First John 2:24-27 Truth and Falsehood, part 2
1 John 2:24-27 · Bob Eckel · May 22, 2022
Letters of John (2022), No. 15
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926192734606

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

All right, so today we're covering verses 24 to 27, entitled, Truth and Falsehood, Part Two. Andrew covered this last week, part one. And let's begin in reading 1 John 2, 18 down through 27. So I'm reading from the AV version, although most of my text is from the New King James.

Little children, it's the last time, as you've heard, that Antichrist shall come. Even now, there are many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things.

And I've not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar, but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist that denieth the father and the son. Whosoever denieth the son, the same hath not the father, but he that acknowledges the son hath the father also.

Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you've heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the son and in the father. And this is the promise that he has promised us even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you but the anointing which you've received of him abides in you and you need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teaches you all things and as truth and as no lie and even as it had even as it hath taught you you shall abide in him.

All right so let me close this All right, let's summarize 1 John 18 to 23. I think we've gotten in the habit of kind of summarizing what we covered the week before. Remember, this is part two. So the first point that I think was made over the verses that Andrew covered was anti-crisis coming.

But there are those among us who are not saved and are walking antichrist. So in effect, what scripture says, if you're not saved, you're an antichrist. And that's the manifestation of the devil in the world system in which we live. Boy, it's hard to call all our unsaved friends. We have many unsaved friends. But they're not fellows in the Lord. But to think that they're all walking antichrists. Well, I think the thing is, if you aren't for me, you're against me.

So that's... Well, and here we have the truth and the lie, right? So the second point, we're anointed from the Holy Spirit and know the truth. I mean, you know, we can study intellectually the Lord Jesus Christ all we want, but it's the Holy Spirit that reveals him and his personage and our position and how he impacts our condition day in and day out. We're thankful for the triune God.

And of course, most faith deny the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives. Thirdly, he who denies that Jesus Christ is a liar, he also denies the father and the son. And I think the fourth point we kind of dwelled with a little bit last week, and whoever denies the son does not have the father either. How many people who are kind of agnostics, if there is a God, But ultimately, who is this God? And so you have no God unless you are understanding the personage and the unity that the Lord Jesus Christ has with the Heavenly Father. I mean, that's kind of a hard message.

And a lot of these people say, well, I mean, even Muslims say, well, our God is the same as your God. We just call him Allah, and you call him God. Or Jehovah. one of those, but we all have the same God, right? But no. Because the reality of God that he had made himself God in the flesh through his son, who was crucified, dead and buried and risen.

So this is incredibly important. And I think most conversations we've had with serious Muslims over the years, the issue is always Jesus Christ, isn't it? It's always Christ. You know, I was thinking about this this morning as I was, you know, working out which I do most mornings and I was thinking about, you know, if you think of the biblical evidence that demands a verdict. Who wrote that? I remember that this- Josh McDowell. Yeah. Josh McDowell. Yeah, Josh McDowell wrote that.

But it kind of reminds you there is so much evidence prophetically and in the documents. Think about how many people write in the New Testament about the documentation historically of the truth of the crucifixion and death of Lord Jesus Christ and how the resurrection impacts our day-to-day existence.

I mean, it's incredible, but to talk to someone who is a Gentile, particularly, where Christ is foolishness, you know, anyway, let's go on. Also the Jew, I mean, yeah, look at all our friends that are Jewish and, you know, they have, they absolutely, you know, don't.

All right, so the first version today, therefore, let that abide in you. By the way, ye versus false teachers. I've kind of put that in parentheses. This is a plural interpretation of how this impacts all of us. Ye, meaning you who know the truth, who are saved, versus those who are antichrists or false teachers, which you've heard from the beginning. And if what you've heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

So here, I think we can clearly see what therefore is therefore. I mean, what I summarized from 18 through 23 really is what was there before. So that's what therefore let us abide, et cetera. Now, if they, we were to let imperative. So if they, meaning they who were the ones being spoken to here, were to let that imbibe, meaning the truth of the word of God, imperative, make it happen.

