My subject tonight is saving
knowledge. Saving knowledge. Do you have
a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? Most everyone has some knowledge
of Christ. Do you have a saving knowledge
of the Son of God? Do I? Let's look at 1 John chapter
2 and verse 20 and ask God the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. May he be pleased to give you
a saving knowledge of the Son of God. Now while you're turning,
here are three statements that go right to the heart of my message. Be sure you get these three things.
First, You cannot know Christ. I'm sorry, you cannot be saved
except you know the Lord Jesus Christ. This is life eternal. That they might know thee, the
only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Salvation
is not knowing about Christ. Salvation is knowing Christ. You cannot be saved except you
know the Son of God. Number two, you cannot know the
Lord Jesus Christ except by the preaching of the gospel. Romans
chapter 10 makes this plain and clear as it is declared throughout
the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the Word of God. You can't Call on one you have
not believed, you cannot believe on one you do not know, and you
cannot know the Lord Jesus except by the preaching of the gospel.
Number three, this saving knowledge, this saving knowledge of the
Lord Jesus Christ is not a carnal knowledge, but a spiritual knowledge. It does not come by carnal means,
but by spiritual. It does not come by craft, by
human logic, by eloquence of words, but by the power of God
the Holy Spirit, revealing Jesus Christ in you by the gospel. Now here in 1 John 2, at verse
18, the apostle tells us, that there are many antichrists
in the world. Many deceiving false prophets
who, speaking in the name of Christ, are opposed to Christ
and seek to turn us away from the simplicity that is in Christ
Jesus. All false teachers, all false
religion, All anti-Christ religion seeks to turn you away from the
simplicity that's in Christ Jesus. The word that's translated simplicity
there in 1 Corinthians 11 is really the word singleness. The singleness. There is one
thing you must have. One thing you must know. And
this alone, by which God saves, that one thing is Christ. Not Christ in the church, not
Christ in your emotions, not Christ in your learning, not
Christ in your experience. Christ alone. All false religion
seeks to mix something with the person and work of Christ. So
John warns us of these Antichrist who've gone out into the world,
ministers of Satan, who transformed themselves into the messengers
and ministers of righteousness, incessantly seeking by their
doctrine to turn us from the doctrine of Christ. Then in the
19th verse, John tells us that many have departed from us. He's not just talking about they
left this church, went to another one. You're not just talking
about folks moving from one place to another. They went out from
us. They went out from the fellowship
of God's saints. They went out from the worship
of God. They went out from the fellowship
of God in Jesus Christ. They went out from us because
they were not of us. They went out following Antichrist. deceived by Antichrist, falling
for the trick and the deception and the lie of Satan following
Antichrist because they were not of us. They never were really
a part of the Church of God. They never were really a part
of the fellowship of the saints. They never were truly the disciples
of Christ, but only by profession. For if they had been of us, John
says, they would no doubt have continued with us. Now, look
at verse 20. Here's a text. Here the inspired
apostle assures us that none of God's elect shall be deceived
by these false prophets. None of God's elect shall depart
from the faith of the gospel. None of God's elect shall turn
aside from the worship of God by faith in Christ because we
have an unction. We have the unction of God upon
us. And being taught of God, we who
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ know all things. Now, here's
the doctrine of the text. God's elect shall not depart
from Christ and cannot depart from Christ because we have an
unction from the Holy One. an unction by which we who are
born of God and taught of God know all things. Look at verse 20, 1 John chapter
2. But you, they went out from us because they were not of us.
For if they'd been of us, they would no doubt have continued
with us. But you, you have an unction
from the Holy One and you know things. That knowledge which
preserves a man's soul, that knowledge which arises from and
is the basis of saving faith is not a natural knowledge at
all. It is not a knowledge of the head attained by learning
or diligent study or by natural processes. It is a supernatural
knowledge, a knowledge of the heart imparted to us by divine
revelation. John's given us this warning
concerning those seducers, those antichrists who have crept into
the church. They claim to be sent of God.
They claim to be teachers of Christ, but they're really the
adversaries of Christ and the adversaries of our souls denying
the dignity of our Redeemer's person and the efficacy of his
work. These antichrists are found everywhere. They've led many from the truth,
but the true children of God will not follow them. Those who
are born of God and taught of God cannot be seduced by them
because there's something that secures us. There's something
that holds us. There's something that will not
let us be deceived. That's the knowledge God has
put in us by the experience of his grace. The knowledge God
has put in us by the experience of his grace. It has been my privilege over
the years to pastor some folks, some of whom could not read or
write. I don't mean they couldn't read
or write very well. I mean, they could not read I
have one man in particular, he was a faithful deacon in the
church at Lookout. A strong, strong man. Strong in the faith of the gospel.
