"Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him." ~1 John 2:18-29 (NASB)
The major theme that jumped out at me day after day as I was studying these verses was the importance of truth. If the truth abides in me then I am in a relationship with God and will get to participate in the promise of eternal life.
Truth seems like such a simple thing. And it is a simple thing... something is either true or it is false, those are the only two options. The problem is there are so many deceiving things in the world that make such a simple concept seem very confusing. Thank God for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to give us discernment!
As I've already learned in 1 John, God is light and that light exposes the truth. When I come into His presence, whether I willingly come into His presence now, or whether I come into His presence on the last day when He returns, or I come into His presence on judgement day, His light will expose me for who I really am. If I am not walking in the light, then this exposure will be cause for shame. If I am walking in the light and confessing and repenting of my shortcomings, then I can be confident with no cause for shame because my shortcomings will have been covered with Christ's righteousness.
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I personally needed the reminder of my anointing this week. I sometimes get bogged down in studying Scripture or in theological discussions with friends in which it all seems so confusing and complicated and I just want to give up trying to understand and rest in knowing "the basics." But I don't just want to be casual friends with God, I want a deep relationship and that means getting to know Him more and more through His Word. The passage this week was so encouraging to me to keep pursuing an understanding of truth because I have God's own Spirit teaching me.
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