And also to let, make it happen in what they have heard from the beginning. What beginning? I mean, we've discussed this at the very beginning of this epistle. What beginning are we talking about here? We have a very quiet. I would say it's the beginning when they heard it. Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think so. That in context, that has to be what's being interpreted because they were told by the Lord and the apostles. I mean, the first part of this epistle, you could interpret the beginning from the beginning of creation.

But ultimately, verses like this tend to cement this in the fact that when they heard, by the way, they saw also, right? So their senses experienced the living person of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the beginning here, I think, must be interpreted the beginning of them hearing the gospel and coming to salvation. Doesn't, if what you heard from the beginning abides and remains, which is by the way, subjunctive, in you, doesn't that truly cement what the beginning is? It's what remains in you and what you've heard.

I mean, that's not God created the heavens and the earth. I mean, that's hearing the gospel and seeing it apply to our lives in terms of abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ in terms of the source of our salvation. Abiding refers to the intimate relationship with God assessed by the extent to which we walk in the light of the new life we have in Christ. And I paraphrased a couple of commentators there, but anyway, I modified it in a way in terms of our walk in the light of the new life and the truth that we have in Him.

So that's what abiding is. And if time permits at the end, I'm gonna read today's Hungry Heart, because it really very much relates to this theme. So isn't this a process, abiding? It's not kind of one of those things that I didn't abide, now I'm abiding.

I mean, this is something that we grow into by God's grace over time. John 15, for abide in me as I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. And fruit really is a process of our life in Christ Jesus. It doesn't occur all at once, but it occurs over time. By this, my father's glorified that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples. So that was to be appealed to his disciples, but ultimately the theme is carried out in Galatians in terms of the fruit the Holy Spirit bears in us.

1 John 3, 9, whosoever has been born of God does not sin, for a seed remains in him. And he cannot sin because he has been born of God. Now, this is going to be covered later. But the idea that we have no sin is the fact that it's increasingly abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ removes the sin. I mean, first of all, our sin was crucified. But yet, this process over time is a process of abiding, where in fact, that life is not capable of sinning. In fact, it is a life in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ that takes us away from the sin that we're so embodied with. And by the way, it never leaves us, does it? Wrecking ourselves indeed and dead indeed into sin.

And finally Hebrews 2.1, therefore we must give the more earnest need, heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. I mean, you know, I mean, If you ignore the word of God, you're not growing, you're not abiding, ultimately, we can drift away. I mean, we can drift away in our condition. We never drift away in our position. But I think Hebrews just warns us that these truths we have in scripture are those that allow our abiding.

Any thoughts, more thoughts about that? Bob? Yes. If you hear me there, I was thinking about that passage there in John that you used. It has to do with being at home, doesn't it? Being at home in him, comfortable. This is where I belong. I'm in his family now. And it carries over to the theme of this whole book of 1 John, I believe, the fellowship that we have in his home. how he has taken us in, that's what we heard from the beginning, right? Right, that's very much it. And it helps me to think of it as being at home in him, comfortable.

Yeah, and as that abiding continues, again, it's a process, it doesn't occur all at once. That process that the Lord works out in our lives makes us increasingly comfortable living in that space, right? Right. Abiding in that home. This reminds me of prayer. I think I've mentioned this before. When we pray from above, which I often do not, I have a different view of what I'm praying about than what I pray for my condition in some way. So anyway, good point, Roy, thank you.

All right, how does what you or we have heard from the beginning result in our abiding or future in the son and in the father? Don't you think, as you've said before, that it's a process, and it can take a lifetime for us to really understand that, you know, that our sin is really, even though, you know, it says up there, he cannot sin, because the Lord doesn't see the sin.

The sin has already been taken care of. So it's a whole life process to truly be abiding there and truly understand that whole concept. Well, that's why the future tense is important to interpret here because this abiding which exists now and what we heard from the beginning results in our continuation in abiding. So it builds on itself.

Yeah, this has to do with our condition, doesn't it? Yes. And the condition reflects our home, doesn't it? Or may not at times reflect our home, depending on which nature we're living in. By the way, I don't think we should get schizophrenic. Gee, was that of the new nature or was that of the old?

