Test #6 Becoming an Anti-Christ – Continued

In our last post, I settled on the topic of church life through a computer monitor, and how this may be a trap.  In the post, I challenged the reader to fulfill the “one another” commands, while attending a virtual church meeting that is becoming so acceptable in this society.

As I researched this list, it shocked me as to the volume of verses that contain the phrase “one another”  This list does not contain passages that define brotherly love other than with the term “one another”  This list only includes that one specific term.

Although lengthy, take your time and consider the consistency of this command throughout the New Testament.

Romans 12:10
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Romans 14:13
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

Romans 15:5
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

Romans 15:7
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Romans 15:14
I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Romans 16:16
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

1 Corinthians 7:5
Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

1 Corinthians 11:33
So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another–

1 Corinthians 12:25
that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

1 Corinthians 16:20
All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:12
Greet one another with a holy kiss.

Galatians 5:13
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Ephesians 4:2
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 5:19
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

Ephesians 5:21
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Colossians 3:9
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

Colossians 3:13
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

1 Thessalonians 3:12
and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,

1 Thessalonians 4:9
Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,

1 Thessalonians 4:18
Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:15
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

Hebrews 3:13
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

Hebrews 10:25
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 Peter 1:22
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:9
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

1 Peter 5:5
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:14
Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 3:11
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

2 John 1:5
And now I ask you, dear lady–not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning–that we love one another.

Enjoy fellowship with the saints.  Love one another.  Turn the one eyed bandit off!  Be with the saints!

I hope you found a truth that was helpful in your life within this post.  Drop me a line, or send this post to a friend that you thought of recently.

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Test #6 Becoming an Anti-Christ

1 John 2:18 – 19
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Wow – When I first read this verse, I couldn’t understand it.  Why wasn’t antichrist capitalized?  And why is John saying that there are many antichrists?  And that antichrists have already arrived in the first century?

Didn’t he know the Bible taught of the one coming Anti-Christ who would rule the world, work with Satan and have a false prophet as a side kick?

Let’s consider what the Bible says about  antichrist.  As a matter of fact, lets consider what 1st and 2nd John says about the antichrist, since this topic is restricted to these two books.

Four verses in all the Bible speak of antichrist.  Let’s see what they can teach us.

1 John 2:18
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

This verse, which we are currently looking at, simply defines the occurrence and timing of the coming of antichrist.

• They are coming.
• They are present, that is, in the first century at the time of John’s writing.
• And they signify it is the last hour.

1 John 2:22
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.

This verse actually gives us a definition of antichrist.  A deceiver and denier of both the Father and the Son

1 John 4:3
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

A bit more definition of antichrist – one that does not confess Jesus (as Lord).  Also that there is a spirit associated with antichrist.

2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.

John’s second epistle describes antichrist as a deceiver and denier of the humanity of Christ.  This is 1 John 2:22 retold!

So, as a test for believers, 1 & 2 John is instructive regarding antichrist.  Defining antichrist gives guidance for believers.

Our particular set of verses in 1 John 2:18-19 speak of consistency of faith.  Perseverance in following the Jesus described in the Bible, who has been raised from the dead, ascended bodily into heaven, and reigning from above.

In summary, these verses speak of antichrist not continuing with the family of God. This verse is often called upon to defend an Augustinian theology, but that is not my goal with this blog.  I would like to be practical for once.

A living faith in the Son and the Father requires a living relationship with His people.  Continue with His people, or it may appear that in pulling away from a fellowship of believers, the actions of antichrist are being replicated.

Dear reader, do not fall for the teaching that is popular nowadays, that church can be virtual, that Christianity can be lived through a monitor.  A monitor does not have a beating heart for God, a sense of belonging with one another.  The television monitor becomes a barrier in fulfilling these exhortations.  The family of God is a one another community.  We need each other.

I will publish a list on “one another” commands found within the New Testament in our next installment.

I hope you found a truth that was helpful in your life within this post.  Drop me a line, or send this post to a friend that you thought of recently.

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Test #5 – Don’t Love the World – Continued

In our last post we considered John’s teaching of loving the world, what it meant and our responsibility to not do it.  In this post, lets consider the second portion of the verse, not loving the things in the world!  Let’s read the passage once more, prior to digging in.

1 John 2:15 – 17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world–the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life–is not from the Father but is from the world.

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Things in the World

Initially, when I read this phrase, I automatically think of my Prius. Or my computer.  Or my phancy phone.

You know, material “things” of the world.  But as I read the 16th verse, it doesn’t say … all that is of the world…

John declares that three things are in the world, that is according to verse 15, which believers are not to love.

Those three things are as follows

• the lust of the flesh
• the lust of the eyes
• the pride of life

Now of course I could see that my racing Prius appeals to my lust of the flesh.  (What?)

But buying a Prius doesn’t mean I have loved a thing of the world, unless it was purchased to consume upon my own desires (lusts) and pride.

By the way, the stripes were a gift from my awesome daughter, but that is another story!  You can read of it at the post Let Me Tell You a Story – A Racing Prius

What is my point?

The things of the world are not to be relegated to material things.  The things of the world are those characteristics, attributes, desires and traits that pull us away from the Father and His Messiah.   A Prius, on it’s own, can not pull me away from the Father!  But watch out – if it appeals to the lust of my eyes, then yes I have a problem.

These three “things” of the world make us seek independence from God (pride of life), drives us to satisfy sexual desires outside the confines of a loving marital relationship (lust of the flesh), and propels us to accumulate possessions, power or people (lust of the eyes).

I freely admit my struggle with succumbing to loving my lust and pride, but I can honestly tell you that owning a racing Prius isn’t the result obeying the lust of my eyes!

Where is your struggle?  The desires of the believer are addressed here and the message is that we can decide on what our desires are to be.

Feelings follow faith.  A life of seeking the will of God (even when desire may be weak to non existent) will produce long term desire for the will of God to be realized.

Seek the will of God.  It’s got a brighter future!

I hope you found a truth that was helpful in your life within this post.  Drop me a line, or send this post to a friend that you thought of recently.

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