1 John 2:18-19; Mark 4:5-6, 16-17; Mark 4:7, 18-19. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on November 7, 2021.
Last week, we looked at those unbelievers who positively respond to the Holy Spirit. The image of the chaste, virginal, engaged bride is used of those who keep faithful to him in this life.
Today, we are going to talk about the reality that not everyone who becomes a “Christian” is a believer, or remains a believer. This is quite evident when you read some of the polls that are put out by the Barna Group. Many people still like holding on to the label, but they aren’t holding on to the one it points to. The former is useless without the latter.
Let’s get into our first passage.
In 1 John 2:18-19, John is speaking about The Antichrist of the last days, and then transitions to talking about the many antichrists that were in his day. Notice, though, where these antichrists came from, in verse 19. “They went out from us…,” says John. In other words, these were people who were apart of the Church, “Christians,” for a time, but then left. He calls them antichrists because they were leaving Christ behind, or at least the true Christ, and going after the spirit of this world. John recognizes that such people were never really “of us.” They can hang around the group for a long time, or they can be exposed and move on rather quickly. Either way, these are people who were never really saved. These are sometimes called false converts, or a false conversion. They say the right words, join a church, and find a niche in it. However, there heart is not with Jesus and His Spirit.
John knew that the people he was writing to were genuine. Those who left did so because they weren’t. In fact, they did so because they were really against all that is Christ, whether they understood that at first or not. There can be a wide variety of reasons that people would come into the Church and not truly believe. Some are not told the whole gospel and come in hoping for “there best life now.” Others are charlatans and see the Church opportunistically.
This raises a question. Wasn’t the Apostle John guilty of this same thing when he left the synagogues of Jerusalem? Of course, we should see that this question only looks at the issues superficially. It is the same mistake that the false convert makes. It looks like it is similar (i.e., one person leaving a larger group), but this doesn’t automatically make John an antichrist.
The truth is that the disciples of Christ were pushed out by persecution. They were following the God that their leaders claimed to be following. The problem is not a person leaving the group, but whether or not we are following Jesus.
This happens all the time in history. Martin Luther of Germany was only wanting to see the Roman Catholic Church reformed, but they sought to put him to death. Yes, he went out from the RCC, but it had become run by antichrists who stood in the way of God’s Spirit. This is what John and the apostles faced in the first century. The leaders of Israel had become antichrist (anti-messiah). Oh, they gave lip service to a figment of their imagination upon which they put the label of “Messiah.” But, when the true Messiah showed up, they hated him with a passion. The institution had become antichrist, and true believers not only shouldn’t stay within it, but in fact, they would be put to death or pushed out. This similar dynamic happened with in the Protestant Churches almost 400 years later with the rise of Pentecostalism. These people were often run out of Protestant churches who should have known better from their own experience with Rome.
We see here that those who are not truly believers will generally leave a godly church. However, some will remain, and over time (as they increase), they can come to influence the institution, even take it over. This is not a problem for those other denominations. It is a problem for any denomination of believers who are pushed out of antichrist systems. Whatever they build will come under the same dynamics of the prior institution. Constant vigilance and repentance are necessary to keep a church or denomination from becoming antichrist.
Of course, I will briefly recognize that some people who leave groups and start new ones are actually antichrist. Yes, the antichrist spirit has raised up “churches” as well.
Perhaps, Judas was of this group. It is most likely that he never believed because we see early on that he was already pilfering money out of the ministry fund long before he ever betrayed Jesus. However, we should not be dogmatic on that point. Yet, it is good to see that betrayal is exactly what spiritual adultery is. The things that I have described here are exactly that, spiritual adultery. We were called to be a faithful engaged bride, but instead, they go after a different christ, a different spirit.
Let’s look at another problem in the Parable of the Soils.
In Mark 4, the Parable of the Soils opens the chapter as Jesus refers to 4 types of soil. Later in the chapter, he gives his disciples an interpretation of the parable. I want to look at two of those soil types. We will look at both the parable and the interpretation for each, one at a time.
I would say that for this group we might not use the term false conversion, though some people do. However, we should notice that Jesus never questions the sincerity of the response to the Holy Spirit and the implanted word for each of these soils. The problem is that something causes their early faith to fall short of the goal. Let’s look at the stony soil in verses 5-6, and then interpreted in 16-17.
Here, we are told about a soil that is filled with many stones. The Word of God is unable to put down deep roots. Jesus doesn’t get into what the rocks represent. What is it in a Christian’s life that would keep the Word from putting down deep roots? Perhaps, it is a pet sin of which we are avoiding God’s conviction. It might be unforgiveness and a root of bitterness that we refuse to dig out. Regardless, we are told that the growth caused by the Word withers during a time of trial, when the heat is turned up on them. When our faith withers, it is directly connected to the withering effect of God’s Word upon our hearts and lives.
It is important to respond to God’s Word in our lives so that it can put some deep roots into our souls. This only comes through responding to it in the works of repentance and the works of faith. I say it that way on purpose because we are often unbalanced on the concept of works. There are works that are acceptable to God, those done in response to the Spirit by faith in Jesus.
Jesus pictures the hot sun as tribulation and trials. We all have trials. In fact, Acts 14:22 tells us that part of Paul’s message was exhorting people to stay in the faith and not walk away. “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” God help us to dig up and roll out of the field of our life, those stones that may be preventing the Word of God from growing deep into our life.
The second problem soil is found in verse 7, and then interpreted in verses 18-19. It is the thorny soil. If the brute force of trials doesn’t knock out our faith, the seductive pull of the things of this world may work. Jesus describes the problem thorns, weeds, as: the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things.
The cares of this world, the things that we fret over, can be things that are bad or good. Jobs, houses, spouses, etc., can be things that we become so consumed with that it chokes God’s word from growing within us. Notice that it is not just riches, but that the allure of riches is itself a deceit. How many times do Christians think that the answer will come with more money? The idea that money can solve your problems is a deceptive idea. The third category is very general and pretty much covers anything that we desire that is not Jesus and His Kingdom. Clearly, Jesus is talking about things in the natural that are part of this life.
In 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul refers to Demas forsaking him. Demas was a companion and helper of Paul who is mentioned in the books of Colossians, and Philippians. He had been with Paul through many difficult things, but this last situation, where Paul was imprisoned in the dungeons of Rome and did not look to get out, was too much for him. Demas didn’t just forsake Paul. Paul saw that his real problem was his “having loved this present world.” Most likely he was afraid of death for himself. It might be that he was tired of not having anything because his whole life had been helping Paul and pursuing God’s Kingdom. Some Christians every day come to a point where God’s Word is so choked out in their life that they fall away from faith in Jesus. They may grow weary of serving others and choose to “live for myself,” in life. Regardless, if the Word is choked out, then the Holy Spirit’s conviction is choked out. He then becomes grieved, until we one day don’t realize that He has left us. Guard your heart from these things that come between us and our Lord.
Let me close by mentioning that both of these problems may or may not quit being religious, and going to church, even leading a church. Like I said earlier, over time some churches and whole denominations have come to a place where they are led by a majority of men and women who are no longer true believers in Jesus and his Word. They are no longer followers of the Holy Spirit. Don’t get me wrong. Most of them would be incensed if someone told them that this was the case. Caiaphas the High Priest of Israel was such a man. They have loved this world more than Christ, and they co-opt his Church for their own purposes, which they may believe to be Christ’s. Like the Pharisees and Sadducees before them, they have become dressed up on the outside, but inside they are dead man’s bones.
Oh, friend, guard your heart and beware the things of this life that will choke out God’s Word from growing his righteousness within you.