Identifying Antichrist | 1 John 2:22-23
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Lord's Day: Dec 29, 2024 Preacher: Carlos Montijo [https://www.thorncrowncovenant.church/sermons/preacher/p/19307/carlos-montijo] Series: First John [https://www.thorncrowncovenant.church/sermons/series/first-john] Topic: End Times [https://www.thorncrowncovenant.church/sermons/topic/end-times] Scripture: 1 John 2:18–23, John 10:27–28, James 2:26, Titus 1:16, 2 John 1:7, 1 John 4:1–3, 2 Corinthians 11:12–15, 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12
In the words of William Tyndale, the English Reformer whom God used to translate the Bible into English, and who was eventually betrayed and burned at the stake at the behest of King Henry VIII and the Pope: “…it is impossible to preach Christ, except thou preach against antichrist; that is to say, them which with their false doctrine and violence of sword enforce to quench [to suppress] the true doctrine of Christ. And as thou canst heal no disease, except thou begin at the root; even so canst thou preach against no mischief, except thou begin at the bishops [of Rome].”
18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared. From this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they were of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be manifested that they all are not of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:18–23
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Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org [http://lsbible.org/] and 316publishing.com [http://316publishing.com/]
- 00:02
- So before I begin the Today's message. I did want to make a few corrections to my previous
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- Christmas sermon because I misspoke when I said that God is not the father and That's not what
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- I meant to say I meant to say that Jesus is not the father in reference to Isaiah 9 6 which said which says that The Messiah is identified as the eternal father rat or rather the father of eternity
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- So we just wanted to make sure that we understand those things carefully and the thought because the
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- Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are all equally God and There are one in essence and three in persons
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- That's the Trinity the triune God and I also misspoke when I said that Jesus was born a sinner like everybody else that Was a grave miss
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- Misspeaking there. I was referring to Mary that Mary was born a sinner like everyone else contrary to what the
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- Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy teaches and so That we have to be careful not to misspeak,
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- I mean sometimes it can be harmless but when he's talking about God It's like wow that really gives the wrong impression there.
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- So that's straight -up heresy So no, we don't affirm that at all Jesus was born perfectly righteous and that's why the virgin birth happened.
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- That's that's the blessing of the virgin birth in the Incarnation So now turn with me to 1st
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- John chapter 2 and we'll start in verse 18 to cover these very important passages passage on our subject matter for today in a 1st
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- John Chapter 2 Verse 18 we read
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- Children it is the last hour and just as you heard that Antichrist one
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- Singular is coming But not here yet in his time even now many
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- Antichrist have appeared from this We know that it is the last hour They the
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- Antichrist went out from us But they were not really of us where if they were of us they would have remained with us
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- But they went out so that I would be Manifested that they all are not of us Now we understand that this is how
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- God works this is he uses he ordains and he predestines and purposes controversy
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- Factions within the church in order to prophetically draw the lines between truth and error between Christ and Antichrist and keep this in mind throughout the message and ultimately it is for our good
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- For edification and it is to root out the underlying problems
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- That affect the church that are affecting the church and so that we can identify them and resolve them if you remember what
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- I preached on This series on knowing your enemy that a lot of times God uses these things to bring about to bring to draw issues as if drawing out water from a well and So that they can be identified and addressed and this is all part of God's divine predestinated plot
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- Predestined because God declares the end from the beginning Like Isaiah says amen and so even though we also do not want to make the ironic error in grave mistake that many
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- Antichristian cults make which is to think that every time someone leaves the church
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- It's because they were Antichrist who fell away from the faith as we noted Yes last week
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- People leave for all kinds of reasons, even if they are the wrong reasons They can still that doesn't necessarily mean that they were
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- Antichrist And because Jesus taught us to expect these things from the parable of the sower
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- There's different responses and only one response is the right a good response to the gospel and the
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- Word of God being preached the sower sowing the Word of God and And some might turn away or all might turn away
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- And abandoned us, but the Lord always Sustains us by his grace and he stands with us and strengthens us like 2nd
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- Timothy 4 17 says and he brings of others that will Encourage us and pray with us and for us as well
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- Now I want us to focus particularly on Verse 18
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- Because when John was writing his letter Even though many Antichrists plural had already appeared
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- The the Antichrist was still coming but had not yet manifested or appeared in his day
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- Now this we will see is no longer the case with us today Because the
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- Antichrist has already come and has already manifested in the world and We can identify exactly who and what he is
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- That is the subject of the sermon today identifying Antichrist because scripture clearly describes him to us and we can identify him accordingly.
