Day 8 - Spirit and All Truth
1 John 2:18-27 (Part 2)
Two things before we begin: 1) this is a continuation of the last devotion where we discussed the three signs of the spirit of antichrist. 2) I have changed translations since the last post, moving away from the CSB to the ESV. Why? While the Christian Standard Bible is an excellent translation, I find it to be a bit too dynamic for exegetical teaching and prefer to use a more literal translation. In the past, I would have used the New American Standard Bible, but in 2020, they revised their text using more gender-inclusive language, which (no matter what one might think of gender inclusivity) requires a more dynamic approach to translation, making it less effective in exegetical teaching as well. Therefore, I’m now opting for the ESV, which I find to be a great blend of classic KJV (I grew up memorizing KJV verses, so verses in other translations always throw me off for some reason) and a modern, very-readable translation. All that being said, let’s get on with today’s lesson/devotion!
Scripture Passage: 1 John 2:18-27
Focal Verse(s): But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 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. ~ 1 John 2:20-21 (ESV)
The world has its ‘truth’. Culture has its ‘truth’. Academia has its ‘truth’. The spirit of antichrist has its truth. And God has His. Is there a difference? Are they the same? Are the differences so minimal that for the sake of unity we can simply ignore them?
Referring to verse 23 (No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. (ESV)), let me ask you this question to answer the one above: what Jesus do you believe in? Is it the beatnik hippie all about peace and love that so many people espouse? Do you follow the Jesus that was a good man and good teacher, but really wasn’t the son of God and probably didn’t perform miracles? What about the Jesus who is secretly an alien from another world who came to bring human peace and wisdom to the masses (yes, there are those who espouse this view as well)? Or do you believe in the Jesus who was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man simultaneously, lived a perfect sinless life, was crucified and died then resurrected three days later to absolve those who call upon His name of their sins?
See? There is a difference. And those differences are huge. As diverse as there are thoughts in the world, really. So, when we talk about Truth, it’s important to know what truth we’re going to hold to.
Fact of the matter is that God’s Truth is pure, objective truth. All others are based on opinions and false premises. I’ll go ahead and say it (although the Apostle John beat me to it in this passage), all others “truths” are nothing but lies.
This is why doctrine truly matters. It’s why it’s so important to be vigilant about what we absorb into our lives (what TV shows, websites, books, music, etc do we most consume and what view of Jesus do those things have?). It’s why we have to constantly be on the lookout for the spirit of antichrist and know it’s not something we only have to worry about in some future time, but also in the here and now.
Fortunately, John gives us great encouragement in verse 20. He tells us that we have been ‘anointed by the Holy One,’ and that we have ‘knowledge’ at our disposal (from context, that knowledge comes in the form of understanding, wisdom, and discernment).
The Holy One and the Paraclete
So, who is the Holy One and what does it mean to be ‘anointed’ by Him?
I believe this is a direct reference to Jesus telling his Disciples in John 15:26: “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.“
Jesus is the ‘Holy One’, who sent his paraclete (literally ‘helper’ (also comforter and advocate) in Greek), who is also known as the Holy Spirit.
How does the Holy Spirit help us in our vigilance against the spirit of antichrist?
Knowledge and Truth in All Things
In verse 20, John tells Christians that we “all have knowledge.” Does that mean we’re omniscient, knowing everything? Not at all. John tells us what knowledge we have in verse 21 when he clarifies that we know ‘the truth.’
And how do we Christians know the truth? Through the Paraclete. Through the Holy Spirit, who teaches us all things. And this, my friends, is where it gets so good!
In John 14:26, Jesus told his disciples during the last supper, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
And how does He teach us all things? Notice the last part of that verse: “your remembrance of all that I have said to you.” This doesn’t just include things Jesus said during His earthly ministry. It incorporates everything He/God has said from the beginning. In other words, the Bible! Scripture. This is why it’s so important to saturate ourselves in God’s word!
We consume Scripture and the Holy Spirit teaches us all things from that. He guides us. Through the Bible, He shines a light on anything that isn’t Truth! He exposes heresy, apostasy, and the spirit of antichrist to us through God’s word!
So, my friends, do not view studying Scripture as a necessary burden “we’ve got to make time for,” but rather an opportunity to have the greatest Teacher in the history of Creation at our disposal. An infinite well of wisdom and discernment is at our fingertips! Through the Paraclete and the Bible, we cannot be deceived. So, armor up against the antichrists and the Antichrist with a Capital ‘A’. Prepare yourself. Keep your eyes on the lookout. Be prepared. We, as Christians, have something the rest of the world doesn’t have. An intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit who makes things make sense for us.
Father God, thank you so much for the Paraclete. The Holy Spirit. Thank you for having Him resides within each and every believer and his role in guiding and protecting us from false doctrine. Help us, Lord, to listen to Him when He speaks and act upon what He tells us through your word.