1 John 2:20-22
20But you have an anointing from the Holy One,
John wants to reassure his readers that they are Christians. John draws a sharp distinction between True Believers and these false teachers by going right to the source.
2 Cor 1 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. As Christians, we are established by God, the Holy One. We are established in Christ. We are “in Christ”, one with Him, as a result of our salvation. 1 Cor 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation”, or Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. As Christians, we are identified with Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Gal :20 20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Everything that we have from God as Christians is through Christ and in Christ.
Anointing
We see this anointing at Jesus’ Baptism. In John 1:33-34 33 And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ We see that part of Jesus’ work as the Son of God was to baptize in the Holy Spirit. The word Messiah or Christos in Greek from which we get Christ in English, describes Jesus’ Office or Role. It means anointed one! When Jesus, describes His own ministry, as he’s teaching in Nazareth in Luke 4:18 quoting from Isaiah 61 saying 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” “The Spirit of the Lord” was upon Jesus because of the anointing that He had to fulfill this role of Messiah to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind and to set free those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.
from the Holy One
The Holy Spirit, is from God as His source, and was sent out from Him to us, but the Holy Spirit is never separate from God, even when He is dwelling inside us.
and you all know.
John is saying that they all who are filled with the Holy Spirit, and are listening to Him know how to tell the difference between the lies that these false teachers, through the power of the spirit of antichrist are teaching, and the Truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit. This revelation of Truth is exactly what Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would do in John 14:16-17 16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; 17 the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you. This abiding comforter and helper leads us into understanding the Truth of God’s Word. This teaching aspect of the Holy Spirit was also promised by Jesus in John 14:26 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. So, this anointing of the Holy Spirit that we received when we were saved, teaches us the Truth of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit’s mission is to reveal Jesus to us, and glorify Jesus in our understanding of Him. The Holy Spirit doesn’t speak of Himself, or magnify Himself, but points us to Jesus, our salvation, since our Hope is in Jesus, as we abide in Jesus
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.
John’s purpose in writing them is designed to reassure these church members of his confidence in them as Christians, and the fact that they, and we can know the Truth because of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. He lets them know that “every lie” is sourced in deceit. It’s impossible to lie to the glory of God! John 8:44 says that lies come from the enemy, saying that he … does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. So, if we lie and deceive, we are speaking the enemy’s language, and not God’s. John wants them to consider the confidence that they can have in knowing the Truth of Jesus as revealed by scripture, and the witness of the Holy Spirit as the foundation of their lives, to remember and stand on their knowledge “and because you know that every lie is not from the truth.” They know the source of Truth, and because of that, they can detect the counterfeit doctrine of these false teachers and antichrists.
22 Who is the liar except the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
John confronts this specific false teaching of these antichrists directly saying “Who is the liar if not the one who denies, by saying, ‘Jesus is not the Christ’?” John is calling attention to the lies of the antichrists in his own day that are attempting to deceive the churches with these lies. Denying that Jesus is “the Christ” is denying that He is the Anointed One from God who has come in the flesh. John spends quite a bit of time in his gospel establishing this fact He begins the Gospel of John with the words: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. It’s pretty unambiguous. And, in case we need more evidence, John records Jesus claiming to be God 7 times, as in John 8:58 “Jesus answered them: ‘I solemnly declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM.” [This was the name God gave himself when he first communicated with Moses, Exodus 3:14 “God replied, ‘I am who am. ‘ Then he added, ‘This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you. Seven times Jesus is quoted as saying I AM God in the flesh. Remember that his first priority in this 1st Epistle of John that we’re studying today was epistle was to establish this: 1 John 1:1–3 1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And lets us know where this false teaching comes from later in 1 John 4:3 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world. 2 John 7 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 2 Peter 1:2b-3 in the knowledge of God and of Jesus [d]our Lord, 3 for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. Peter emphasizes that it’s through Jesus’ Divine power that He grants us everything pertaining to life and Godliness. The Gnostics were continually seeking “secret knowledge” that would put them above those who “only” had a simple faith in the Gospel as presented in scripture. They elevated their ideas above what God has revealed in the Bible, and of course got themselves into trouble. Be suspect of any doctrine which would seek to diminish the role of Jesus, because in diminishing Him, we lessen our understanding of God, since He is most clearly revealed to us through Jesus. Denying the divine nature of Jesus which made Him the Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, which is what allowed His death on the cross to be acceptable to God for the remission of Sins. They therefore removed the foundation of their forgiveness!
22bThis is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
“This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.” John now connects “the liar” with “the Antichrist.” This kind of lie is in accordance with the power of Satan, and the spirit of antichrist. Jesus connects faith in Him with faith in the Father 12:44–45 44 Now Jesus cried out and said, “The one who believes in Me, does not believe only in Me, but also in Him who sent Me. 45 And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness. Also: John 14:9b-11 The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Denying One member of the Godhead means denying the Other. Jesus role as The Son does not diminish His Godhood, but does give us a model for behavior. God is the Father to Whom we have access through Jesus, and this doesn’t diminish Jesus in any way. Jesus is glorified and magnified by God BECAUSE of His role as Messiah and savior, not in spite of it! Philippians 2:9-11 states that Jesus, before His incarnation 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus is God the Son, who’s mission on earth was as Messiah and redeemer, and His mission in Heaven is as High Priest making intercession for us. And both Jesus, God the Son, and God the Father are glorified when we Honor Jesus!