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- It is a historical Identifiable reality that sadly many churches in our days
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- In our day have neglected to warn God's people of including Protestant churches
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- Evangelical churches who should know better Now let's pick up on verse 20 continuing on in verse 20 but you beloved you beloved of God have an anointing from the
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- Holy One and You all know. I Have not written to you because you do not know you do not know the truth
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- But because you do know it already and because no lie is of the truth and because in the words of our
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- Lord Master and Savior Christ Jesus My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me they follow my voice and I give eternal life to them and they will never perish ever and No one will snatch them out of my hand
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- Not Antichrist not the devil. Not anyone as John 10 27 to 28
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- Now continuing on verse 22 of this passage who is the liar? but the one who denies that Jesus is the
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- Christ and Again, it's an active willful rejection not out of ignorance, but with willful intent this is
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- The Antichrist the one who denies the father and the son Everyone and anyone who denies
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- The son does not have the father and is therefore Antichrist But the the inverse is also true the one who confesses the son has the father also okay, and We saw
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- Previously the reason that we come to know the truth The cause of our faith of our belief is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone because God himself is the one who chose us in him before the foundation of the world so that we would be
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- Blake holy and blameless before him in love by predestining us Predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will
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- To the praise of the glory of his grace, which he graciously bestowed on us in the beloved
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- That's the amazing passage from Ephesians 1 4 through 6 a hearty.
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- Amen to that and as We also saw that Having known
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- God or rather having been known by God Right.
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- We are known by God and that's why we believe in him Because he knew us first and revealed himself to us by his son and his gospel
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- That saves the power of God unto salvation Now I Also mentioned that this passage demonstrates the importance of the analogies of faith and of Scripture Because when you confess the son it means that you have the father also and this is a very important truth that we need to internalize as the people of God who need to be who are called repeatedly by God and his word to be mature when it comes to Understanding and that's what this means
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- It means that we don't believe disconnected truths or doctrines We believe that God has revealed to us a system a coherent
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- Logical system of doctrine in his word that is coherent and does not contradict
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- God is not the author of confusion, but of peace love and a sound mind Amen and so After after speaking to one of our sisters,
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- I realized I Made I needed to make it more clear Just how amazing this passage really is because it reveals the doctrine of the
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- Trinity If you see here in verse 23 The obvious situation is where the son means that you confess the son means that you have the father also because they are one
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- I and the father are One like Jesus said and John the gospel of John and in several other places
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- We are one But then if you go earlier to verse 20
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- You see where God says, but you have an anointing from the
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- Holy One and now Typically when you see the anointing of God that anointing comes from the
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- Spirit of God the Holy One here Could be referring to Christ, but it could also be referring to more likely to the
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- Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is the anointing Spirit of God When you see in the
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- Old Testament when the anointing took place of rulers and kings the anointing symbolized the
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- Holy Spirit coming upon them and so you have beloved an anointing from the
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- Holy One and that anointing that God gives us through his Holy Spirit is The knowledge of the truth right and so there you see very clearly in this passage
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- All three persons of the Godhead the Holy One the Holy Spirit the
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- Son of God the second person of the Trinity and the father the
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- Lord the God and father of all his people the father of lights and There you see
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- The analogy of Scripture and a faith playing itself out clearly and why it's important for us to not have a shallow superficial faith, but a faith that is systematic and doctrinally consistent with the
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- Word of God and with all of the doctrines that it teaches all the way from Sin to the
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- Trinity to God man salvation and so on including Antichrist rightly identifying
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- Antichrist and the many Antichrist that are before us today all of that is included to declare and understand the whole counsel of God and so that brings us to our verses for today's sermon in verse 22 if you carry on with me there in verse 22 of 1st
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- John chapter 2 God's Word says who is the liar? But the one who denies that Jesus is the
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- Christ the Messiah the anointed one the promised one This is the
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- Antichrist the one who denies the father and the son Everyone who denies the son does not have the father the one who confesses the son has the father also so Zeroing in now on these verses specifically
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- I Want you to recall with me what I preached on previously That the days between the first appearance of Christ and his coming advent and glory when he returns
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- Are what the Bible calls the last days? the last hour and this passage warns us of a present time of trouble
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- That persists to this day because deceptive enemies have appeared from not just without but from within our gates from within the church disguised as ministers of righteousness and even now many
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- Antichrist in in John's day have appeared who disguised and masquerade themselves as Christians in true churches
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- Don't forget that they manifested themselves in the church that John was in the
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- Apostle John was in it was a true church and In true churches, you will have sheep and you will have goats
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- You will have Christians and you will have Antichrist that will manifest themselves.
