The Doctrine of Christ
March 17, 2015 doctrine of Christ, faithfulness, Truth No CommentsII John 7-11, “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. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
There are four warnings in this passage. First, there is a warning against deceivers. Specifically, these deceivers do not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. In so doing, they reject the deity of Christ and His Messiahship. These deceivers are antichrist (opposed to Jesus Christ). These deceivers are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ. They must not be heeded. Second, there is a warning against losing your reward (v. 8). The reward is a reference to eternal life or heaven. This plainly teaches that a Christian can lose his/her reward. To hearken unto the deceivers and so renounce Jesus Christ is sufficient for such a loss of reward. We must examine ourselves and make sure that we stand steadfast in the faith to prevent such a loss. Third, there is the warning against losing God. Failure to abide in the doctrine of Christ results in the loss of fellowship with God (“hath not God”). The doctrine of Christ is the teaching from Christ. This teaching was imparted by the Lord during His earthly ministry. And, it was imparted through the guidance of the Holy Spirit of holy men of God who spoke and wrote Scripture. Jesus promised His apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:13-14). There is one author of the Scriptures. That author is Jesus Christ. All that the Father hath is Christ’s. The Triune God is the author of the Bible and Jesus is the Second Person of the godhead. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (the Triune God) (II Tim. 3:16). The Scriptures are authoritative. They are infallible. They are binding upon men. Failure to abide in the doctrine of Christ is a transgression of the Word of God. To transgress in this sense is to “go aside” or walk a pathway that the Lord has not given. It is to violate the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit. Such is a salvation issue. Many are saying that first this doctrine and then that doctrine is not a salvation issue. Recently, someone argued that the age of the earth is not a salvation issue. Another argued that marriage, divorce and remarriage is not a salvation issue. Some have declared that instrumental music is not a salvation issue. Some have boldly asserted that there are no salvation issues. The teaching of John in this text refutes all such nonsense. Fourth, there is a warning against complicity regarding aiding and abetting the deceivers. You do not have to be a false teacher to be guilty of the sin of false teaching! If you aid or abet a false teacher (financially support his work or in the case of the elect lady, to provide food and lodging for such) you become an accomplice in advancing his false doctrine. An accomplice becomes a partaker of his evil deeds and so bears the guilt of his sin. A partaker is joined together with the evil person and his work and must bear the consequences of such activity. A partaker bears both the guilt and the penalty of such sin.
We must heed the warnings in these verses in order to preserve our own relationship with the Lord and maintain our hope of everlasting life.