1 John 2:21-22
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 Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
When we hear or read “the antichrist,” we pause for a minute. Not to reflect, so much as stand in fear & awe. We ask ourselves — “Who is THIS Guy?” Will I be able to see him if he were to appear right in front of me? Is he a physical person or a ghost or a figment of my own imagination? The fact is that it is mentioned throughout the New Testament Epistles or Letters, and thus it is vital that we, at least, wrap our heads around the concept. The aspect of the “antichrist” as being ONE individual is correct because he is mentioned in detail in the Book of Revelation. He is to be feared, there is no doubt about that because he will come like a wolf in sheep’s clothing — in other words, he will look & sound like a believer in Christ but his main desire is to lure many away from Christ until the final day of his destruction when Christ returns.
If this does not scare you, then this should — He is One of Us. He is physically, socially, psychologically, & spiritually one with the visible church. He may be a pastor, an elder, a deacon, or a spiritual brother or sister who speaks as if he/she has been saved for a long while. But he/she is not saved, is not a believer, & does not care about the concerns of Christ. Instead, their sole desire is to wreak tremendous havoc upon the church so that many brothers & sisters as well as would-be brothers & sisters would be turned off & turned away from the church.
If this sounds eerily similar to what is happening to the Roman Catholic Church & the many scandals plaguing them, you are on the right track but are naively incomplete. In other words, it is too simplistic to point the finger at the Roman Catholic Church & reflect upon their scandal & conclude that the words concerning the “antichrist” refers to them alone. Rather, there is a secondary aspect to the word, “antichrist” that the Apostle John wants all Christians everywhere to be concerned & forewarned — they are still among us until the day of Christ’s return.
Why is this? Read verse 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
Does this phrase refer to only one individual person or entity or does it sound like there are multiple persons? Because the word, “antichrist” here, refers to a collection of people that deny Jesus is the Christ. And these individuals are not outside the church but that they are INSIDE the church. They say they believe in Christ but do not; they say all the right things about Christ but do not believe; they may be in the upper echelons of heirarchical status of the church but fail in themselves that are truly saved. These individuals are whom the Apostle John is warning the church. Immediately, you should feel vulnerable & naked because these persons can do you harm, spiritually.
What can you do about them? Read verse 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
Christian brother, Christian sister, you are fully armed. Armed with, what, you may ask yourself? The truth. Is that some nebulous truth; some type of archaic truth; a truth that is like the wind — here today & gone tomorrow? No. It is the truth that we have already obtained through a power outside human faculty & intellect — a truth that is real & divine & wholly Trinitarian. In other words, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ does not make you naked to the fact that you are now transformed & left to your own devices. Rather, there is a union, a relationship with the Triune God that makes us wholly powerful to stand against these individuals, who claim to know Christ but clearly do not.
How is it clear that these “antichrists” do not know Christ? Because we have the truth & they do not. If they deny the Christ, they are not one of us. And if they are not one of us, they are not as powerfully surrounded like us. And the reason that they are not, is because they are still dead in their transgressions & sins. And their dead souls cannot conspire against us to rip the fabric of our faith away from the Triune God. Not only this, our transformed souls are indwelt of the Holy Spirit & He will preserve our faith in the face of such denial that we can stand firm & resist whatever false truth & lies & denials of Christ that come from their lips.
Take solace, then, that the power to do all this & more unto our preservation for eternal salvation come not from our own human ability or inability, as if, we must contain such rationality in order to stand firm in the faith. This is not the reality of the Christian life that we have believed, dear brother & sister. The reality is so much richer & more glorious, for the divine God-head has assumed His rightful place within the hearts of His believers so that they never stand alone — He always shares their trials & sufferings & torment — He richly clothes us in Himself & He is richly clothed in the vulnerabilities of our human existence.