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- That is what God has ordained for To happen they must happen in order to draw the line and to make truth and error
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- Clearly shown and known to God's people so this is the reality of what we have to face as believers in true churches of Christ but inwardly this these men are
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- Savage wolves with artillery to ulterior motives and ravenous appetites to destroy
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- The true churches and the faith of the flock the faith of God's sheep now
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- I really appreciate what John Robbins a Most excellent theologian
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- Has to say about this matter that what the Bible says about Antichrist is to both warn and energize the
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- Christian congregation So be warned and energized therefore beloved to discern light from darkness and Christ from Antichrist This is what we need to know we must know and act on as God's people the true people of God and I Had previously touched on just just touched on who exactly
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- Antichrist is the singular Antichrist And I also mentioned how
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- Before how many Christians today? Tend to pay lip service to the
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- Reformation, but often do not understand why the Reformation Why Reformation preaching and teaching was so powerful so explosive and earth -shaking in the words of William Tyndale the
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- English Reformer whom God used mightily to translate the Bible into English and who was eventually betrayed by Henry Phillips and burned at the stake at the behest of King Henry the eighth and the
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- Pope He says he has this to say it is impossible
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- To preach Christ Except you preach Antichrist Those are like shocking words
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- To hear in this day and age You cannot preach
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- Christ. He says it is impossible to preach the true
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- Christ except You preach against the false Christ Antichrist Isn't that exactly what
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- I said earlier in the previous sermons I mean, it's just because it's exactly what the
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- Apostles taught and preached This is what they said in order to declare
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- God's counsel you need to declare both the true Christ the true doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of Antichrist You need both
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- And Tyndale In an incredibly
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- Bold and powerful way. This is what made the Reformation so amazingly powerful
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- He also says that is to say Them which with their false doctrine and violence of sword and Force to quench or to suppress the true doctrine of Christ Remember again 1st
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- John What 1st John says he who denies the Son does not have the
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- Father and is therefore Antichrist and As you can heal no disease
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- Except you begin at the root Even so can you preach against no mischief except you begin at the bishops specifically the bishops of Rome That Is what
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- Tyndale was? blasting the trumpet of truth against it was against the lies of the
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- Church of Rome Now Tyndale here is highlighting a fundamentally important biblical principle of discerning true and false religion in someone in individuals in Judging whether somebody's faith is genuine or false
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- Just because someone claims it does not mean that they actually have it right
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- Because a professing faith without works is in fact a dead faith like James chapter 2 tells us
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- That's what that section is all about claiming to have faith But denying it by your by the failure of good works
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- Shows that you don't actually have what you claim to have you are a hypocrite and you do not have true faith in Christ Because they may profess to know
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- God they may claim to know God but by their works they deny him being detestable and Disobedient and unfit for any good work
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- Doesn't this sound like what Tyndale said and this is what Titus 116 says.
