“INSIDIOUS”

“I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.”

1 John 2:26

As much as we’d like to believe every person is good and has good intentions, the fact of the matter is, we don’t know that for sure. But one thing we do know is that there are people out there who will try their best to manipulate others to advance their interests. They employ evil practices such as lying, cheating, and swindling to conceal their true intent. Such people are so good at lying; they are crafty and skilled at speaking that detecting their true motives is a seemingly impossible task.

In today’s verse, John presents another purpose for writing this epistle: to further inform his readers about the false teachers, also known as antichrists, and how they operate.

Previously, he exposed the antichrists by saying they have (1) departed from the fellowship (verse 19) and (2) denied the faith (verses 22-23). The third characteristic of the antichrists is that they relentlessly tried to lead God’s people astray. They did this by infiltrating assemblies of Christians and spewing lies. These men came from within the ranks of the apostolic churches in Judea and undermined the believers’ conviction that Jesus was Christ. They also denied the truth about eternal life that comes from saving faith in Jesus. John wrote to refute those claims and strengthen his readers’ trust in Christ.

Knowing what’s authentic is critical to spot the counterfeit. It takes an unmistakable conviction of the true Gospel to strongly resist the false teachers’ deception. Phony preachers are everywhere, beguiling people who profess faith in Jesus Christ. They look like Christians but their teachings are anti-Christian. They deny the biblical teachings about Christ and market feel-good, carnal ideologies.

For this reason, I encourage you to spend more time studying the Bible and immerse yourself in sound doctrine. Fill your mind with the knowledge of Christ’s Person and work. These false teachers are insidious and artful when it comes to deceiving people. They are slick speakers and know how to get your attention. The problem is, that they take the spotlight away from Christ and make man the center of the universe. They twist the Scriptures to make it mean what they want it to mean.  They speak things that appeal to the flesh. They make the Bible look like it’s all about you. They are wrong and their teachings are not of God because neither do they have the Son nor the Father (verse 23).

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

How do you guard yourself against insidious antichrists?

Pursue the Savior today!