But he would be hard put to argue any point of gospel doctrine.
He would be hard put to defend any aspect of divine truth against
people who would seek to deny it. But I tell you what I never
saw in all the years I knew him till the Lord took him home.
I never saw him waver at all. Folks could raise whatever arguments
they wanted to raise, yak all they wanted to yak. I never saw
him waver. He was as solid as the rock because
he was built on the rock and the rock Christ Jesus and he
were one. He was taught of God. He was taught of God. It's my
responsibility as your pastor to teach you the things of God.
But if all the teaching you get comes from this man, you will
have gotten nothing to benefit your soul. We must be taught
by God the Holy Spirit in the supernatural work of grace, revealing
Christ in you. Paul said, he's when I came to
you, I came not with excellence of speech and words of man's
wisdom, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
He said, I didn't want your faith to stand in the power and wisdom
of a man. But in the power of God, in the
power of God, you see, if I can talk you into something, Merle,
you will soon be the fellow who's thicker than I am. He can talk
you out of it. If what you believe you believe because your pastor
has learned and studied well and he's he's well prepared and
he speaks with some measure of eloquence and logical precision.
And now that that can't be denied. So I believe that. If that's
it, somebody will come along tomorrow, a lot slicker, and
he will persuade you that something else is so. But if you're taught
of God, or if God with his finger writes
his truth on your heart, then none can erase what God has written. None can blot out that which
God has taught. Because of this unction and the
knowledge given to us by this unction, it's not possible to
deceive God's elect. We live in perilous times. The
spirit of Antichrist is so thick in this generation, you can cut
it with a knife. The warnings of this book against
Antichrist are not to be put off to some future distant age. John says in verse 18, it is
the last time. Many antichrists are going out
into the world. Antichrist is everywhere. You'll
find antichrist throughout Christendom. Antichrist is in the seminary
as the chair of theology. Antichrist is in the pulpit of
most any church you care to visit anywhere in the world, be it
Baptist, Protestant, Papist, or otherwise. Antichrist is found
throughout religion. Multitudes follow the teaching
of Antichrist. The vast majority of the religious
people I've met in my life of 62 years have entered in at the
broad gate and they walk in the broad way that leads to destruction. The broad gate and the broad
way of will worship works religion and they will walk to hell in
that way unless God intervenes. That's where he found you. That's
where he found you. And unless God snatches you from
that way, you'll continue in that way. Now this fact This
fact causes God's true people great concern. And the fact that
many have gone out from us and embraced the false way causes
God's people concern. The disciples in John chapter
6 heard the Lord Jesus Preaching the gospel. He told them about
election and and God's purpose and faith in Christ and salvation
by faith alone trusting the Lord Jesus alone and his disciples
were offended by the word and Walked away and walked no more
with him the Lord Jesus in one day lost his whole crowd put
it on down to just a few disciples and it looked at them and said
will you also go away and The disciples looked at him and said
Lord to whom shall we go? You had the words of eternal
life. We would possibly do so, but we'd been taught of God.
We would possibly go as they go, but no one else is the truth
of God and reveals the truth of God. Here, John tells us what
this knowledge is. I want to try to raise and answer
four questions concerning this matter of saving knowledge. Now,
John's reason for giving us this admonition and this word of instruction
concerning the holy unction that God gives us seems to be threefold. First, he would have us ever
aware of the reason we stand when others fall. How come? How come you come in and you
hear the gospel and you believe the message of God's grace. And
then somebody else comes along and there they are. They are. They get on board. They're gung
ho. And then. Something happens. And they fizzle out and they
go some other way, find something to excite them again. How come
you're still here? Because you're taught of God.
