February 21, 2025 - 2 John 1:7 - Deceivers

2 John 1:7

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."

Throughout Scripture, there is a consistent warning about deceivers and the danger of being deceived. Everything must be weighed according to the Word because many deceivers have gone out into the world, handling the Word of Christ deceitfully. "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time" (1 John 2:18).

Failing to give all glory to Christ, failing to exalt Him in His Word—He is the Word—is to be a deceiver. John emphasizes this again in 2 John 1:7 "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." Many people are preoccupied with identifying the antichrist, yet they unknowingly give him a place to stand in their pulpits because the preachers that they hire do not point sinners to Christ (2 Peter 2:1-2). They are preachers that have never been taught of Christ by His Spirit, do not know Him and, therefore, cannot point others to Him. This deception goes deeper than simply acknowledging that Jesus came in the flesh—it is about understanding who He is, why He came, and what He accomplished in the flesh.

The Number of Deceivers

One of the first things to note in John’s writing is the sheer number of deceivers. Many do not fully realize the extent of this deception. John warns, "For many deceivers are entered into the world." These are individuals who use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but do so deceitfully. Jesus Himself addressed them, saying: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:22-23).

This is a sobering reality. Many assume that the man standing in the pulpit week after week preaching to them is truly of God, yet he may be among those to whom Christ will one day say, "I never knew you." Jesus also warns: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matthew 7:13).

The Character of Deceivers

Beyond their number, John highlights the character of these deceivers: "Who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh." This is where many are misled. These deceivers often appear to be good and moral men by human standards. They show kindness, visit the sick, comfort grieving families, and perform acts of charity. However, what sets them apart is not their outward conduct but their message. They do not confess the truth of Christ’s coming. Being deceivers, they are also seducers, drawing people to themselves rather than pointing them to Christ. They present themselves as examples of morality, living upright lives and preaching morality as righteousness.

However, many outwardly moral people are ignorant of the Righteousness of God. They have not submitted to the Righteousness that the Lord Jesus earned and established, which God imputed to the spiritual account of His children when Christ died on the cross. Instead, they seek to establish their own righteousness: "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Romans 10:3-4).

The Danger of This Deception

What makes this deception so dangerous? The greatest counterfeits are those that most closely resemble the truth. That is why they are imperceptible to the undiscerning. The LORD Jesus compared this deception to leaven: a perversion of the truth that, like yeast in dough, spreads subtly until it permeates everything. Its effects are not immediately visible, but over time, they become evident. This is why, in the parable of the wheat and the tares, when the workers asked if they should uproot the tares, the Lord responded: "Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them" (Matthew 13:29). Some who appear to be wheat are, in reality, nothing but tares.

The Need for Discernment

We are called to be discerning and cautious. Even among those who preach grace, deception is often found not just in what is explicitly stated, but in what is implied or how the truth is applied. Consider these examples:

1. Justification by Faith Misunderstood – Some preach that we are justified by our belief rather than understanding that faith is Christ, the Object of faith. We are justified by Him, not by our act of believing.

2. Sanctification as Human Effort – Many teach that sanctification is something we work out in our flesh in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. In truth, sanctification is entirely found in Christ and His finished work at Calvary. The life we live is simply the fruit of what He has already accomplished.

3. Redemption as a Mere Covering – Some reduce Christ’s redemption to merely covering sin, rather than being a full propitiation for those for whom He paid the debt. They claim that Christ’s blood was shed at the cross, but is not effective until a sinner believes. This suggests that Christ died for some who remain under God's wrath—a contradiction to the sufficiency of His death on the cross.

4. Misunderstanding God's Sovereignty – Some attempt to reconcile God's sovereignty with man's responsibility by making God’s sovereignty conditional upon man's actions. They claim that God's blessings depend on human obedience, creating a framework where man becomes a rival to God's sovereignty. This is nothing more than free-will theology disguised as obedience to God.

Conclusion

This is why we desperately need the Spirit of God to illuminate our hearts and reveal to us the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only by His grace can we discern truth from deception and remain steadfast in the gospel.