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- This is what the Word of God says They are Antichrist They profess to know
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- God but deny him by their works by their doctrine by their lifestyle They deny him
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- Naming it and claiming it Isn't doesn't prove that you belong to Christ You must actually believe and that belief will produce good fruit because you will bear fruit that keeps with repentance like John the
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- Baptist said like of the Apostle Paul said We will Because God's Spirit the anointed
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- Spirit of God of the Holy One will live in us and regenerate us to new life and Behold all things will become new
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- Amen you make God a liar when you claim to have Christ and yet you deny him by your ungodly lifestyle and doctrine and sin
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- Unrepentant sin that is making God a liar and his God cannot lie Therefore you are the one who is false not
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- God Your profession is false and you have to repent and believe in the true
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- Son of God Not the son of The Roman Church or any other church that denies the son the triune
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- God of Scripture and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ the true gospel and so This is an incredibly profound truth that the
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- Reformation discovered that does not that the Reformation recovered rather it Recovered and it also recovered a long -lost art of speaking clearly and unequivocally
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- Say what you mean and mean what you say and name names if you have to Because that's what the
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- Bible does and that's what the Apostles did and that's what the true Church of Christ does naming names and Antichrist by name when necessary and Because this could be the difference this is a matter of life and death of eternal life and eternal death of damnation and salvation of law and gospel
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- Because it is the difference between someone who is in Christ truly and someone who is
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- Antichrist and therefore Against Christ That is the spirit of religious pharisaical hypocrisy
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- Remember this beloved remember this because it is going to become extremely important in dealing with the doctrine of Antichrist and By the way in case you didn't know
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- William Tyndale is the same guy the same awesome man of God that had an altercation with a learned but Blasphemous clergyman in his words or rather in John Fox's words
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- Who wrote the famous Book of Martyrs? This blasphemous clergyman said this we had better be without God's laws than the
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- Pope's So this Catholic this Roman Clergyman this
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- Roman priest Said we're better off with the Pope's laws than with God's laws to which
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- Tyndale responded I Defy the
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- Pope and all his laws and If God spares my life
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- There are many years I will cause the plow boy to know more of the scriptures than you do and that is beloved the truth of The Reformation that is what the
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- Reformation did it caused the plow boy to know more of God's Word and God's truth
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- Then the corrupted pharisaical religious hypocrites in the
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- Church of Rome that is the true spirit of Christ and of the
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- Holy One It is the spirit of the Reformation that that should be our response to this day to today to all who oppose the true doctrine of Christ everyone and anyone who opposes
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- Christ just like first John says everyone who denies the Son is
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- Antichrist and This is why the Reformation once again was so earth -shattering and powerful impacting all of Society and the world because Reformation preaching and teaching not only recovered the gospel but it also contrasted and refuted the false gospel of Rome and exposed
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- Who the Antichrist was by identifying him namely the
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- Pope of Rome? The Bishop of Rome the papacy now so that brings us to what does exactly
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- Antichrist and Antichrist mean and who are they are the Reformers correct in their
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- Unanimous assertion for 300 years at least
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- Protestants unanimously asserted this this this Accusation that the
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- Pope was the papacy was the Antichrist now it's important to note that the word and the prefix anti in Antichrist anti means in the place of or in the stead of and so John Robbins once again here explains for us that Antichrist therefore refers to some figure who puts himself in the place of Jesus Christ But in order to oppose
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- Christ to be against Christ He is a substitute
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- Christ with a substitute gospel To use the
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- Latin rather than the Greek he claims to be the vicar of Christ and If you all know your
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- Roman Catholic doctrine, that is a title for the Pope of Rome himself the vicar of Christ that's the substitute the representative of Christ in other words, the
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- Greek is the Antichrist Standing in the place of Jesus Christ he tries to carry on the work of Christ yet his gospel is really another gospel because he is a false
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- Christ and False Christ our Antichrist who have false Gospels, they don't affirm the true gospel because deception is the very
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- DNA of The Antichrist of the spirit of Antichrist and of the many
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- Antichrist that fall away and that lead others astray from the true faith and the true gospel so Another important thing to Note here to notice here is that John is actually the only one he's the only one who uses
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- This Antichrist terminology in the entire New Testament however the entire
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- New Testament warns about the same exact thing it warns about false teachers false prophets and false brethren pseudodelphoi
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- So -called brothers who are in fact Antichrist false
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- Christians and false Christs Turn with me now to 2nd 2nd
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- John in verse 7 and 2nd John verse 7. We will see a continuation of John's Admonitions apostolic admonitions against Antichrist It's 2nd
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- John verse 7 says for many many Deceivers have gone out into the world
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- Deceivers. Okay, that is the DNA of the Antichrist They have gone out into the world.
