Unmasking Antichrists
Text: 1 John 2:18-25
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 (1 John 2:22).
Antichrist means “against Christ” or “in place of Christ.”
In our text, the Apostle John unmasked antichrists by stating the following:
- They leave the faithful.
- They teach new "truth."
- They try to confuse people about Jesus.
We can quickly identify Mormonism, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The Unification Church as antichrists by using John's criteria. There are others, but these groups are the most familiar. I know it may sound harsh to call these groups "antichrists," but it is eternally critical that we know the truth and teach our children the truth. Otherwise, growing up in a culture that places such a high value on "tolerance," many Christians who have not been appropriately discipled will be fooled.
These groups propagate at least one of the following lies:
- Jesus was not God.
- Jesus was created by God.
- Christians worship three Gods.
- Jesus did not save from sin because there is no sin.
- Jesus was not raised bodily from the dead.
- There are many ways to get to God.
- Jesus is a God but less than the Father.
- Jesus is not the only son of God.
Over the years, I've learned that people in these groups may not be aware of their church’s official doctrine, so many of the above-mentioned facts might surprise them. They may use words and phrases that sound Biblically true (Jesus Christ, Son of God, salvation by faith, etc.), but they actually mean something entirely different. Because of this, it is critical that you define your terms and make sure you both are talking about the same thing.
Antichrists don't look spooky and scary. They dress nicely. They may have a beautiful family, aligning with most of your morals and values. But we must stay vigilant, know our Bible and disciple our children in the truth of the historical Jesus, as taught by the Apostles.
D.A. Carson reminds us, "One generation believes something. The next assumes it. And the third will forget and deny it."