We have a life to live, and that life is of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's the abiding process. Okay, good. So just quoting one verse from the first chapter of John, but if you walk in the light as he's in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin. I mean, it's the abiding process is a constant reminder of what's been accomplished on our behalf. This is a foundation of grace.

And we'll return to that at the end. All right, so let's go ahead to verse 225. This seems like a, what? Do I need to hear this here? And this is the promise that he has promised us eternal life. John kind of, everything's a spade, isn't it? I mean, so why do you think this verse is needed here?

I mean, not that we second-guess the Lord here, but go ahead, Roy, I think. Well, it's in the context of the preceding phrase, isn't it? Okay. And so what contrast are we looking at here? Well, being at home in hymn lasts forever. Okay. I'm trying to think a little bit differently.

I think that the word abiding, if we kind of keep going with that, this is an eternal abiding, that abiding that starts now will never end. So that kind of follows on 25 says that we have the promise that our abiding is gonna continue, if you will. Okay, well, let's look at in terms of the solidification of our position and our condition. The first question is, is our eternal life in question when we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior?

Of course not. So why does John need to remind us? And let's just look at something. We could quote 15 verses or more on this. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides in him. Next.

Romans 6.25, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And then John 17.3, and this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you have sent. But a little bit of the alternative view of this, I think John continues to say, he's all black and white. And this is really all white. It's all the Lord Jesus Christ.

But keep in mind that to some extent, these Antichrists are potentially in the false teacher category. And this is potentially, they contrast this, reminding us that this is a different animal, a person who is an existing Antichrist. John, 845, but because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. So we have a contrast here, either you're saved or you're not. And so reminding you of your salvation, this is truth, this is life. And the alternative is a view that is not anything but a lie. And that's what John covered in the previous verses. Margaret.

Don't you think he's continuing to say this because people continue to sin. I mean, in their condition, they are sinning, every day. And so it's real easy to fall into the trap of, I'm really not saved. I really must not believe what the Lord said, or I must not believe I'm in Him, or I must not believe what John is saying here, because I keep sinning. I mean, don't you think that's part of it?

Well, remember what John said in his first epistle, that if you sin, you confess and you get back in fellowship. So again, this theme of fellowship is abiding, is it not? Right. I mean, we've seen this repeated in new and different ways, but John's black and white. Either you're saved and that life we live in Christ is one that's pure and righteous and holy, or we fall short at times and we confess and we get back in fellowship. So that's what abiding is all about. But don't you think it has to do also with these false teachers who were saying, you're sinning, you keep sinning, so you're not part, you don't believe that.

Because look at your wife, you know, and that goes on today. Right. Well, you have the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because I tell you the truth and you don't believe, what more can we do here? So I think to some extent this relates to the theme of truth and lie. All right, so let's go on to verse 26, because it helps us a little bit here, I think, in terms of reconciling all this.

These things I've written to you concerning those who tried to deceive or seduce you. Okay, so again, the contrast is to the false teacher or the antichrist that's among you. Now, many of them have left, remember, because they were not of them, but many perhaps remain.

So, but didn't John already address this? And in verse 21, which we read this morning, I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it and that no lie is in the truth. Again, the solidification of truth versus lie, black versus white, et cetera, in terms of how we view our position and how it affects our condition. Let's look at Paul and how he addressed the Ephesian elders. So I think that adds a little bit of interest to this. Sounds like somebody may be unmuted out there. So in Acts, Paul's now addressing the Ephesian elders when he's in Ephesus.

He says, for I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. So this isn't unique to John. And of course we saw Peter, false teachers, I mean, throughout the New Testament were bathed with examples of individuals who do not speak truth, but speak lies. And then Paul, again, in 2 Corinthians now, chapter 11, for such are false apostles to seek for workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

So this can be very subtle, can't it? So I think I'm using these verses just to kind of exemplify what John is stressing here in terms of reminding us about our eternal salvation. So a question we can ask ourselves, how susceptible are we today to this? Well, just think out loud of some examples. I mean, are people in this church, are we susceptible to this? Everybody's. But we have good teaching.

