THERE are subtilties in the world and one of them is the subtilty of Satan. Satan's activity is seen in what John designates as antichrists. John wishes to warn us about the dangers of antichrist.

John commences with the phrase 'this is the last hour'. The early church expected the imminant return of Christ, and so were living in the 'last hour', that is the near return of Christ. Jesus presents the same thought in Matthew 25: 1-13 in the near coming of the bridegroom. For us the 'last hour' is the time between the ascension of Jesus, and his return at the end of the world.

John is one who speaks of anti-Christ, here and in 1 John 4:3; 2 John 7. Satan is the total personification of anti-Christ, coming at the end of the world to fight against the people of God, and is finally destroyed (Revelation 20: 7-10), but his deceptions are seen in many anti-Christ's who apear again and again to deceive people, specially in the visible church. This is expressed in verse 19 where John speaks of people once in the church, but who went from the church because they were no really members truly of Christ's church. Antichrist says John is any expression of denial of the truth concerning Christ in his person and work as taught throughout the Bible. John states that such are not really with the true church, and this is why they do not remain amngst those who are true believers, though outwardly they may still remain in the visible church.

In verses 20-23 John makes clear what he means as antichrist. John tells us that those who have an anointing from the Holy One are the ones who know the truth. Where there is no such anointing the antichrist has power to deceive.

In verse 21 John says that he writes to those who know the truth through the anointing of the Holy One. Mark tells us in Mark 1: 24 who the Holy One is - he is Jesus of Nazareth. The anointing then is the anointing of new birth by the Holy Spirit. Being born again of the Spirit we are alive unto God and know the truth as it is in Jesus. No lie comes from the truth for the truth comes from Jesus.

In verse 22 John asks the question 'Who is the liar?' He goes on to tell us who such one is, and it is the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ. He goes on to say that such a one denies the Father and the Son. We may well ask what this means. He continues that who denies the Son, Jesus Christ, has the Father - that is knows God as Father; and that it is only those who acknowledge the Son have the Father, that is knows God as Father.

The question is as to the full meaning of deny Jesus is the Christ and so is antichrist. Antichriase means to be opposed to Christ. The question is as to what it means to deny Jesus as the Christ. Christ is another named for the Messiah. The Messiah is t aught in the Bible as the one comes to save his people from their sins. This faith the whole truth of Jesus as the one who became flesh, and as a man lived a perfect life in order that he may then represent all who repent and come to believe on him as their Saviour, and in this role take r esponsibility for the sins of those who believe on him, and stand before God's holy justice, and accept responsibility for their sins, and so take fully and completely the deserving of our sins, in order that we may be forgiven and be reconciled to God. Anything less than this is not believing that Jesus is the Christ. It is through Jesus we know God as our Father.

In verse 24 and 25 John tells us if we remain in this truth from the beginning of our Christian lives to the end will remain in the Son and the Father - that is know salvation which is to be memb ers of the family of God, and so be granted truly eternal life.

In verses 26-27 John is writing all this to protect believers from being led astray by the deceiving antichrists. He assures us that if we have a true anointing from the Holy One the truth remains in us, and so you do not need teaching because the truth will keep us fithful to it and Christ. But the danger is there, and so John gives his warning. Jesus speaks of similar deception, and says it is to deceive the elect, the true believers, if that was possible. Matthew 24: 24. John speaks as he does in these verse to protect true believers from being deceived.

Is there such antchristian deception in the church today? Yes there is as there has always been. There are teachings in the visible church which deny the infallibility of the Scriptures to allow people to choose in the Bible what they will believe as truth, which is what they want the truth to be. This is where it all commences.

There are teachers who deny the essential truth that Jesus by his death made propitiation for our sins, so that we may be saved from God's wrath against our sin, and be saved from the wrath of God our sins deserve.