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- So not just the church but into the world those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh they deny the incarnation in In one in many ways not just in one way but in many ways
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- This is the deceiver and the Antichrist That is the the very nature of Antichrist Now turn with me over to 1st
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- John back to first trip. Excuse me back to 1st John in chapter 4 In chapter 4 verse 1 of 1st
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- John Once again Notice how emphatic the
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- Apostle is in all of his letters and all of his writings in all of the Apostles writings
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- They repeatedly admonish us and warn us against this Antichrist and the spirit of Antichrist and The many
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- Antichrist 1st John chapter 4 verse 1 beloved do not believe every spirit
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- Because just just because you claim to be Christian doesn't mean that you are one right do not believe every spirit
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- But test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets
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- Antichrists have gone out into the world by this, you know the Spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and Every spirit that does not confess
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- Jesus the true doctrine of Christ from Scripture is not from God This is the spirit of the
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- Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming and now it is already in the world in the world now
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- Just so that you can see that even though the Apostle John is the only one who uses Antichrist Terminology and yet all of the
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- Apostles said the exact same thing that he did Just using different slightly different words turn with me to 2nd
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- Corinthians chapter 11 where we'll start in verse 12 This is exactly what the
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- Apostles warned against the exact same enemy this exact same enemy of God of Christ of the church of The true
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- Christ 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 12 God's Word says
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- But what I am doing I will continue to do this is the Apostle Paul speaking So that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be found
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- Just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting What is he talking about?
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- He is talking about such men that are false Apostles False Apostles deceitful workers deceivers
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- Disguising themselves as apostles of Christ and no wonder
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- For even Satan himself disguises it as an angel of light Satan himself
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- Satan disguises himself as an angel of light Therefore it is not surprising if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness as Christians as pastors whose end will be according to their deeds
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- God will make them pay if they don't repent so This beloved is the you is the is the clear unanimous voice of the
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- New Testament of the entire Bible How anti because this was prophesied in the in the book of Daniel this was prophesied in the
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- New in the Old Testament as well The man of sin the son of perdition as we will see in a little shortly
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- Antichrist used deception to oppose sound doctrine and the true fellowship the true koinonia of God's people that is grounded in truth by also masquerading as believers in true churches
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- Just as Paul recounts in the episode of the Ephesian elders in the Ephesian Church where? Savage wolves were going to creep up from among them from among their own selves the same warning that Jude gives
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- These men who crept in unnoticed even
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- Unawares to deny the true doctrine of Christ. These are
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- Antichrist now so These Antichrist deceivers have gone out like I said both into the world and into the church
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- They are everywhere both and they infiltrate everything and There there there's therefore an important distinction that I think we need to make here because there are worldly Antichrist and there are
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- Religious Antichrist, okay There are worldly Antichrist and there are religious
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- Antichrist There is a broader sense in which anything and Anyone that opposes
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- God in his word is by nature and by definition Antichrist Whether it is critical race theory, which is racism socialism communism
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- Lesbian gay bisexual transgender ism false or false religions like Islam Mormonism Jehovah's Witnesses Roman Catholicism Hinduism New Age Judaizers federal vision even even the false gospels of final justification and salvation
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- There is there are worldly Antichrist That are in the world, but there are also religious
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- Antichrist that appear to be True Christians they appear to be pastors and Christians as well but ultimately
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- Antichrist is of The world the flesh and the devil all of them are because that's all of that is
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- Antichrist Okay, so that's very important to Understand properly now
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- Began because also the spirit of Antichrist The spirit of Antichrist is really the same spirit of the world and of the devil it opposes
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- Christ and his word and promotes the opposite it promotes darkness and godliness lies false religion false teaching false
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- Gospels perversion of all kinds of all sorts and the works of the flesh like Galatians 5 also says everything that John's letter warns against and which contradicts the light of Christ and his word and his doctrine that saves but Antichrist dams by contrast his doctrine dams rather than saves
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- And that's why the Apostles were so adamant and urgent in preaching against The Antichrist and the many
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- Antichrist deceivers However The Antichrist must also be specifically identified and distinguished and It is important to note that it is not the devil himself
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- But rather an agent of the devil Whose coming is in accord with the working of?
