Do You Believe in the True Christ?

To deny a doctrine or alter the work or person of Jesus Christ is to attack Christ and to deny the true Christ of the Bible.

1 John 4:2-3 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3- and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

1 John 4:3 “Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist…” Not an outright denial that Jesus was a historical figure. But if you don’t confess the Jesus of the Bible you see what’s said.

Look, to deny aspects of the person of Christ, the teaching, (that’s doctrine, doctrine is ‘teaching’), to deny the doctrine of Christ, the teaching of Christ concerning His person and His work; every spirit that does not confess the biblical Jesus, this is the spirit of antichrist. To deny a fact about Christ is to be seduced by the spirit of antichrist and to be an antichrist. You are an antichrist if you are denying the Jesus of the Bible.

Now, notice this, “Who is the liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?” Undoubtedly, there were some specific errors, I am broadening it out to talk about any attack on His person, there were specific ones in that day. In 1 John 4:3 it just talks about, if you don’t confess Jesus, you are not from God; this is antichrist. Here, [ 1 John 2:22] to deny that Jesus is the Christ. Well again it says, “This is the antichrist.” “He who denies the Father and the Son.” Notice this. [1 John 2:23] “No one who denies the Son has the Father.” Here is what I want you to see from this. To deny a fact about Christ, is to deny Christ. You need to see that. Because people don’t admit that. “Jesus is not God! He is the Son of God!” You just denied Christ. “No! I didn’t deny Christ.” But see, God says you did. And ultimately, it is not what we think that counts or matters. There is a denial here, of Christ himself.

Notice this. They did not raise their fist. They did not just defy Christ. They did not curse His Name. They did not deny that Jesus actually lived. They just set forth something about Christ that was not true. To alter the person or work of Jesus Christ is to attack Christ, it’s to be antichrist.

Now notice this. In verse 23 it says, “No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” Here’s the thing, I’ve had Catholics tell me, “It is the same God.” There are Muslims that want to say, “Well we’ve got our differences but it is the same God.” Ok. I read over here that Jesus Christ is called the Mighty God. I read over here that Jesus Christ was crucified. That He made propitiation for sins and He rose from the dead. Is that the Christ you believe in? They are going to say, “No way!” You don’t have the Father. Not the same God. No way! No how! To deny Christ.

They’ll say, “We don’t deny Christ. He was a prophet.” He was a prophet. But He was much more than that. And they deny essential facts about Him, which means they deny Christ. Which means they are antichrist, which means they don’t have the Father. They deny the Father in denying the Son. Do you recognize us going to God? He is the Way, He is the Truth, He is the Life. We don’t go to the Father except through this Christ, as revealed in Scripture. There is no way to God, there is no way to be on safe terms with God, there is no way to be right with God, there is no way to be saved from the wrath of God, unless we embrace the true Christ.

And then you can see from verse 25, “This is the promise that He made to us –eternal life.” And who is the “us”? It is those with the anointing. It is those who embrace the truth. To deny Christ is to be without the Father and to deny Christ is to be without eternal life! Make no mistake about it! This is life and death, to go wrong on Christ!