We have good teaching yeah well you could you could say the whole, the whole coven thing is a whole test of our, and I hate to kind of bring up that but anyway, it seems like to me that the coven thing was a test of where you are, what's important to you as a board important to you are you going to be. fearful of your life, the Lord says, don't be fearful of your life, you're safe in me. So I don't know, there's lots of stuff that's going on today that test our trust in the Lord. Will we be concerned about the world system? Not that we don't ignore it, but there's a lot of opportunity to get off in the wrong direction and be so focused on your health that you say, well, my health is more important than the Lord.

Is that really true? I don't know, maybe I'm getting too political here. Whatever. I'm thinking maybe a little bit more in the terms of if people are in our body here, are we susceptible to false teaching? We hope not. What are your thoughts? Well, Bob. I hear you Roy, go ahead.

Yeah, I believe that the Holy Spirit in us, is the facility God uses himself. He comes in us to teach us from his word what is truth and what is error. And we recognize the error where people who don't know him do not and they get deceived. I don't know how to say it in a summary way other than that.

I think you've said it well. I think our job here at Holly Hills and true of the entire church worldwide is to rightly divide the word of truth. And this is so critically important. And I don't think we ever get cocky on this. We're not elite, but we rely on the word of God to teach us all things.

If somebody comes in here and sat in left field someplace, we've had a few of those. I don't remember personally, but I'm sure Wayne over the many years I've seen people come in here or kind of out in left field and, you know, they don't stay, do they? No, they look for a different place.

Well, I remember vividly Roger telling someone in one of the classes, why are you here? you know, to promote what you believe. You have a good memory, Roy. Roger, do you recall this? I don't. Roger doesn't recall this. Anyway, that's fine. I do. It was in what we call the red carpet room, and that gentleman never came back. I remember it, too. Wow. Okay, whoa. Okay, guys. We have to talk some more about this. Roger. Roger, I have a good neurologist.

No, but I think where this is really potentially much more common would be kind of in a mainline church where the gospel is kind of preached. Right. And, you know, there are people saved in those congregations, but then there are people who, you know, are not convinced of the Word of God and they'll continue to seek out and are listening to strange and inaccurate interpretations of the word.

Well, what about the Catholic Church? Well, there are people probably saved in the Catholic Church. There probably are, but gosh, can you imagine staying in the Catholic Church, listening to that? I mean, if you're really saved, but if you're a baby believer and you don't have any meat that you've ever been around, you know, How sad is that?

Well you remember our dear friends from Argentina who felt that many Mormons were saved. We had a conversation, a long conversation with them about scripture and how accurate interpretation of scripture needs to be to think about the Mormon church and what they represent. Again, there could be people in the Mormon church who are really biblically saved, but the theology is not consistent with scripture. So anyway, I'm just using those as examples. I think at Holly Hills, we're pretty well-founded. Again, we're not overly confident, we're not cocky, we're not elite, but we want the word of God to be accurately interpreted. Hey, Bob? Yes, Jim.

I think anybody who gets their focus off of Christ and on something else is susceptible to, you know, to deceit and false teaching or anything like that. So, and it can happen to any of us, any one of us, you know, just getting our eyes off of Christ will do that. I think that's what Roger was alluding to, too, the idea that we can all go astray. And then the question is, are they really saved? Well, only the individual knows whether they're really saved or not, right? I mean, many of us may doubt that.

I think positional truth is paramount. It keeps you in line, as you know, who you are in Christ. And Wayne, don't you think that's one of the largest gaps in the teaching of Christianity is the positional truth we all hold? Because if you don't know about that, or you have no security in your position, then how well founded is your walk?

I mean, it just, it's just impacted. It's one that has much darkness in it, not that we're being judgmental. But I think we're all reminded that our citizenship's in heaven. We're positionally never to be changed in Christ. So that's a great point. All right, the longest verse of the day. I'll try to dissect this down.

But the anointing which you've received from him abides in you. And you do not need, in other words, you don't need, it's a fact, that anyone teach present subjunctive, meaning they're currently teaching, they may or may not teach this, they don't need to teach you. But it's the same anointing teaches you concerning all things. And it's true, and back to the idea, this is not a lie, And just as it has been taught to you, you shall abide future tense in Him. So kind of a run on kind of back and forth and kind of a little complicated verse, but I think it really, you know, deals with what we've covered already.

