Discerning Good and Evil

August 19, 2018 Speaker: Ted Detiveaux

Scripture: 1 John 2:18– :29

Discerning Good and Evil

1 John 2:18-29

Discern -To recognize or identify as separate and distinct

For our purposes today, we are looking at how to discern or recognize the distinct differences between right and wrong.  This is what makes us authentic Christians. 

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. 

As a reminder John is writing this letter to the gentile believers.  He calls them childrenas to represent their newly found faith in Christ.  So, he is writing this letter to those new believers to encourage them to stay alert.

  • For what reason are they to stay alert?

We learned at the beginning of 1 John that there were so called “Christian leaders” who were teaching the people that Jesus came in spiritbut that He did not come in flesh and blood. In this passage John further instructshis audience that the antichrist is coming, and that many antichrists have come.

Meaning there will be a person of great demonic powerwho will rise up as the antichrist before the return of the Lord.  Many will be deceived by this being even the very elect of God.  At the same time John warns that there were already antichrists manifestedin the earth at that time. There were those who operated in the spirit of antichrist.  To be antichrist is to be against Christor against His teachingsor to walk in a way that is contrary to the exampleof the life of Christ.

If we were to look at the present-day worldaround us, we too can conclude there is evidenceof the spirit of antichrist. 

  • There are people operating under the influence of demonic powers.
  • There are people enslaved to sinand are controlled by their selfish lust. This is the spirit of antichrist as it seeks to destroyeverything that God has made.
  • There are those who pervert the truthof God’s word to satisfy their own desires.
  • There are preacherswho care more about their jets and mansionsthan they do about the lost.Or they care more about making people feel comfortablein their church so that their numbers grow, therefore they lose their ability to impactothers for Christ.
  • There are so called Christians in the church who look nothing like Christat all.

It is the spirit of antichristwhich was at work back then and is at work right now.   The spirit of antichrist goes about trying toundo what God has done. You can say it is “anti-life.”

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.

Here is where it gets interesting.  John describes the many antichrist as those who went outfrom them.  Meaning they came from within.  They shared the same experiencesthat other believers had.  They heard the gospelof Jesus proclaimed just as the believers, they witnessed the testimonies of new convertsjust as the believers, they experienced worship and prayerjust as the believers, yet they did not allowwhat they had seen and heard to affect who they were.

They became anti the work of Christin their life.  He says they were from us but not of us.

  • How is it possible for such a thing to happen in the church?

It still happens today.  There are some people who go to church, but they have not become“The Church.”  There are those who hear the word but never applythe word.

Jesus said it like this in

Matthew 13:19

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. 

23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

This is the work of the antichrist trying to undowhat God has done.  Jesus said there will be those who have it snatched awayfrom them and there will be those who will produce much fruit.

So even as I speak today, there are some who have come with fertile heartsand the seed of God’s word will produce great fruit, and there are others who come with hardened heartsand the enemy will snatch away the seed from their lives.

This was the case with the early church.  There were those who believedand were counted “among us” then there were those who the spirit of antichrist sifted outand led astray. These are the very ones John is warning about.

But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Just a side note Godalways has a way of sifting out the wolvesthat are dressed in sheep’s clothing.  We pray all the time that God would remove the wolves that look like sheep.  He does.

Wolves are only in a sheep pin for one reason, to devour sheep. 

  • But how do you know the wolves from the sheep?
  • How do you discern good from evil?
  • How can you recognize truth from a lie?

It was Adam’s and Eve’s inabilityto discern good from evil which became their down fall. It was because of their sin we are all born with a sinful nature.

Solomonwas one of the wisest kingsthat walked the earth, yet he too lacked discernment.

1 Kings 11

 4 … when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.

This shows us that even the most God-fearingpeople need discernment at all times.

John demonstrates to us how we can have discernment.

 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 

You have been anointed-

When a new king was anointed, the priest would take a flaskof oil and pour it on the head of the new king.  The oil was smeared or spread over his entire head. The man was then consecratedor set apart from all othersto be king.  A person couldnot be self-anointedbut only anointed by a priest, whom is a representative of God’s kingdomon the earth.

Now, Christhas become our high priest.  It is through the pouring out of his bloodthat we are anointed.  It is at that moment when we come to faith in Christthat we are set apart.  His blood covers our old sinful manand we arise as a new man.  We no longer live for ourselves, but we represent God’s kingdomhere on earth.

Therefore, it is vital to have discernment. So when the spirit of antichrist tries to condemn youfor the sin that you have committed, or tries to define you by your sinin saying this is who you are, and this is who you will be or even when he tempts you to sin, then you will be able to discern that voice is not of God. To know that you’re anointedis to know your position in Christ.

John 3:17

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Yes, the Holy Spirit will convictyou of any unrepented sin, but He will not condemnyou.

If you have repentedof your sin and have confessedJesus as Lord of your life, then you are forgiven. You are anointed, and you need to let the enemy know it. If you are the redeemed of the Lord, then you need to say so. The blood of Jesus has been poured out over your life and covers all your sins. 

Knowing that you have been forgiven and anointedwill help you to discern any lies that satan may try to throw your way.  You will be able to discern God’s voices from satan’s voice.

Or if that same voice causes you to doubt who Jesus is, or in what He is capable of, then again, we need to have discernmentto know the difference between the voice of Godand the voice of the enemy. 

Having discernment is the key to victory.

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. 

You Know the Truth

  • How did they know the truth? By the testimony of the apostles.

1 John 1:3

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us;

22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? 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. 

This was the truth that had been entrustedto them, that Jesus is the Christthe Son of God.  This was the very truth that the spirit of antichrist was out destroy.  In fact, satan questioned Jesus’s authoritywhen He was tempted in the desert. 

  • “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
  • “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down
  • If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

The spirit of antichrist seeks to disqualify the truth about Jesus, that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, that he walked this earth as a man, he was crucified, and He has resurrected.

He has tried to question God’s authority from the beginningwith Adam and Eve and he still does it today.  If he can get you to question God’s authority or doubt His power, then he wins.  If he can diminish what Jesus has doneon the crossin your life, then he wins.

If he could get these new gentile believersto believe that Jesus did not come in flesh and blood, then he wins the battle.  Again, the spirit of antichrist is out to undo what God has done.

With urgency John remindsthe gentile believers that they know the truth. 

Knowing the truth will help you to discern a lie.  The way that you know the truth is to get intothe bible. Let God speak to you as you open the scriptures.  Let His word become alivein you. 

The more truth you know, the less likely you are to be fooledby the schemes of the antichrist.

Discerning between truth and a lie is one thing, but then you must be willing to walk in the truth. 

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 Sonand in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

Eternal life is grantedonly to those who stay the course and abide in the truth.  Those that venture awayfrom truth will find themselves distant from God even influenced by an antichristspirit. That is why it is critical we hide His word in our heartand that we discern every voice that we hear.

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 youabout everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Here is the amazing thing about discernment, that anointing that you have receivedfrom Him abides in you, and His anointing teaches youabout everything. 

He will help you to knowthe difference between good and evil, God’s voice and the voice of the enemy, sound doctrine or false doctrine.

Those that are well acquainted with Christian truth are thereby well fortified against antichristian error and delusion. (John Piper)

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidenceand not shrink from him in shameat his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

You have been anointed

You Know the truth