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- Satan That's what 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 says now turn with me there to this very important passage that will reveal for us more clearly the nature of the the
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- Antichrist So that we can identify him in the world and in the church 2nd
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- Thessalonians starting in chapter 2 verse 1 God's Word says
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- Now we ask you brothers With regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him
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- That you not be quickly shaken in your mind or be alarmed whether by a spirit or a word or a letter as if from Us to the effect that the day of the
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- Lord has already come Meaning the return of Christ which has not come yet Let no one in any way
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- Deceive you Let no one in any way deceive you
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- Again, look at the emphatic warnings against Antichrist deceptions pastors must regularly and consistently warn against Antichrist it is
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- Inescapable and it is to the shame of many churches that fail to do this and should not be pastors
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- They are utterly Disobedient to their call to the call that God has placed on pastors in their duty now
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- Paul continues here for it has come for it has not come unless The apostasy comes first the falling away and the man of lawlessness the man of sin rather is
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- Revealed the son of destruction and in older translations the son of perdition
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- Who opposes and exalts himself above every so -called God or object of worship so that he takes?
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- his seat where in the sanctuary of God Exalting himself as being
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- God now in other words The Antichrist is a religious
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- Antichrist right because he himself
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- Takes his seat in the sanctuary of God exhibiting himself as being
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- God Does that sound familiar? Does that happen to ring any bells?
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- Does this not sound like someone who refers to himself as the most holy father the head of the church
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- Who speaks ex cathedra from the chair of Peter The vicar of Christ on earth his holiness
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- Excuse me His holiness it's a shame to even say it
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- His what I mean How clear is
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- God's what I mean, this is it's black and white But let's continue on with Paul says in verse 5
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- Do you not remember that while I was still with you? I was telling you these things and you know what restrains him
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- The man of sin now so that in this in his time. He will be revealed
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- But had not yet been revealed at that time For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work
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- Only he who now restrains will do so until he has taken out of the way and Then that lawlessness will be revealed
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- Whom the Lord Jesus will slay with a breath of his mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of his coming
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- Whose coming is in accord with the working of? Satan, okay so the man of sin his coming the
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- Antichrist is coming is with in accord with the working of the devil himself with Satan with all power and signs and false wonders and With all deception of unrighteousness for those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth
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- So as to be saved they did not receive the true gospel. In other words, they believe the lie of Antichrist of the
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- Antichrist and his false substitute gospel And for this reason
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- God sends upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe What is false in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in Unrighteousness instead now
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- Real quickly, you'll notice that The one he who restrains The Antichrist from manifesting will continue to do so until he has taken out of the way.
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- This is referring to the prophetic Passages in Daniel where it's referring to the fall of the
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- Roman Empire and Who subsumed the Roman Empire who replaced the
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- Roman Empire and took on all of the vestiges of the Roman Empire? And became the
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- Roman Catholic Church It was the Pope of Rome the Bishop of Rome in the papacy
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- He is the one who took the place of the Roman Emperor of Caesar and and all of that stuff.
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- So now that is where Antichrist would began to manifest through the falling of the
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- Roman Empire Historically, it's a matter of history and this is prophesying
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- Exactly what happened in history going back all the way to the book of Daniel in the Old Testament hundreds of years before the coming of Christ and the coming of Antichrist so remember
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- Now remember to that the scriptures I preached on earlier about the need for heresies and factions among you
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- Okay About how these things must happen in God's providence in order to make it evident
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- Who the Antichrist are and who the Antichrist is? Who the real
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- Christians are in? Which side has the truth and which side has the lie the error the true gospel in the false gospel?
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- and Now we further understand That God does this for this reason
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- That God sends upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false so that they will not be saved and instead believe what is false in Order that they may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in the lie and in unrighteousness
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- That's exactly What Jesus said in the parable of the sower?