Not because you're better. Not because you're smarter, not
because you're more noble, not because you're stronger, because
you're taught of God. That's all. Second, our divine
comforter here in verse 20 comforts our hearts with the assurance
of God's grace. Second Thessalonians 2 speaks
of multitudes who are swept away in the strong delusion of Antichrist. because God sends them a strong
delusion that they should believe a lie. But you, brethren, are
chosen of God. And those who are chosen of God
and taught of God shall not fall for the lie of Antichrist. And thirdly, the Holy Spirit
intends here that we should be aware of the dangerous perversions
of the gospel that are all around us. Now, here are the questions I
want to answer. What is this unction? Number two, how do we
have this unction? And thirdly, who has the unction? And then finally, what's the
benefit? Why is this unction given? What
is this unction? You have an unction, the Spirit
of God says. The word unction simply means
anointing. This unction is the thing that
the apostates mentioned in verse 18 and 19 lacked. They had a
form of godliness, but not the power. They had a form of godliness,
but not the unction. But you have an unction from
the Holy One. They had a profession. You have
an unction. What is this? The word unction
refers to that holy anointing oil that was prepared by God's
decree in the building of the tabernacle. You remember in Exodus
chapter 30, the Lord commanded an ointment compound be made
after the art of the apothecary. It shall be the holy anointing
oil. so that the unction is that holy
anointing oil that is what was referred to by that oil. Now
throughout the Old Testament, throughout the Word of God, oil
symbolizes and represents God the Holy Spirit and the work
of the Holy Spirit. But this particular word, unction,
is only found twice in the whole Bible. Just twice. This particular word here is
called unction, or translated unction in verse 20. Down in
verse 27, the very same word is translated anointing. It's
not talking about the act of anointing, when you would put
oil on someone, but rather it's talking about the anointing itself,
the ointment itself, so that John is saying You have that
holy oil symbolized in the oil of the Old Testament. You have
that which was used in the anointing of God's people. You have the
reality of the symbol that was given in the Old Testament. The
anointing which is received of Him abideth in you. We are anointed of God, having
the unction of the Holy One. In the Old Testament, the anointing
with oil was symbolic of great honor and great privilege. So
that when God set aside a man to be his priest, That high honor,
he was anointed with holy oil. When God sent his prophet to
anoint a king, that high honor being king in Israel, God anointed
him with the holy oil. When a man was set aside to be
a prophet or a preacher, he was anointed with holy oil so that
he's anointed as God's own, separated and consecrated to God. Our Lord
Jesus Christ, you'll remember, Was anointed by God the Holy
Spirit when the Spirit of God descended upon him John said
this is how I knew who he was Because the one who sent me said
you're gonna see the Spirit of God Descending from heaven lighting
on him and abiding on him and God anointed him with the oil
of gladness above his fellows Our Lord was anointed and so
were his apostles and his church. Once and for all, there was a
public anointing, a public giving of the spirit to the apostles
in the church in the book of Acts. So that when our Lord Jesus
had ascended up into heaven. He poured out his spirit upon
his church and he gave his apostles signs and wonders, the ability
to speak languages they had never heard, the ability to cast out
demons, the ability to heal the sick. These apostles had remarkable
gifts by which they were identified as the messengers of the Messiah. By which they were identified
as the servants of Him who came and fulfilled all the law and
the prophets. The church was anointed. God
established His church in the Spirit on that day. And that
outpouring of the Spirit, that anointing of the Spirit was a
one-time thing. Just one time. It was symbolized
in the Feast of Pentecost. And it was not to be repeated.
I know throughout history, there have been lots of folks who talk
about a second work of the Holy Spirit and the anointing of the
Spirit and the outpouring of the Spirit and all those things.
It was done one time. One time. And by that one anointing,
we have Christ declared to be the King in His glory, seated
on His throne. And by that one anointing, we
have him confirmed with signs and wonders and miracles given
to the apostles. We do not, we will not, we cannot
accept those claims of men in this day who say they have the
gifts of the apostles. Anybody who talks about being
able to speak in tongues is deceived and is a deceiver. Anybody who
talks about having supernatural power to cast out demons, to
heal the sick, is a deceiver. And I don't think he's deceived.
He knows better. He knows better. If he really
thought he had the abilities, he claims to have, he could empty
the hospital rooms. They're fakes. They're charlatans.
They're fakes. They're charlatans. Every last
one of them. Every one of them. God's servants didn't attempt
to give sight to the blind. They gave sight to the blind.
They did not attempt to give hearing to the deaf. They caused
the deaf to hear. They were supernaturally gifted
men because they wrote for us the testimony of the king and
sealed up the book. And now that which is perfect
has come and that which was in part has been done away. The
anointing with oil was also used to distinguish honored guests,
not only to suggest that a person has been anointed to great, great
position, but also to signify that the person anointed was
highly honored. Mary came into the house of Simon
the leper. with a box of ointment, spiked
and very precious. And she broke the box and anointed
the son of God, saying there's none like him. The anointing
says this person is distinct, this person is highly honored.
