1 John 2:20-27 | Sunday January 11, 2026
Last week we saw John warn believers of the false teaching antichrists that are already in the world. These antichrists had been apart of the fellowship with the apostles in Jerusalem. They left the truth and this departure exposed a disunity. The departure itself does not comment on or exclude their salvation, but is evidence of a lack of fellowship with the truth. There are examples of nonbelievers who try to infiltrate the church and are called “false brothers” (Gal 2:4), and there are examples of believers who depart from truth and have “made shipwreck of their faith”(1 Tim 1:19-20). The departure does not prove or disprove salvation but shows they are false teachers who are dangerous.
So often in a case like this friendships and history can be given as an excuse for continued partnership. John valued the truth of the world of God so much He is making sure everyone knows that these false teachers have left the fellowship found in truth. Unfortunately, they have not left the physical church which is what makes them so dangerous. John warns against these antichrists throughout his letters. In 2 John 10 he commands the church not to receive these false teachers into their houses or help them in any way and in 3 John 9 he even gives a specific name. These antichrists were a major problem for the church. After giving this warning He then instructs the church in how to guard against and be protected from these antichrists.
1 John 2:18-27 ESV
(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.
(19) 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.
(20) But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
(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.
(23) No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
(24) Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
(25) And this is the promise that He made to us—eternal life.
(26) I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
(27) But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him.
All believers have been given an anointing from the Holy Spirit. These false teachers were claiming to have an exclusive or secret knowledge. John is encouraging believers that we already know the truth through the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 ESV
(21) And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,
(22) and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
God anoints us with the Holy Spirit, who comes into our hearts and seals us into Him. When we were in Leviticus we saw the Priests be anointed with oil. This showed that they were set apart by God for a unique role. God has done the same for us, but our anointing was not with oil but with the Holy Spirit. This happened for each believer in the church age at a very specific moment.
Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV
(13) In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
(14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.
This is a work God does for every believer the moment we trust in Jesus for salvation. We hear the truth and then must respond by believing it. Once someone believes, God anoints them and seals them with the Holy Spirit. There is nothing extra or a special ritual to be done. This is a work of God. The Holy Spirit seals us in God. This is a picture of a wax seal with a rulers unique ring pressed into it. The seal shows ownership and also brings with it protection. God has done the same for us though the Holy Spirit. John is mentioning this anointing to encourage us that we are safe and sealed in God. We are also promised that this anointing from the Holy Spirit will guide us and teach us truth.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 ESV
(12) Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
(13) And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
(14) The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
As a believer why do you think you received the Holy Spirit? One of His major purposes in our lives is so that we can understand the things freely given to us by God. So that we can understand spiritual truth.
If you have ever learned a spiritual truth about God, you can be assured that you have the Holy Spirit. The natural person is not able to understand spiritual truths. No pastor is ever able to teach spiritual truth and it become real to people without the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. As believers the best guard we have against false teaching is the teaching the Holy Spirit provides to us through the word of God. John was convinced His audience new the truth.
1 John 2:21-22 ESV
(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.
John did not doubt if His audience knew Jesus. He is warning them about falsehoods because they knew the truth. He trusted that they had been anointed by the Holy Spirit to know the difference between truth and lies. The liar, the antichrist denies who Jesus is, they deny that Jesus is the Christ. Christ means that Jesus is the anointed messiah the promised one who would pay for sins. He was only able to make this payment because He is fully God and fully man. The future Antichrist will deny this and so do the current false teaching antichrist. They deny Jesus humanity, or His deity, or His finished work. The phrase Jesus is the Christ testifies to all these truths. By denying Jesus as the Christ these antichrist were also denying the Father.
1 John 2:23 ESV
(23) No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
You cannot have a relationship with God without trusting in Jesus, the two cannot be separated. There is no path to God that does not involve believing in Jesus. When we trust in Jesus we receive the Father also. It is always telling when you ask if someone is a believer, or if they are saved and they respond with “I believe in God.” This doesn’t mean anything in terms of salvation.
James 2:19 ESV
(19) You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
The demons believe in one God. Knowing there is a God will never save anyone. The real question is who is Jesus and what has He done for you? Jesus is fully God and fully man and came to earth living a perfect life and died on the cross offering the perfect payment for sins. There is no one formula to express this.
