Open your Bibles with me to 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2. I've entitled the message this morning from verse 20, where the Apostle John was inspired by the Spirit to write to the church, probably particularly the church at Ephesus, but it's written to the whole church. And he says this in verse 20, but you have an unction from the Holy One and you know all things. That's an amazing statement, isn't it? You have an unction from the Holy One. Who is the Holy One? That's Christ. In the Old Testament, he was called the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah, the Anointed One. And I entitled this message, An Unction from Christ. Now, what is this unction? Well, the word means anointing. We have an anointing from the anointed one. That's what it's saying. And that anointing is that power of the resurrected life, which comes from Jesus Christ. Remember, he told his disciples, because I live, you live also. That's what that unction is. It's the power of a resurrected life, which we don't have by nature because we are born spiritually dead, fallen in Adam. And that's why Christ said we must be born again. This unction is that time in our lives when the Spirit brings us under the gospel message and resurrects us from the dead spiritually. It's a power. It's not a second work of grace. It's not some second or advanced work of the spirit only for the mature. It's not the spiritual gifts that they had back then, speaking the gospel in another language. That's what tongues was. When speaking in tongues, tongues means language. and they were enabled by the Spirit to speak the gospel clearly to those who understood that language. It wasn't spiritual gibberish or some kind of heavenly language that couldn't be identified. You can read about it in Acts chapter 1 and 1 Corinthians 14. That's why Paul told the church at Corinth where some of them had that gift of tongues And they would speak in that tongue just to impress people, not to honor God. And Paul told them, he said, don't speak in tongues unless you have an interpreter. In other words, unless you have somebody there who knows what you're saying, who can tell the others what you're saying. That's what that was. So this wasn't the spirit, this is the gift of the new birth, spiritual life, that brings a sinner spiritually from death to life, from darkness to light. That's what this is. It brings a sinner to faith in Christ, God-given faith, where he's made a new creature in Christ. Repentance of dead works, and it's this unction that, if you have this unction, this new birth, this spiritual life within, a new heart, It's what keeps us looking to Christ, persevering in the faith with no possibility of falling away unto perdition or damnation. Now some of the things that are brought about, I want you to go back to verse 15. John addressing believers. And he says this, he says, love not the world. Neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Now, that's plain, isn't it? You know, one of the most misunderstood truths of Scripture has to do with God's love and God's hatred. And I've had people tell me, say, well, I didn't think God hated anybody. Well, the Scripture says otherwise. I just read that in Psalm 11, where God hates the unrighteous. In Psalm 5, it says God hates the workers of iniquity. In Romans 9, it says that God hated Esau and loved Jacob. Now, most people try to cover it in different ways. Especially in the Romans 9 passage, they say, well, that means God loved Jacob, but he loved Esau less. That's not what it means. God loved Jacob and hated Esau. And here's the kicker. It says before either one of them were born or done any work at all. That's what the Bible says. People don't want to accept it because they think that they are lovable, but we're not. And I've heard this, they say, well God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Now the only ones that that could ever apply to is the elect of God. God loves his people with an everlasting love. He does hate sin. I read a psalm last week where it talked about God hath not dealt with us after our sins. He justly dealt with our sins in the person and work of Christ. but he didn't deal with us as far as justification with our sins. Even God deals with us sometimes after our sins on earth in chastisement, but that's a different thing. We're justified based upon the blood, the righteousness of Christ. But here's what the Bible teaches. It's not any of these things that try to, I'm not here to try to apologize for God. I've never done that. As a believer, I've never done that. As an unbeliever, I tried to do it many times and I look back on it and I fell off my feet every time. God doesn't need to apologize to you. If God determines to glorify himself in the damnation of the wicked, That's God's prerogative. You know the concept in Jeremiah that Paul repeats in Romans 9? God's the potter, we're the clay. We're all taken from the same lump. Dead, spiritually dead, depraved humanity. But God chose to save some people. But here's the thing, what is God's love? Well, we read in 1 John 4, herein is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. God's redemptive love in Christ is the security of the salvation of all the objects of His love. I can tell you this, if God loves you redemptively, If you're not already, you're going to be saved. But what about God's hatred? This is something that bothers people. And I understand it's not something I enjoy talking about. I know it's one of God's honorable attributes. But see, people, they have a tendency, as one old preacher said, to reason from the ground up instead of from heavenward down. We automatically think that God is like us. we're commanded to love our neighbors, ourselves, even our worst enemies. Yet look here, love not the world. Well that's talking about the dirt? No. Is that talking about the world