Deceivers Abound
Is it possible to begin a believer and become a deceiver?
Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. - 2 John 7-9
John's second letter is short. It contains a compliment and a request in the form of a warning.
It is written to a woman, elected by God to head a church community. He is overjoyed that her children (members of her congregation) have been following Christ, but he warns that there are deceivers who will try to sway her in another direction.
He warns her not to let these people into her home, the place where her congregation meets.
His description of a deceiver is simple. If one does not accept that Christ came into the world in the flesh, he is a deceiver.
He is literally anti-Christ, against the Messiah, one who believes Jesus was a good guy, a prophet, a rabbi, but not God.
John lays it out there in this short letter, and at first glance, it may seem obvious to us who he means. He is talking about non-Christians who have a teaching against Christ.
True. But there are many who call themselves Christians who want to believe Jesus is God, but they feel that may be too radical a statement, so they back away.
They justify their silence on the subject as being hospitable or accommodating to others, non-believers. Be welcoming and not threatening, right?
But something happens when we fail to speak about our belief. We find ourselves adopting more and more of what we hear others say about our faith. We broaden our perspective to be welcoming and positive in a diverse world, and in many ways that is good.
But we need our daily dose of faith to ensure that we remain solid in our belief. We have a lot to offer the world because we believe that God so loved his children that he sent of himself to be one of us, and he promised to be with us forever, living in us as his Spirit.
The package is complete when we put all the pieces together.
We are one with God through Christ.
Sharing what we believe, with conviction, is a way to help us reinforce our own belief and to help others come to see God as all loving. Love one another. Be the humanity God intended and showed us we could be.
So, we should acknowledge the existence of those who go beyond the truth and seek a more universalist view. They exist and perhaps do not intend to deceive, the way John says.
But they can lessen our commitment if we let them. So here is a way to stay focused.
Read. Reflect. Renew.
Read the Scripture daily.
Reflect on the Word and share it with others.
Renew the faith through worship and action in the world.
Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
More to come...