What is this anointing which you've received from Him that abides in you? It's the teaching of the Holy Spirit, isn't it? I think you're right. It goes back to verse 20, right? Yes. Right? Okay. And I think it also relates to this important principle of, you know, the anointing of the Holy Spirit was dealt with in verse 20.

But you have anointing from the Holy Word, and you also know that this adorning has occurred. John 14, 26, but they help her, the Holy Spirit, what the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, but bring to you and bring to you your remembrance of all things that I've told to you or I've said to you. So, you know, Christ promised the Holy Spirit, He's the Holy One and the anointing One who ultimately reveals biblical truth in us. And John 1, 16. For his fullness, we have all received and grace for grace. So again, the foundation is grace and ultimately the Lord Jesus Christ is the center of that grace, ultimately instructing us through the power of the Holy Spirit. So whatever, I think this first precludes the need for anyone else to teach you, right? It just said, why should you be taught by anything but the Holy Spirit?

So why we have Bible studies? I know that some people will get on that path, and I'm just, go ahead, Bob. I'm getting- Yeah, I mean, you can live in isolation, let the Holy Spirit teach you, but I think, why do we have Bible studies, or why do we come together on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays?

Why do we do that? Because it just reinforces everything that we know, and fellowship is so important with other believers. Yeah, so in a sense, that's why I say, so how might this all happen? It happens in the absence of fellowship. And I think getting there, we build each other up in the faith, don't we? That's what the business is of coming to church and also being part of Bible studies, et cetera. So I think this happens when we go astray. We're easily preoccupied with things that are not of the Lord. And I think Roger alluded to that previously. Bob. Yes.

You know, I think back to the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the false teachers are, and I'm talking about the Catholic Church, say that we do not, we cannot interpret the Bible ourselves, that we need an authority from the church and the popes and whatever.

But, you know, this is our promise that of the Holy Spirit that he's our teacher, and he always glorifies Jesus Christ. Yeah, that's right, Mary, and I think we're going to get to this in a few more bullet points here to follow, but we do have teachers. And so should we not have any teachers? We just, in fact, go into our closet, read the word of God, and have the Holy Spirit do the interpretation. We're gonna come to that in a second. So how does the Holy Spirit teach us?

Is that through experience? Of course not, you know. No, John 16, 14, 15, he will glorify me for he will take of that of what is mine and declare this unto you. So it's the Holy Spirit that ultimately teaches us through the Word of God. It's not through our experience. Now, our experience may ultimately exist because of the Spirit of God working in us. And we can look through our experiences glorifying God, but it's not our experience. It's the facts of the Word of God that the Holy Spirit accurately interprets for us. And here, Marian, back to what we just mentioned.

Does this mean that we should not have other teachers? Well, the scriptures say that God gives teachers to build us up. And it's his process that Holy Spirit is doing that. So a teacher who says, this is the truth, you want to be careful. He says, this is the truth the Holy Spirit's revealed to me. But you need to look at the scriptures yourself and learn from the Holy Spirit through them. You know, don't just believe it because I believe it. I think is a good phrase for a teacher to use. Good point, Roy, very good. So here are just a couple of verses.

There are multiple ones that reflect teachers, that it's a gift of God. But Hebrews 5, 12, for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. So the teacher is really exemplified here as someone who leads the believer in the path of righteousness in the word of God. First Corinthians 12, 28, and God has appointed these in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, and goes on to the additional gifts that God has given. And by the way, the teachers are mentioned in Ephesians, they're mentioned in Galatians, they're mentioned in multiple places in scripture. So the idea that we can't be taught by others who are knowledgeable and apply the Word of God to lift us up in our life in Christ Jesus is not scriptural.

I mean, we have teachers for a reason. Of course, elders, we're thankful for Roger and Mike and they're all here, but it goes beyond that. It relates to classrooms, it relates to Bible studies, it relates to individual interaction where one of us teaches another, but we need to really interpret the teaching as how consistent it is with the Word of God. We need to have discernment. And the only way we have discernment is to also be able to read the scripture ourselves. That's right. That's the personal responsibility.