system? Some preachers say that. God doesn't say love not the system. He said neither the things that are in the world. Now what is he talking about? Well When we hate, usually, it is a sinful hatred because it's born out of our own love of self. And yet, there is a righteous hatred. David expressed it when he said, I hate every false way. When I think about the false gospels that are being preached today in so many places, I absolutely hate it. You know why? Because it's leading so many people on the broad road that leads to destruction. And then Luke, when he was talking about the words of Christ, when Christ said that he was come not to bring a peace but a sword to separate mothers and fathers and sons and daughters, all of that. He made this statement, he said, except you hate your father and your mother, and follow me. Hate? You mean you command us to love our neighbors ourselves? Certainly that would include our mother and our father, and of course one of the commandments says honor your mother and your father. Well what Luke means by that hatred is not a sinful hatred, it is a righteous rejection of unbelievers as being part of our spiritual family. And that's what he's talking about. I love my mother. And one of the things that I thank God so much is that she was also my sister in Christ. Loved my father. But I had no evidence of him being a brother in Christ. I would love to say he did. but I cannot be honest before God and before you. And it breaks my heart. Now, I'm not saying this joyfully now. God's hatred, think about it this way, is his justice against those who stand before him having sin charged to their account. That's God's hatred, he rejects them. Now, We being sinful human beings are commanded to love our neighbor, even our enemies, because we don't deserve salvation any more than they do. But when it comes to discerning our spiritual family, we're to reject all who reject Christ. That's the hatred that he's talking about. And I hope that's helpful to you in reading the Bible. He says, love not the world nor the things in the world, if any man love the world. And that's anything about the world or anything in the world that is opposed to Christ. Opposed to the gospel. The world thinks that love is to receive everybody into the spiritual fellowship. That's not love, that's compromise. That's a rejection of God. If I call an unbeliever, my spiritual brother or sister in Christ, I'm lying. And it doesn't help them. I can tell them I love you and I can say that. And I pray that God will save you. I pray that God will bring you into my spiritual family. But if you don't know Christ, if you don't believe the gospel, I cannot count you my brother or sister in Christ. But people use that term loosely, brother or sister, you know that. I used to, growing up in a church, I used to, there was a man there, I thought his first name was brother, because everybody called him brother. We, none of us knew the gospel because it wasn't preached there. But what was he talking about? Well, look at verse 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, now he specifies here, You know what the lust of the flesh is, that's not just sexual sins, it's any fleshly desire that keeps a person occupied so that he or she will not seek the Lord or the things of the Lord. The lust of the eyes, that's what we see. What we watch and what we see affects us and that's anything that we see, again, that will occupy our looking, our sight, to the point that we will not look to the things of the Lord. What did God command his people to do? Isaiah 45, I think it's verse 21, or 22, look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I'm God, there's none else. You remember the story about the fiery serpents, the poisonous snakes that were brought on the children of Israel, the Hebrew children, and God told Moses to intercede for him and put a serpent upon a pole, a brass serpent, and tell him, anybody who looks, you say, look and live. There's a hymn we sing, look and live. Salvation's in a look. But it's not just a glance. It's having my heart and my eyes fixed on Christ. And somebody asked me one time, said, well, why was that a serpent? You know, serpent, usually we think of the devil. The emblem of the brazen serpent was Christ bearing the curse that came upon his people through Satan. And on that cross, that's what he did. He was made a curse for us. we might be saved. So that's the lust of the eyes. And then the pride of life. Well, think about it. It's very simple. What makes people proud? What causes them not to be humble before God? Sometimes it's material wealth. Sometimes it's false religion. Most of the time it's false religion. They look down on other people. as if they were the ones who come up with the power and the brains to accumulate all this stuff. Read the book of Ecclesiastes. That kind of life is vanity. If you have much, you know what? That means you have much to be thankful for. Thankful to who? God. You say, well, I worked hard. Who gave you that ability to work hard? Who gave you that idea? You had a great idea and boy, it brought you a million dollars. Who gave you that great idea? Did you come up with it on your own? If you say yes, that's the pride of life. And let me ask you this, have you ever known anybody, I'll say in the history of humanity, who was strong and smart and come up with ideas, and it failed? Well, you know there have been. This is the pride of life, again, that keeps a sinner from acknowledging. Lord, thy will be done. You've given me everything I own. The next breath I take, I can't take pride in and say, boy, look at what I did. I breathed. No, thank you Lord. And especially for salvation. That's what we're to hate. And see those things, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, it's of the world. You remember when Christ in John 18, he said, marvel not, I think it's John 18, 15, marvel not if the world hates you. Now he's not talking about a system. He's not talking about a planet. He's talking about people who are of the world. Unbelievers who hate God, who hate Christ, who hate the truth. And they said, marvel not if they hate you for they hated me before they hated you. Look down at first John three in verse one. