Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 80th. Edition.
Dear Strangers, Aliens, and Sojourners,
In today’s passage (1 John 2:24-27), we carry the concept of the effect of the anointing we saw in the previous passage a little further. Abiding (v. 24). The word abide means “to remain stable or fixed in a state” (Webster’s). We are let what we have heard from the beginning – the truth of the gospel, remain in us. We are to “let nothing move” us (1 Corinthians 15:58). If we let the word abide in us, then we will also be abiding in the “Son and in the Father”. This is an echo of John 15:7, which is a promise of answered prayer. There are many attractive lies. Let us remain in the word.
Anticipating (v. 25). God has promised us eternal life. As we will see later, those who believe already have eternal life, because they have the Son (5:11-13). Eternal life is more than existence since even the wicked will exist in hell. It is the quality of that existence that is life. In the presence of our Saviour, life will not be mere existence.
Anointing (vv. 26-27). John reiterates what he said before, that the issue at hand is false teachers. He then asserts that the false teachers are not needed, because we have an anointing that “teaches you concerning all things.” This phrase has been used by some to teach that Bible School is a waste of time since the Holy Spirit will teach believers all things. John cannot have meant that because in this letter, he is teaching the Christians and he has just asked them to let that which they have heard (teaching) from the beginning abide in them.
Secondly, the context is in reference to a group of false teachers, who claimed exclusive knowledge of the truth. John is obviously not saying that they should not listen to Timothy, for instance, if he comes to them. Lastly, maybe this story from my college days will help us understand what John is saying. While a student at Scott, several of us decided to try our hand at brass instruments.
The fact that I now only play the guitar is itself testimony to my attempt at playing the trumpet. Once in a while, we managed to get a very clear, high note. The hall where we practiced had a piano. If you sustained the high note for a while, you would still hear it reverberating on the piano, moments after you had stopped playing the trumpet (try it, it’s true!). The only reason that this was possible was that both the trumpet and the piano had this note. If one played a note that that was outside the scale of the piano, one could play as loud as one would, hold the note as long as one wished, but the piano would not respond. The Holy Spirit has implanted the word in us.
If a teacher comes with the truth, our hearts will “reverberate” with the same word. If it is a lie, our hearts will reject it. The reason we are so often deceived is that we have stopped listening to the Spirit of God in us. Don’t ignore the inner voice, just because a preacher is exciting. Lies can be delicious.
Your loving Pastor Chris.