Lie Detectors
Opening Prayer
Father, through Your Word and Your Spirit, help me to distinguish truth from lies.
Read 1 JOHN 2:15–27
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Warnings Against Denying the Son
18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
New International Version (NIV)
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Reflect
Have you ever been swayed by someone’s convincing argument? How did you determine what the truth was?Since the time of the early church there have always been people who refuse to believe that Jesus is the incarnated Son of God. John calls these people liars (22) and antichrists (18). He is blunt for a reason. He knows how tough it is to be true to Jesus when people around us are anti-Christ. If we hear a lie enough times, we may start to doubt what we believe about Jesus.
Globally, Christians are no longer a tiny minority group, but it can feel like it when we are the only Christian in our family, in our class or in our workplace. John’s advice here will help us stay true to Jesus in an anti-Jesus world. Remember, you have been given God’s Holy Spirit to help you understand the truth and recognize the lies (20; John 16:13–15).
Remember all that Jesus taught about God and himself (17,24; John 6:28,29,39,40), then you will understand what a prize you have—a precious, unending relationship with Father God. When you are tempted to follow the world’s message and “live for the here and now” (15,16), remember that God has given you a new timescale (17,25).
Apply
Are there those around you who are confused by the voices of this world? How can you speak God’s truth into them?
Closing prayer
Lord, may I hear Your voice of truth above the clamor of the world’s lies. Help me to live in the light of Your truth.
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