THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST Devotion 9 of 12 With the induction of "eternal salvation," Satan has launched an energetic initiative against the people of God. In John's apocalyptic Gospel it is written, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev 12:15). Having been utterly frustrated in his attempts to thwart the birth, ministry, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus; and finding his worse assaults against the church as a whole to be futile, he has turned his attention to individuals who have died to sin and come alive to God. They are the ones who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." – Tomorrow:
"Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." (2 John 8-9, NASB)
In this effort, he has deluged the religious world with false prophets that appear as "ministers of righteousness," or as sheep, "but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt 24:11; I John 4:1; 2 Cor 11:15). One of the curses of an academic approach to salvation is its diminishment of the awareness of Satan's initiative. Men are actually taught to rely upon their own wisdom, thereby dashing them upon the rocks of hopelessness. Simplistic men imagine that armed with linguistic expertise and a command of hermeneutics, they will be able to overcome the devil's campaign. But they are woefully in error! Satan has marshaled principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12). These powers cannot be confronted with academic dexterity. The people of God need spiritual weaponry, not scholastic tools! Thus it is written, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" (2 Cor 10:4).
How can the people of God survive Satan's fierce onslaught? John informs us that we can be taught from within – taught by the Spirit of God. Teaching has to go as deep as temptation, and be more effective than delusion. "But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him" (1 John 2:27). John was not writing to Apostles, nor was he commenting on his own Apostleship. He was addressing believers engaged in the good fight of faith, showing them the way to survive.
Note what is said of this "anointing." 1 – It has been "received from Him," that is, the Lord. 2 – It is abiding, or remaining, in us. 3 – We have no need for anyone to teach us. 4 – The anointing teaches us. 5 – The anointing teaches us "about all things" (NASB). 6 – The anointing itself is true, and what it teaches is true. 7 – According as the anointing teaches us, we abide in Him. It is difficult to think of anything being more significant than "the anointing which you have received from Him."
The secret to abiding in Christ is being effectively taught by "the anointing." That "anointing" is dispensed by Christ, the exclusive Mediator and Administrator of the New Covenant (Heb 8:6; 12:24). It is the appointed Means of distinguishing between false and true representatives of Christ. Such a weighty requirement cannot be left in the hands of human logic, a man-made institution, or mere personal discipline!
John's delineation of this condition is edifying. His readers were facing teachers sent from hell – subtle teachers who were difficult to identify. He does not give them a list of rules to follow, but alerts them to Divine provision. "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things" (1 John 2:18-20, NKJV).
If people today think it is difficult to decipher who is from God and who is not, consider what the disciples to whom John wrote were facing. The ravening wolves that came to them could boast of being with the Apostles and other principle men in the first generation of the church. Talk about credentials! Some believers are impressed by men who graduate from a well known Seminary. What would they do if they faced false prophets who were among such notables as John? Too, John is writing to ordinary believers, not ones endued with extraordinary gifts and abilities – at least there is no suggestion in his letter of such a circumstance.
The "anointing" is the Holy Spirit, sent into the hearts of the sons of God (Gal 4:6). He comes to personalize the Father, the Son, and the truth to the saints. He enables them to decipher what is false by comparing it to what is true. The law of God is written on their heart, and put into their mind by the Spirit. That effective writing cannot be achieved by men. Furthermore, it is integral to the New Covenant itself, so that where this writing does not exist, salvation has not been experienced. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts . . . " (Heb 8:10). The result of this Divine work is our agreement with the Law. The commandments of the Lord are no more grievous, and are loved (1 John 5:3). This blessing is more to be experienced than explained.
This is another view of the teaching of Christ, or the "doctrine of Christ." The Holy Spirit is Christ's Emissary, Messenger, Representative, or designated Agent. Of His ministry Jesus said, "He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and make it known to you" (John 16:14-15, NIV).
For those who may be a bit dubious about a Holy Spirit who is actually doing something within the people of God, He is not a substitute for the Scriptures! Neither, indeed, are the Scriptures a substitute for Him! The Holy Spirit always works in concert with the Word of God. That is what He clarifies to the human Spirit. His instruction is so effective that a sense of truth is developed within the believer. The truth becomes so evident to such a person, that false teaching is known because of its contradiction of the truth of God. In this regard, it is important to note that error has both a spirit and a message. Both are in contradiction of the truth of God, which also has a spirit and a message.
What is it that the Spirit, or "the anointing," teaches us. After all, it is affirmed we have no need that any one else teach us. That does not mean there is no need for human teachers, for John is a teacher in this book. Further, God placed "teachers" in the church. There are ranked "third"among the various gifts given to the church (1 Cor 12:28). The Spirit teaches us, for want of a better term, the implications of the truth. His is the "How-to" teaching of the Kingdom. If men knew of His teaching, and submitted to it, religious "how-to" books would have to be stacked up and burned, like the books of curious arts in Ephesus.
It is the business of every believer to remain within hearing distance of this teaching, not allowing their hearts to embrace other pursuits. In view of the proliferation of religious distractions in our day, this is a particularly vital aspect of the faith life.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for providing an inward Teacher who knows both myself, and Your indispensable truth.