David considered himself to be greatly honored of God when he
sang thou anointest my head with oil. Our savior was anointed
with the oil of gladness above his fellows at this auction. which every believer has, is
God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the anointing,
the unction given as a solemn testimony of the truth of the
gospel, as a solemn testimony of divine approval. Now, God
the Holy Spirit gave external, outward, visible testimony to
the things that Christ and his apostles preached. Paul says,
how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? God gave
it to us by the apostles and accompanied with signs and wonders.
How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? That which
was revealed externally and this word, which those men gave us
by the spirit of God. This book is our only rule of
faith and practice. Now, that's not just a cliche.
This is our only rule of faith and practice. I do not believe
anything with regard to doctrine that is not plainly written in
this book. I don't preach anything except what's plainly written
in this book. We do not practice as a church anything except what's
plainly written in this book. If it's not written in the book,
we make no precept of law concerning it. Just this past week, I had
a letter from a very good friend, dear friend, asking me some questions
about observing the Lord's table in their home privately. And
I wrote back to him with considerable thoughtfulness. I said, I can't
make a firm statement to you because the book doesn't. Whatever you decide will be all
right, as far as I'm concerned. Because the book doesn't give
specific instruction. We will not make laws God hasn't
made. We will not establish ordinances
God hasn't established. And we will not set precedent
God hasn't set. Understand that? This is our
only rule of faith and practice. But when it comes to knowing
the truth, there was a time When that book didn't speak to
me, Lindsay. Didn't say a word to me. It did
not minister to me in any way whatsoever. There was a time
when that book was to my soul a dead letter. There was a time
when that book was to me like the law written on tables of
stone. Nothing more. All it could do
was speak death and condemnation. Nothing else. until God gave
me a sure witness of his salvation. He put it in me. He put it in
me. He put it in me so that now there
is an internal witness and the knowledge we have of the things
of God. Listen to me now. I've chosen
my words with great care. Don Ranieri, the knowledge we
have is an intuitive knowledge. Did you get it? Intuitive knowledge. It's knowledge from within. It's not a knowledge we acquire
by learning. It's not a knowledge we acquire
by study. It's not a knowledge we acquire by our deep meditation. It's not a knowledge acquired
by our day by day experience. It is a knowledge in us. written
in our hearts by the finger of God in the experience of grace. And that which a man has experienced,
you can fuss with him all you want to. You can't talk him out
of it. You can bring up every argument
under the sun. You can't talk him out of it. He's experienced
it. He's experienced it. Brother Tom back in the office
a minute ago was talking, I forgot what he was talking about, something
about food. It's a common subject when men get together about supper
time. And he said something about California food. Now, I don't
know what he's talking about really, but if he's talking about
avocados and that green stuff that's kind of mushy looking,
some of you folks like it. And you're convinced it's good
because you've tasted it. I have too. And it ain't good. Not to my palate. And it doesn't
matter how much you argue and tell me it's good. I'm going
to tell you not to my palate. I've tasted it. It's not good.
