tell the difference between what is planted and what is a weed is to wait until the fruit becomes evident. verses 18-19 made me stop and think. It is so easy to become disappointed by people who say that they are believers but in reality have not shown any fruit of righteousness in their life, and have hurt you or done something that is obviously not in accordance with God's word or the life of Jesus. When this happens some people may decide to leave the community of the faithful. But John seems to be saying that taking my clues from these "believer" will lead me astray. what will help me in this time? verse 20 starts with καὶ ὑμεῖς χρῖσμα ἔχετε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ οἴδατε πάντες - and all of you have charisma from the holy one and you perceive/ observe/pay attention to/ examine everything. It is this thing that believers have from the Holy One that will help them to not be lead astray. Jesus said that one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into all truth, John 14:26. In John 14:15-17, Jesus says that the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit. I want to have the Holy Spirit in my life in such a way that truth is an integral part of my life and ministry to others. And as the Spirit reveals truth then I will get to know Jesus and the life of Jesus will be imitated in my life. I think that denying Jesus is more than just saying that he is made up or that he didn't die for our sins. that is definitely denying him. There is another level of denying that involves those who say that they are believers without the life of Jesus being magnified in them. For being a believer in name only is very dangerous. It gives false hope and security. To confess the Son is to acknowledge him in word and deed. Both are necessary. This is a finger that I must first point at my heart, allowing its condition to be examined. Where do I deny Christ? Do I refuse to help the poor or my brothers and sisters in the faith? Am I too busy to commune with God through his word and prayer? Do I disdain teaching from the Word or is my heart so callous that I now longer lift up praise to Him who is worthy of all praise? Like in John's day there are people in our day who conscientiously or unconscientiously lead us away from the truth. We need to be faithful to that which God has already revealed to us. So I want to be dependant upon the Holy Spirit and not on any teacher, regardless of how great their teaching is. I want God to rule and reign in my life and keep me alert so that I never get complacent. It is only by abiding in Jesus that I can hope to be faithful until the end of my days. For without Jesus there nothing of worth that I may accomplish. Only in Him can I live and breath and flourish. peace