The apostle John wrote “Whosoever transgresses and abides not in the doctrine of Christ has not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.” (See 2 John 9). And what IS the doctrine of Christ? John explains “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” (2 John 7). Those two words “is come” in verse 7 are a translation of the one Greek word erchomai (pronounced ER’-khom-ahee), and that Greek word is in the present imperfect tense, and is better translated “is coming” in the flesh. John is not referring to Jesus Christ’s return, for when He returns He will not return in the form of a fleshly human being but in His glorified form described in Revelation 1:12-18. John is talking about what the apostle Paul speaks of in Galatians 2:20, when he wrote “Christ LIVES IN ME.” In fact, Paul wrote that it “is Christ IN YOU” that is your only hope of being glorified with Jesus Christ and the rest of the redeemed. (See Colossians 1:27). Paul told the Galatian believers “I travail in birth until Christ be formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). That is the culmination of our sanctification experience, that we become Christ-like in every area of our being and in every facet of our character.
In I John 4, John wrote: “Beloved, believe not every spirit (manifesting itself through some preacher or Bible teacher), but try (test, weigh, examine, scrutinize) the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know you the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ IS COME (present imperfect tense) in the flesh (Jesus Christ manifesting Himself in and through a believer’s life and character) is of God. And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (presently manifesting Himself in and through a believer) is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that IS IN YOU, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:1-4). Again, Paul wrote “you also are built together FOR AN HABITATION OF GOD through the Spirit” (See Ephesians 2:22). And just as God under the Old Covenant would permit no defilement of His physical temple, under the New Covenant He will permit no defilement of His spiritual temple – the body of Christ, the church, but will move swiftly to correct and punish the offending member. (See Hebrews 12:5-14 and Acts 5:1-11).
That supposed Christian who sins day in and day out without receiving correction from God has been duped by Satan and Satan’s false ministers into thinking they are children of God when they are nothing more than religious folk.
Note well that John warned how many false teachers and preachers were proliferating throughout the world in his own day. Well, folks, Satan has had two thousand years to send out his deceived followers throughout the world we now live in. You can now find them every where you turn. And, of course, being deceived, they do not realize they are not true representatives of God but are of their father, the devil! “Many will say to me in that day (of judgment), ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied (preached) in your name (by your authority)? and in thy name (by Holy Ghost power) have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?’ And then will I declare unto them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23). Notice, the ones so deceived are not the few, the minority, they are MANY, meaning the majority! God help you to understand.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley