Antichrist, Anointing, Abiding

Preached by

In a turbulent world filled with lies and confusion, it can be difficult to know how to love others well and remain steadfast in truth. The distractions and allure of secret knowledge threaten to lead us away from Christ and prevent us from loving what truly lasts.

But there is hope.

If we remain tethered to the source of truth through the Spirit that dwells within us, we can remain guarded from deceit and focused on what matters most.

  1. The threats to loving what lasts are lies and Antichrists. Lies refer to self-deceit, while Antichrists are things that go against or replace Jesus.
  2. The areas of self-deceit include legalism, license, comparison, and victim mentality. The murmurings of the Antichrist help reinforce these forms of self-deceit.
  3. What guards and protects us against these threats are truth, being anointed by the Holy Spirit, and abiding in Christ.
  4. Truth refers to remembering who Jesus is and what he has done. Being anointed means having the Holy Spirit dwell within us. And abiding in Christ means being tethered to him.
  5. We are susceptible to the allure of secret knowledge, like conspiracy theories and secret parenting tips. But this does not provide the protection we need.
  6. What ultimately protects us is abiding in Christ. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. We just need to stay connected to Christ.

As we navigate the chaos around us in this last hour, let us abide fully in Christ and allow the Spirit to guide us. We do not need secret knowledge or hidden wisdom—we have been given the ultimate truth in Jesus. Turn away from lies and deceit that seek to replace him, and instead remain steadfastly anchored to him.

Though the sounds of Antichrists swirl around us, let us remain firm in the truth. And as we do, empowered by the Spirit, let us love each other well. Speak truth into this broken world. Let us remain hopeful, for one day all things will be made new. And so in this last hour, live with eternity in view, tethered securely to the one who holds eternity in his hands.

Verses

1 John 2:18-27

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