Identifies believers as children of God through faith in Jesus Christ and focuses on the spiritual infants within God's family, as described in 1 John 2:18. It warns against 'antichrists,' who are individuals against Christ and can deceive younger believers by making false professions of faith. The core lesson is that while false teachers abound, especially in the last days, genuine believers possess the Holy Spirit, who provides spiritual discernment and protection. The message concludes by emphasizing that the indwelling Holy Spirit is the key to recognizing truth and remaining steadfast in faith.
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Beloved radio friends, we greet you in the ever-precious and the worthy name of our lovely Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We give you a hearty invitation to enjoy with us the study of the Bible, which we believe and know to be the Word of the Living God. Our present subject relating to God the Father and the family that belongs to him, taken out of the human race, obtained by him by and through the death of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? And all who believe upon that Son are made the children of God.
Well did the Apostles of the Galatians write in chapter three in verse twenty-six, for we are all the children of God through faith which is in Christ Jesus. My beloved radio friend, May I repeat, we are only the children of God, because we have believed upon the Son of God, even our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, and placed our trust, the confidence of our soul upon his finished redeeming work of Calvary's Cross. We are all the children of God, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
I raise the question again, my radio listener. Have you believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ? We are considering at the present time the little children in the family of God, as designated in the first epistle of John chapter two, commencing with verse eighteen. These are the spiritual infants in the family. We would read verse eighteen, nineteen, and twenty. Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not others. For if they had been others, they would no doubt have continued with us. but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all others, but ye have an option from the Holy One, and ye know all things. Now John very carefully warns the little children of the dangers that preeminently surround them. And if you noted carefully the reading, And the hearing of these two verses, eighteen and nineteen in First John, you will note that the beloved apostle makes very clear that there can come, and unfortunately does come, even in the midst of the Christian profession of God's family, those who are not genuinely the children of God, He calls them Antichrist.
Now we believe from the word of God, and we shall see it in a pursuing message. There is one to come who is called and will be the Antichrist. But John writes in verse eighteen of many Antichrists. Of what is he speaking? To what is he referring that there are many Antichrists? Now the word actually means There are many who are against Christ. And the sad fact, they can come amongst the children of God and seek to lead them astray. For the seducing of the little children is the work of many Antichrists.
Now please note that what we have stated is proved by John in his words of verse nineteen. He declares, They went out from us, but they were not others. Very definitely, there are those who once took their ground upon Christianity, but they did not stay in the Christian profession. Their profession was abandoned, and they became antagonistic and false teachers against the truth of God. Now let me repeat it. Let me say it for the warning that John and the Spirit of God writes to the little children in the family of God, there are those.
There have been, even in John's day, and there will be to the end of the Christian age, those who make a false profession, not genuinely born again, but outwardly take the profession of Christianity, and then abandon it, and on abandoning it, they become antagonistic under the false teachers. For John makes it very clear they did not really belong to us if they had been. They would no doubt have continued with us. Now may it make it clear to us, as you read the end of verse nineteen, that there was a reason for this that we should certainly take to our hearts.
They went out, they left us in order that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. My beloved, here is something we must realize, that the little children need spiritual perception, to require them to recognize there are those that are not real, genuine Christians who would lead young Christians astray. Yes, they may be clever teachers, but false. Seeking to beguile the simple souls, they may even offer the impression of greater spirituality and devotedness.
But John, by the Holy Spirit, calls them by their right name. He says they are Antichrist, and thus their true name implies they are not genuine in the family of God. Or may I repeat this, tis one of the saddest facts regarding the Christian testimony from the early days of Christianity to the present time. May I even emphasize further, I believe that this danger is more pronounced and prolific today than ever before. Now if you will read the second epistle of Timothy, If you will read the second epistle of Peter, you will find very carefully, as well as emphatically, both the beloved Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter, give specific warnings of the last days of Christianity being overrun with false teachers.
Now I'm going to make a statement. whether you agree with what I say matters not to me, but it is the truth of God, not only substantiated by the Word of God, but also proven by observation in the world of Christianity today. I believe there are more false teachers and more false teachings prevailing in so-called Christian circles and professions today than ever before. You say, why do you state that? Listen, if you will read your Bible carefully, the Apostle Jude, the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul, each one of them and others, even the Lord Jesus declared, that in the last days there would be an abundance of false teachers abounding on every hand.
We have them today. It is no wonder that many simple souls are greatly confused. At the confusion, the abundance of teaching prevails in the world today, even in so-called Christian circles. all the necessity of realizing what John declares. And I want you to know verse twenty. For as you look at the twentieth verse, you will realize that John gives a clue for the believer, for the young Christian to realize that there is one particular note of safety that he has given to them.
In verse twenty he declares, But ye have an auction. The word auction means ye have an anointing. from the Holy One, and ye know all things. Now let us be very careful to analyze clearly the meaning of these words. What does John imply that they have an anointing? What does John by the Spirit mean? They possess an anointing. This, my fellow believer, is the fact, and to you young Christians, this declares that you possess the Holy Spirit. Now may I state emphatically, from the Word of God it is plainly evident, conclusively declared, that you cannot be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ without also receiving upon the time of your trust in the Savior the Holy Spirit of God.
Upon believing, writes Paul in first chapter of Ephesians, upon believing ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Romans eight and verse nine, John or Paul rather declared, except a man, if he have not the Spirit of Christ, if a man have not the Spirit of Christ, meaning the Holy Spirit, he is none of his. I deplore, as well as depreciate, the fact that there are many who are telling young Christians They need to receive the Holy Spirit. That is, contrary to the Word of God, the Word of God declares, you have the Holy Spirit, and you receive the Holy Spirit the moment Christ is taken as your Savior.
Upon believing, John writes to these little children in experience, undeveloped in their spiritual experience and spiritual development. And though they are little children, he says, you have an option. You have the Holy One, the Holy Spirit who is in you. Now, why is he in you? He is in you, my fellow believer, to give you spiritual intelligence as well as power. And thank God this is one protection for a young Christian. The presence, the power, the teaching of the Spirit of God, which we shall touch upon in detail later.
But here is one protection for the little children, the possession of the Holy Spirit. Oh, my young believer, if you are but a child of God that is an infant in the family, lay hold of this fact and this precious truth today. Father, we pray that the Holy Spirit himself will rivet this fact Home to the hearts of every young believer in Jesus' name for his glory. Amen.