Confessing the Son means to say the same thing about Jesus that the bible says about Him. The thief on the cross pleaded “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” Luke 23:42. Martha declared “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Luke 11:27. Both were confessing that they trusted in Jesus. Each had a different level on knowledge and understanding. Each had a different background, and yet both were confessing the Son, they were trusting Him. There is no one formula, because it is about Jesus. It is about believing in Him for salvation. This is why John is so passionate about rooting out this false teaching. To deny Jesus is the Christ is to have a false gospel. He desires for believers to remain on this fundamental truth they have heard from the beginning.
1 John 2:24 ESV
(24) Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
John wants believers to abide, remain, to dwell in the fundamental truth about Jesus that they heard from the beginning of their Christian walk. If we choose to abide in this truth, in Jesus, then He will in turn abide with us. John is saying we have tremendous access to be at home with Jesus. As believers are we strangers to the truth and to Jesus or do we know Him well? We have been giving the anointing of the Holy Spirit to teach us so that we can abide, and be at home with Jesus. Jesus wants us to have this close, intimate relationship with us. He wants to guide and direct us.
Philippians 3:12-16 ESV
(12) Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.
(13) Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
(14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(15) Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
(16) Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Paul pressed on and strained forward to a deeper abiding walk with Jesus. He was not perfect at this but he knew there was never a coast or arrival in the Christian walk. He wanted to abide in Jesus more today than He did yesterday. This ongoing desire to know Jesus and be close to Him is a mark of maturity. Even if we think differently or believe something that is false, the more we want to know Jesus, the Holy Spirit will teach us and correct us from falsehood. As we desire to know Him, He reveals to us more truth, into a deeper walk.
We are called to hold true to what He has already revealed. Jesus does not reveal more to us, if we are not living based on what He has already shown to us. We know this principal, in making a child eat their dinner before they have seconds or have dessert. We don’t give more food until the first portion has been eaten. We are taught truth and our walk with Jesus works the same way. We are to live, hold, follow, conform to what we know. As we walk with Him and in the truth He has revealed, then Jesus reveals more to us. This is why John warns believers from following falsehood. If we start to deny Jesus and not desire to know Him more, we will not be in fellowship with Him.
Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV
(35) Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
(36) For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
There is a tremendous blessing to walking with endurance in Jesus. We cannot throw out our confidence in Him when things start to get hard, or life seems out of control. It is precisely in those moments that we are to rest in Him. We are to come back to truth, to be confident in His promises, and His ability to teach and guide us. The promise is from Him.
1 John 2:25 ESV
(25) And this is the promise that He made to us—eternal life.
Jesus promised to give us eternal life. This is never ending life, but it is so much more than that. Eternal life is an abundant, full, real life right here and now. He wants us to enjoy being in fellowship with Him. Eternal life is based on Him. He promised it. He did what was needed to secure it. He is the one who gave it to us!
Psalm 62:5-7 ESV
(5) For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
(6) He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
(7) On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
I am so eternally thankful that my salvation does not rest on me. If it did then I would always be at risk of being shaken. We are not shaken because He is our rock. Our hope is from Him. From His great promise to us, eternal life.
John 6:40 ESV
(40) For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
It is the will of God the Father, and no one can undue His will, that whoever looks on Jesus and believes in Him will be given eternal life. Man did not come up with this idea. We did not get to set the terms for what someone had to do to get eternal life. God decided. It is His promise to us, and Jesus made it possible. Yet, there are many antichrist who continually try to change this amazing truth.
1 John 2:26 ESV
(26) I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
John knew people would always try to add, or take away from Jesus. We want to have a part, we want to earn it in some way. We are warned and called not to move off this amazing truth.
Galatians 1:6-9 ESV
(6) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
(7) not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
(8) But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
(9) As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Even if Paul was to change His mind, and start trying to add something, to distort Jesus in some way, He pleads with them to ignore Him. Even if an angel came and tried to add to Jesus, we are to consider that angel accursed. We trust in Jesus and in His grace for salvation and then are so quick to desert Him. This is why abiding, remaining in Him, is so important.
1 John 2:27 ESV
(27) But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him.
As a believer we have the Holy Spirit in us, and Jesus is abiding with us. No man or angel can offer to us a different truth or teach us anything new. We all are growing and all have more to learn, but it will be through the Holy Spirit. He will teach us, so let us hold on to what He has already taught us. As He abides in us, we are commanded, to abide in Him. Let’s not waste this incredible relationship we have been given. Let us strain forward into Him.