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. That's his people. That's not everybody in the world. Look, that we should be called the sons of God. He took us into his family. Therefore the world knoweth us not. Because it knew him not. Somebody says, well, I want the world to know that I'm a Christian. Read them that verse. The world knoweth us not. Let me tell you something, folks. The world doesn't even know what a real Christian is. Now, that doesn't mean we don't want to be good stewards and outwardly and in our character and conduct be responsible, follow the Lord. That doesn't mean that. Well, I'll just live like, you know. No. We want to honor Christ in our lives. Maybe the Lord might use that to bring a sinner to hear the gospel. But I grew up thinking, you know, that I'd rather see a sermon than hear one. You heard that? Not me. Faith comes by hearing. I'd rather hear good sermons. I want to see all of us living godly lives. But I'd rather hear one sermon that glorifies and honors Christ than to look at a million people leading godly lives. Now that doesn't mean I don't want, I want everybody to know Christ and to lead godly lives. But that's not gonna save people. If you just watch me and my character and conduct, that's not gonna bring you to salvation. Not bring you to sorrow, but won't bring you to salvation. The world knoweth us not. Over in 1 John 5, look at verse 18. And I'm gonna get to this eventually in this book. Verse 18, he says, we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not. Now what he's talking about there, I'm convinced this is the way it is in the context, whosoever is born of God, they have that unction, They're not going to leave Christ. They're not going to apostatize. That's what he's talking about. Because a lot of translations say, well, whosoever is born of God doesn't practice sin. Well, first of all, that's not even John's subject. That's throwing that into a context that doesn't belong. Now we can talk about the lives of believers and we have been. Look at what we just said this morning about in Timothy. There's a lot in the scripture how believers should live. But what this is talking about is those who persevere looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. And so he says, they saith not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself. and the wicked one touches him not." In other words, Satan cannot draw you away from Christ. That's what he means. Satan's accusations against you fall flat. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. And he says in verse 19, and we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness, literally in the wicked one. Well now, When you think that people, when they see the word world, like in John 3, 16, God so loved the world that he gave his only son, whosoever shall believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. They'll say, well, that's everybody without exception. Well, what about this verse? The whole world lieth in the wicked one. Is that everybody without exception? No, he makes a distinction here. We know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And so he says in verse 20, we know that the son of God has come and have given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true, even in his son, Jesus Christ, this is the true God and eternal life. And then he says, little children, keep yourselves from idols. Don't get wrapped up in idolatry. Well, you know, Christ said this to his disciples. He said, in the world, you shall have tribulation. Well, what was he talking about? Was he talking about the physical world? Like floods and tornadoes and all? No. Think about who gave the disciples trouble. Tribulation. False religionists. People. Gave him trouble. But he says, but you be of good cheer, for I've overcome the world. Christ has overcome the world. It gives us trouble. He's overcome the flesh, which inwardly gives us trouble. And he's overcome the devil. He's the victor. And we have victory in him. Now look back at 1 John 2. He says in verse 17, and the world passeth away and the lust thereof. Now that proves he's talking about people because who lust? The trees don't lust, the rocks don't lust, and even the animals. They're just all working by instinct. Who's the lusty ones on this earth? All of us who are sinners, people. But God by His grace, look, the world passeth away in the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Now there's your key. All right? What's he talking about? Abiding forever in Christ. That's called perseverance of the saints. And I really, you know, you've heard the tulip issue, I won't go in all that. I really prefer this, the preservation of the saints. We do persevere, we do abide, we do continue in the faith, but by the grace of God who preserves us under glory. That's the fact of the gospel. That Christ died for his people, satisfied the justice of God, and gave them life everlasting which never ends so that He is our surety, our sins having been imputed to Him and He died for them on the cross, our substitute. He brought forth a righteousness that God has justified, imputed to His people and justified them. Our Redeemer brought us back. He owns us lock, stock, and barrel. He intercedes for us that when we sin, we have a righteousness before God, an intercessor, an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is our preserver. He said, no man shall pluck them out of my Father's hand. He really didn't say no man. If you look at the text there in John 