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- He preached to them in parables so that that hearing they may hear and not understand and Seeing they may see and yet not perceive and not be and therefore not be saved
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- This is the God the sovereign God of the Bible. He purposes some To salvation and others to destruction to damnation and he sends them
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- Delusions that they want that they heap upon themselves Because they took pleasure in unrighteousness stunning this is stunning a
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- Stunning reality. It's a hard truth that so many churches refuse to believe and they refuse to preach and talk about But but this is what the
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- Bible is all about It is all about distinguishing Christ and Antichrist law and gospel the truth from the lie
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- Notice to how scripture emphasizes both There is the one
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- Antichrist who had not yet come during the New Testament era and There is also the spirit of Antichrist, which is already operating in the many
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- Antichrist who seek to undermine churches by attacking the pure doctrine of Christ an
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- Attempt to substitute him his incarnation his gospel and by destroying the faith of believers even now
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- They try to make shipwreck of the faith of the flock, right? And so This runs contrary to what many believe about the end times many
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- Sadly, it runs contrary to what's known as futurism
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- Which is the belief that Antichrist hasn't come yet Otherwise known as dispensationalism.
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- This is one of the most popular views of the end times and also preterism
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- Which is the belief that Christ already came long ago Specifically narrow the
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- Emperor narrow so he's no longer a problem for us today so in either case
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- Move along folks. There's nothing to see here, right? That was intentional. Okay and I'm not
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- I want to leave you with that for today and ponder these things carefully and look at these
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- Prophecies in the Old Testament too as we're we're going to examine those more carefully next
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- Lord's Day Lord's willing Lord willing and Look at how the Bible so clearly explains
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- What happened in the history of God's people in the church and how? Antichrist began to manifest himself in the latter part of the 4th century in the late 300s we will see clearly how this happened and What is described here?
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- Playing itself out in history just as the Apostles and the prophets of old warned about This is amazing stuff.
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- This is God's Word and God's Word is truth the truth that sanctifies
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- Amen So with that said let's go ahead and close out now with a word of prayer
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- Our gracious precious Heavenly Father You father who are the only one true?
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- Most Holy Father Lord and Christ our son who is the true head of the church and your spirit in your spirit the
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- Holy Spirit who is the true vicar of Christ on earth the the the perically the the at our advocate father
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- You alone who are holy holy holy and not the blasphemous Pope of Rome Lord we asked and we but we we asked her that you help us to believe and internalize these things and and learn to identify
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- Antichrist and discern the true Christ from the many Antichrist father we ask that you would bless the preaching of your word and that you would help us to dive carefully into these matters and to Look at what really happened in in the devil's agenda and Satan's agenda and the man of sins agenda and how how
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- Antichrist manifested himself in History just as you prophesied
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- Lord just as you predicted just as you are your Apostles warned against repeatedly in their apostolic admonitions against Antichrist and the spirit of Antichrist and the many
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- False Christ that have appeared since then Lord help us to be on our guard
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- Help us Lord to always be on guard and to be discerning and exercise our powers of discernment through constant practice as your word says in Hebrews 5 14 to always be on our guard and to never let our guard down and to put on the full armor of God and of light so that me we may be able to withstand the fiery darts of the evil one and of Antichrist Lord we thank you so much
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- Lord for the truth that you have blessed us with for the reality that you have given us in this amazing blessing that you have already given us the anointing from the
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- Holy One from your spirit and we already know and we Know the truth and this truth is
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- What sets men? free because Our Lord your son our
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- Savior and Master His sheep hear his voice and They know them and they follow him because you will never ever let us perish father.
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- We thank you our precious Heavenly Lord and we ask these things in Jesus almighty name the true
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- Christ. Amen Thank you for listening to the sermons of thorn crown
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- Covenant Baptist Church Where the Bible alone and the Bible in its entirety has applied to all of faith and life
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- We strive to be biblical reformed historic confessional loving discerning
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- Christians who evangelize Stand firm in and earnestly contend for the Christian faith
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- If you're looking for a church in the El Paso, Texas area or for more information about our church Sermons and ministries such as Semper Ephraim on the radio and thorn crown
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- Network podcast Please contact us at thorn crown ministries .com and may the mercy peace and love of our triune