With Us-Not of Us
True Christians are recipients of eternal life and are protected by God's hand, while antichrists and deceivers depart from the fundamental doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Theodore Epp emphasizes the distinction between true believers and antichrists, explaining that those who depart from the core doctrine of Jesus Christ were never truly part of the faith. He highlights that true Christians possess eternal life, which cannot be taken away, as affirmed by Jesus in John 10:28-30. Epp warns against those who deny the divinity of Christ, asserting that such individuals are deceivers and cannot be considered children of God. The sermon serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to the fundamental truths of Christianity.
Text
1 John 2:18-9
We are able to detect who the antichrists are: "They went out from us, but they were not of us" (1 John 2:19). This does not mean that they left a particular denomination or church. They left the fundamental doctrine of Jesus Christ. The Word says they were never born again. Verse 19 makes that abundantly clear. The words "no doubt" are in italics in some translations, indicating that they were added by the translators. Consequently, the verse actually says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us."
True Christians are recipients of eternal life, and therefore "they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand," the Saviour said. "My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one" (John 10:28-30). The person who has eternal life cannot be taken away from God.
A true child of God will not accept any doctrine that denies that Jesus was and is the eternal God. A person who says that Jesus is not God is not a child of God and cannot go to heaven.
"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist" (2 John 1:7).
Sermon Outline
- The Antichrists
- True Christians
- Characteristics of True Children of God
- Warning Against Deceivers
- Definition of deceivers and antichrists
- Importance of confessing Jesus Christ in the flesh
- They were never born again
Key Quotes
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” — Theodore Epp
“They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand,” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- We must accept and confess Jesus Christ as the eternal God to be true children of God.
- We must reject any doctrine that denies Jesus' divinity and accept the fundamental doctrine of Jesus Christ.
- We are protected by God's hand and shall never perish if we are recipients of eternal life.