10, He said nothing, no one, nobody. The reason I say that is because I heard a Pentecostal preacher said, now no man can do it, but Satan could do it. No. Satan doesn't have that power. That's all of God. You know Satan had to ask permission to touch Job? I heard an old preacher say one time, he said, Satan is on God's leash. How's that float your boat? Hey, God's in control. I know a lot of people say that, but few believe it. So, look at verse 18. Now here's where he launches into this. Little children, the children of God, it is the last time. He's talking about the gospel age, the new covenant age here. This is the last age. It will come to its conclusion when Christ returns. to receive us, his people. So it is the last time. And as you have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists. I know that the dispensationalists, they're looking for one powerful, charismatic figure to rise up politically and religiously and call him the Antichrist. I'll say this, I don't believe that's what it is, but if that's what it is, that's what it is. I believe that John makes it clear here, the spirit of Antichrist is already there. Now what is the spirit of Antichrist? The spirit of Antichrist, the man of sin, I know that's what it says in 2 Thessalonians 2, and I believe he's speaking collectively there, but anyway I won't go into all that. But it's that which comes in the name of Christ, but denies the doctrine of Christ. Do you understand that? Look over at 2 John. And he goes into more detail even in 1 John on this, but look at 2 John 9. And this was a real problem in John's age. It's a real problem in our age. Well, he says in verse 7, He says, for many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ come in the flesh, and that's what theologians normally look at as those who denied the humanity of Christ. And that's true, because they thought that human flesh was sinful in itself, so Christ couldn't be human flesh. So they'd say he's God, but he's not man. Well, that's heresy. And they claim to follow Christ. There are others who deny his deity. That's heresy, too. There are others who deny the finality and success of his work on the cross. That's it, too. So he says, this is a deceiver and an antichrist. You see that? Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. That's just a way of saying continue in the faith and in the doctrine because, verse nine, whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. They may say they're of Christ, they may say they're Christian, but if they abideth not in the doctrine of Christ. The truth of his glorious person and his finished work hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." So there you have the spirit of Antichrist. Go back to verse 19 of 1 John 2, or verse 18. He says, little children, it is the last time, and as you have heard, that Antichrist shall come. Even now are there many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time. Now look at verse 19. How do you know who these Antichrists are? Well, John said it in 2 John, if they abide not in the dark. Here's a man who stands up, says, I'm gonna preach to you the Bible, but then he begins preaching heresy. That's not in the Bible, see? He exposes himself. So I've always told people this. Be careful about this. When he says, if you abide not in the doctrine of Christ, you have not God, make sure you understand what that doctrine is. That's important. And I guarantee you, it's the gospel, it's the doctrine of his glorious person, his finished work, why he did it, where he is now, and he's coming back again. So he says in verse 19, or many antichrists, whereby we know what that is, last time, verse 19, they went out from us. They did not abide. Now what he's talking about is apostasy here. We need to understand that. Let's say one of you all get mad at somebody and you stop coming to church for a while, which you shouldn't do, all right? But that doesn't necessarily mean you've apostatized. Apostasy has to do with that person who claimed to believe the right doctrine and then at some point in time turns completely against it and calls it heresy, calls Christ accursed. Falling away, Paul called it, unto perdition, unto damnation. And incidentally, in that verse in Hebrews 10, he says, we are not of those who fall away unto perdition, but those who believe to the saving of the soul. So that's a person, and I think I've told you a couple weeks ago, I have known in my lifetime one person who did that. It's a person who claimed to believe and preach this gospel, but now claims to be an atheist. That's apostasy. And incidentally, again, the Bible says there's no hope for that person ever to be recovered. That's sad, isn't it? But he says they went out from us, but they were not of us. They went out, but they weren't really Christians, true believers. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest, made known that they were not all of us. They didn't lose their salvation. They never had it to begin with. They had a claim, they had a profession, but it wasn't from the heart. It wasn't from the unction, verse 20, but you have an unction. That's heart, spiritual, faith in Christ given to us by the Holy Spirit. Faith given to us, repentance given to us, perseverance accomplished in us by God. You have an unction from Christ, and you know all things. Now he's not saying that we're know-it-alls there, because we got a lot to learn. I've been learning ever since I brought to faith. But what it's saying is we know all things pertaining to how God saves sinners. That's what he's saying about righteousness and abiding in the faith. We know that because God has taught us. We know Christ. We know the grace of God that brings us to salvation. We've been given that unction whereby we cannot sin in the sense of apostatizing from the faith. And you'll see that's true as we go on through.