There are many religions in the world today, and most of them are soliciting membership. Even those who deem themselves “non-religious” have meetings whereby they wish to obtain registrations. Although we live in the internet age where people can be solicited in many fashions, John the apostle lived when there were groups of people desiring to gather attendees as well. Some of them pretended to be “in the know”, and their prideful ways led them to believe that they were superior to the Bible itself. John addresses these folks as those who have the “spirit of antichrist.” He wrote of them in our verse today: John chapter four and verse two:
And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
First John gives us the way to identify those who have the spirit of antichrist: they “confess not that Jesus Christ is come into the world.” This is more than it appears on the surface. The word “Jesus” means “Jehovah is Salvation”. In other words, this verse says whoever doesn't confess that God is come into the world to be our salvation “is not of God”. This is the redeeming factor. God Almighty came in a human body like us, so that He experienced the same physical, emotional, and mental challenges that we do. However, He did all of these things without sinning. There are many who do not believe that God did this in Jesus Christ. They have some alternative explanation, but John knew what He was writing about. As we shared yesterday, “the word was God” and “the word became flesh and dwelt among us”. (John 1:1, 14)
Secondly, John calls these non-confessors people who have “the spirit of antichrist”. Either we are “For” Jesus Christ, or we are “Against” Him. There is no middle ground. Those who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior and live their lives accordingly truly profess Him as so, and those who do not believe in Him are directly or indirectly opposed to Him. They are “anti” “Christs”.
Finally John shares with us that his audience has heard that this spirit of antichrist is going to be in the world. He informs us that the spirit of antichrist is already here. There is much opposition to Jesus today. If prayer is allowed in public forums there is strong pressure to never pray in the name of Jesus. Their contentions are: “Someone might be offended,” and they are right. The question then becomes, so what? The name of Jesus has been offensive to many since Jesus came on the scene. Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes and other “religious” groups were offended at Jesus. These were “anti-Christs”, and they continue today. People who are offended at the name of Jesus simply indite themselves as having the spirit of antichrist. It was present in John's day, and it is present today as well.
Next time we will share together about what John writes about being over-comers, so read ahead, and we will join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
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