To hear what the teachers are saying. And that's where I think the Catholic Church has used this philosophy that they have, that they are the only ones that can interpret. You're not smart enough to read the word and really understand what it says. They've taken this concept of teachers in some way for them to control you. Well, I agree, Margaret.

I think too, is that we have the word of God to test what this false teacher say. If it's contrary to scripture, that shows us that teacher is not from God, that he's not, you know, if it's contrary to the word of God, it can't be truth. But I think so many faiths that are not consistent with biblical Christianity have their doctrines and their legacy based on tradition. And gee, this is the doctrine of this church or this faith, and this is what we follow. It's not the word of God that's the foundation of their faith.

But we have to test everything by the word of God. Well, there's two things that God's Word teaches us, that all of the scripture has been given to us by the exercise of the work of God himself through the Holy Spirit. He didn't just give these men these words about anything contrary to himself. It was always focused on the truth. And that's what John is So black and white about here. Yeah.

And that goes on then for me to raise the next question, but then how do we measure the effectiveness of teaching and ultimately as the verse says, but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things by power of the Holy Spirit, it is true and not a lie. So again, how do we measure that? What's the metric of the teaching?

It relates to the word of God. And I think, so what are all things? when we think about being taught. Is it all things that are true about God? Well, the verses, there's the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and it's true and it's not a lie. So what things? They're the things of Christ. Yeah. All things relate to everything that's biblically true, all things, rightly dividing the word of truth, not a lie.

So this is a little lengthy perhaps, but- Well, John or Bob, one of the things that may help us here is that reality is different from a fact or just an item, okay? And the Holy Spirit gives us reality versus the lie, the illusion, or something that focuses on ourself versus something that focuses on what is really real, Christ himself. And the environment of God is his focus. He wants us to be at home there. That's what he's talking about here. Home with the Father and with the Son is reality.

I kind of like what James and Fawcett Brown and their commentary said here, not that the believer is made infallible for no believer here receives the spirit and all its fullness, but only the measured needful for keeping him from soul destroying error. So the church. Though having the spirit in her is not infallible, for many fallible members can never make an infallible whole, but is kept from ever wholly losing the saving truth. So I think there's a lot of truth.

That means as we gather here, there could be some false teaching going on. It's our job to really recognize that and deal with it. And to end, and just as it is taught you, you abide in Him. So in other words, that truth being taught, well-taught, either by teachers of the Word of God or both, hopefully consistent, ultimately, that truth needs to abide in you.

So I'm going to quote Constable, and by the way, he quoted verses all the way through here, but it was just a little bit too much text. So in closing, there is a parallel between what John urged his readers to do in this section of his epistle and what Moses commanded the Israelites to do. In both cases, the holiness of God demanded that those who came into the closest and most intimate contact with God in the tabernacle and in the church be holy. And I've left off some sections there.

Moses advocated renouncing sin, obeying God, rejecting worldliness, and keeping the faith in the covenant code, the priestly code, and the holiness code. John similarly urged his readers to renounce sin, to obey God, to reject worldliness, and to keep the faith. In both cases, the prophet's concern was that those under their care would be holy as God is holy. Holiness is imperative for God's people to know, see, and have fellowship with the Holy God.

Now, the comparison to Moses is scripturally consistent in terms of the theme of holiness and righteousness, but ultimately our avenue is grace, not law. So this comparison is, I think, consistent with where Moses was at in terms of his faith and what the Lord was revealing, but we've got a much more complete revelation.

And that's all we really need to live in this atmosphere of grace. So I think time is of the essence, but look at today's none but the hungry heart, because it really deals with the education that we're getting on a day-to-day basis that relates to this theme. Any final thoughts or questions? All right, let's close.

Father, we're thankful for the scripture and this epistle of 1 John is again consistent with this theme and this gospel account and his other epistles that Everything is true or lie, or black or white, and we're thankful for his succinctness in dealing with the scripture, how it should be interpreted, and how it impacts our day-to-day life. And may, as we continue in faith, abide, enjoy the fellowship, and live a life that brings glory to you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Amen.