Text: 1John 2:18,22; 2 John 1:7

18 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. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?  He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.    

7 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. 

Wednesday, 3^rd July 2024

THE HOLY SPIRIT CONFESSES THAT JESUS CAME IN THE FLESH

Text: 1John 2:18,22; and 2 John 1:7

Memory verse: 1 John 4: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

This is the true and essential doctrine to the Christian system; and he who does not hold it cannot be regarded either as a Christian, or recognised as a Christian teacher, if he was not a man, then all that happened in his life, in Gethsemane, and on the cross, was a drama, and was assumed only to mislead the essence, meaning there was no real sufferings; there was no shedding of blood; there was no death on the cross; and, of course, there was no atonement. A mere show, an appearance assumed, an idea that could not make an atonement for sin; and a denial, therefore, of the doctrine that the Son of God had come in the flesh, was in fact a denial of the doctrine of punishment for sin.

This is that spirit of the Anti-Christ. This is one of the things which characterize antichrist. John here refers not to an individual who should be known as antichrist, but to a class of persons, this does not, however, forbid the idea that there might be some person, or a succession of persons in the church, to whom the name might be applied by way of reputation. The word antichrist, therefore, might denote anyone who either was or claimed to be in the place of Christ, or one who, for any reason, is in opposition to him on whatever ground the opposition might be; whether open and declared, or whether it were only in fact, as resulting from certain claims which were adverse to his, or which were inconsistent with his.

Even now there are many antichrists. There are many who have the characteristics which it was predicted that antichrist would have, there are many who deny that Jesus is the Messiah, or who deny that he has come in the flesh. If they maintained that Jesus was an impostor and not the true Messiah, or if, though they admitted that the Messiah had come in appearance only, and not really come in the flesh, this is the spirit of the antichrist.

CGDS Hymn 19;

THEN JESUS CAME

1. I need Thee every hour,

Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine

Can peace afford.

Refrain

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee ;

Every hour I need Thee ;

Oh, bless me now, my Saviour !

I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour,

Stay Thou near by ;

Temptations lose their power

When Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour,

In joy or pain ;

Come quickly and abide,

Or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour ;

Teach me Thy will ;

And Thy rich promises

In me fulfil.

5. I need Thee every hour,

Most Holy One :

Oh, make me Thine indeed,

Thou blessed Son.

 Prayers 

1.  Lord Jesus, help us to stay with what we believe about You always without any doubt or argument.

2.  LORD God Almighty, take away every unnecessary argument about the birth, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the church and help us to convince our converts to win more souls, in Jesus’ name. Amen.    

3.  Pray for others in this regard.