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1 John 2:22-26

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“Abiding” Truth
1 John 2:22-26
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1 John 2:22-26

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Re c “Abiding” Truth
1 John 2:22-26:
(22) Who is the liar if not the person who denies, “Jesus is
the Christ?” This one is the antichrist: the person who
denies the Father and the Son. (23) Everyone who denies
the Son does not have the Father either. The person who
confesses the Son has the Father also. (24) (But as for)
you, what you have heard from the beginning - let it abide in
you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you
also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (25) And this is
the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life. (26)
These things I have written to you about those who are
trying to deceive you.
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1 John 2:22-26

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Content:
1. Who the liar is (22)
2. Who is on the side of truth (23)
3. Who will abide in the truth and their reward (24-25)
4. Who imperils those seeking to abide (26)
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1 John 2:22-26

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Who is the liar if not the person who denies, “Jesus is the
Christ?” This one is the antichrist: the person who denies
the Father and the Son.

A profile of antichrists - the indicator is denial.

The one who rejects that Jesus is the Messiah =
antichrist = one who denies the Father and the Son.
Jesus’ identity as the Christ/Messiah and de facto
oneness with the Father at issue.
Jesus’ identity as the Christ/Messiah, as appropriated
personally = the conditio sine qua non of Christian
existence.
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1 John 2:22-26

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Re c 1 John 2:23
Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The
person who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Denial of Jesus being the Christ exhibits lack of koinonia - with

God and man.
“Not having the Father” is not having life, real life, eternal life.
(John 5:26; 1 John 1:3)
From this “life” people “have:”
1. koinonia (1 John 1:3, 6, 7) 5. confidence (1 John 2:28;
2. an advocate (1 John 2:1) 3:21; 4:17; 5:14)
3. love (1 John 2:7; 4:16, 21) 6. hope (1 John 3:3)
4. anointing (1 John 2:20) 7. answered prayer (1 John
5:15)
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1 John 2:22-26

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Re c 1 John 2:24-25
(But as for) you, what you have heard from the beginning - let
it abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in
you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (25) And
this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.

“What you heard from the beginning” - the continuing,

consistent, saving message … without revision or
differing responses to it.
Don’t revise it, and continue to respond to it!
“Abide” is John 15 vine and branch imagery. There,
Jesus says “abide” (or a form of it) 11x in 7 verses.
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Re c 1 John 2:24-25

Connotes a mode of living … an existence in which

Christ is the root and branches upon which humans are
dependent like leaves on a grapevine.
To “abide” is to:
1. be assured fruitfulness (John 15:4 [3x], 16)
2. be preserved from destruction (John 15:6)
3. be heard by God (John 15:7)
4. exist in Christ’s love (John 15:9)
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Re c 1 John 2:24-25

John describes an existence … a state of blessedness,

present and future.
The blessing is the direct result of the word of God,
which carries saving force - not the labor of human
“abiding.”
“Promise” occurs 52x in the NT, but only here in John’s
writings.
Other NT writers stress the ground of blessing - God’s
promise - John stresses the effect.
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1 John 2:22-26

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Re c 1 John 2:26
These things I have written to you about those who are trying
to deceive you.

A summative statement … deceivers are a present

danger.
Jesus warns against pseudo-prophets and pseudo-
Christs. (Matthew 24:24)
Paul warns against deceivers. (2 Timothy 3:13)
Idolatry, spiritual subversion is at issue. (Revelation
13:14; 18:23; 19:20; 20:3, 8, 10)