I don't ever intend to taste it again. I don't want it close
to anything I ate because I tasted it. I didn't like it. It's not
good. Now, if you talk about macaroni
and cheese, that's another story. If you talk about grits and gravy,
that's another story. I've tasted them. I know exactly
what they taste like. Some of you never tasted that
stuff, never tasted it and have no idea how good it is because
you've not tasted. Taste and see that the Lord is
good. Oh, if ever you taste his grace,
you will never want to substitute. Taste and see that the Lord is
good. This is the witness we have within
God, the Holy Spirit. in you. Not only have we been
anointed with the oil poured upon our heads as it was a poured
upon our Redeemer, our great high priest running down over
the body. But we had the anointing so that
by God's grace in Christ Jesus, we are made kings and priests
under God, kings and priests under God. With us, the gospel
is more than theory. Our motives, our rules are more
than theory. These things come to us from
within by the knowledge of Christ. Paul said, I used to know Christ
after the flesh. But I don't know Christ after
the flesh anymore. I know him after the spirit. I know him
after the spirit. I used to know him after the
flesh. I knew the history of the Lord's life on this earth,
his incarnation, his life, his death and his resurrection. I
knew his doctrine. I'd been taught it. I learned
something about it. I knew many things about him,
but I didn't know him. I know him. In the sweet experience
of his grace, Christ living in me. So brother Don, that's all
subjective. Yeah, it sure is. Subject to
the experience of God's grace. Subject to the experience of
God's grace. This unction gives us great comfort. For this unction, this anointing,
is that by which God in the Old Testament separated things. and said this
is mine. This is mine. Look here. Here's a chair. Here's a chair. They both came from the same
factory at the same time I know I ordered them. They're both
made of the same material by the same company. They both look
alike. They both feel the same. But
that one's mine. That one's mine. I have separated
it for my own. That was Lindsay's. That's his. This is mine. Now, what separates
men? God pours the holy oil of his
spirit on you and in you. And when he does, you're taught
of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me. And only by this
are we experimentally set apart and declared to be gods. Jacob have I loved. Esau have
I hated. What's the difference? God loved
Jacob. What's the difference? God redeemed Jacob. What's the
difference? God called Jacob. And Jacob didn't know anything
at all about it by experience until God revealed himself to
him and broke his leg and made him know himself and know the
Redeemer. So it is with you and I, when
God, the Holy Spirit comes in saving grace, he makes us to
know that we are the sons of God. He pours out his spirit,
causing us to cry, Abba Father, Because you are sons God has
sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba
father and by this anointing by this ocean he seals to us
all the blessings of covenant grace and Secures us in those
blessings He by his seal Identifies us as his own and by his seal
preserves us Now I'm I'm not a great deal of help around the
house But when it comes time for Shelby to can vegetables
I'm the salter and the sealer She putting up tomatoes. I try
to help her a little bit, but she'd feel 20 every time I peel
one and we get them in the jars and she boils them and I put
a teaspoon of salt and Put the lid on it, tighten the ring down,
put it in a hot water bath, and listen for it to seal. That's
to keep them. That's to keep them fresh. Same
thing with green beans. And you can go back next year,
open them up. Why, they're just fresh as they
can be. Just fresh as they can be. How is that? They've been
sealed, preserved from harm. That's what will keep you. Rex
Butler reads, you and Debbie are here tonight worshiping God
because God's given you an unction to preserve you from the harm
of this religious world. You got that? That's what the
unction is. It's the gift of God upon you
and the gift of God in you. As heirs of Christ's kingdom,
who is seated on his throne in heavenly glory as our great David
and our great King. The unction is the Spirit of
God. We had this unction by Christ Jesus. Who has the unction? Everyone who is taught of God. Every sinner in this world who
believes on the Lord Jesus Christ has this unction, this holy seal,
this holy gift, this holy anointing by which God testifies that we
are His. Let me give you one more thing,
and I'll wrap this up. Why is the unction given? What's the benefit? And ye know all things. Ye know
all things. In the covenant of grace, God
said, they shall need no more every man to say to his brother,
know you the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of
them to the greatest of them. Our Lord says that covenant is
fulfilled in the experience of his grace. He says, everyone,
therefore, that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh
unto me. Now, John is not here saying
that those who have this unction Know everything there is to know.
No, there's a lot to know that you don't know. And I don't know.
He's not saying that we have perfect knowledge of anything. He is not saying that we have
perfect knowledge of everything. He's certainly not saying that
you who are God's people don't need pastors and teachers to
teach you. He's teaching us in the text. What's he talking about
there? You know, all things. Claus Peterson. As surely as you trust the Lord
Jesus Christ, you know everything to keep you from the power of
Antichrist. You know everything to keep you
from falling. Everything by which you shall
be preserved. Everything to keep you from falling
for the delusions of men that would turn you from the simplicity
of Christ. You got that? I know who Christ
is. We know he is God in our nature. We know where he came from. He
came down here from the throne of glory and stepped into time
in our flesh, becoming one of us. We know why he did it. He
came here to save his people from their sins. And we know
how he did it. He did it by sacrificing himself
in our room instead to God Almighty, to the satisfying of justice
and the putting away of our sins. We know where he is now. He's
seated yonder on the right hand of the majesty on high with all
power over all flesh in his hands to give eternal life to as many
as the father has given him. And we know that soon he's coming again. And the glory of his second advent
and all eyes shall see him, and all knees shall bow to him, and
all tongues shall confess him to the glory of God the Father
as he gathers together his elect unto himself in resurrection
glory and makes all things new by the power of his might. God
hasten the day. You have an unction from the
Holy One. and you know all things. That's saving knowledge. God make it yours for Christ's
sake. Amen.