Today’s passage: 1 John 2:18-25
Helpful thoughts:
- The last hour is being used as a term for the time after the first coming of Christ (Think BC and AD, AD being the “Last hour”)
- In the end, the one usually referred to as the Antichrist will rise (Revelation 13:1-10). Until then, there will be many who oppose Christ. The way John is referring to them, these are not worldwide known powerful people. They are people who come and go out of our churches, all over the world, spreading lies about Jesus and God’s Word.
- Over time, if a church is holding fast to and abiding in what we heard from the beginning (The Gospel message/The truth of God’s Word) those who are truly followers of Christ and those who are against Him will be exposed.
Questions to consider:
- What is the key to the church’s integrity (Integrity meaning, it wouldn’t take that long for us to identify if someone is a genuine follower of Christ or not…we would not be affirming people as Christians who are not actually Christians)?
- What ways can you see churches in our culture struggling to maintain and uphold God’s instructions for us? What is behind those struggles (The end of verse 21)?
- Does this passage convey the idea of peacetime or is there spiritual warfare going on? How do we possess the peace of God which surpasses understanding in our hearts while also maintaining a war-time mentality when it comes to the truth and the souls of people? How does God’s peace equip you for the battle?