I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you: 1 John 2:26-27

1 John 2:26-27 English Standard Version

26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

            I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. The word deceive here means lead astray; deceive, to deceive — to cause someone to believe an untruth. 36 The false teachers of the time were attempting to misguide the believers. Satan will always seek to destroy from within. If we don’t walk with discernment and remain sensitive to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can easily be deceived and led down the wrong path. We must remember that Jesus compared us to sheep, and one of the hallmarks of sheep is that they can be easily led astray if the shepherd is not present.

            But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. The anointing that God has placed upon us is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. What is the role and function of the Holy Spirit? He is the one who leads and guides us into all truth. We are told that the anointing we receive will abide in us. The Holy Spirit never leaves us. Although we may grieve the Holy Spirit, He never departs from us. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and the only way we can abandon this relationship with Jesus is if we choose to do so.

            John says that we do not need anyone to teach us. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide us into all truth. This does not mean that teachers of God’s word are unnecessary in the body of Christ. The five-fold ministry God has given us exists for the specific purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry. However, it also implies that we should not become so reliant on any teacher of God’s word that we neglect to examine the scriptures ourselves. We need to emulate the Bereans, who faithfully and diligently examined the scriptures when Paul arrived. They did not simply accept his word at face value; instead, they scrutinized the scriptures to ensure they aligned with God’s truth. The best way to protect our hearts and minds from deception is to know the word of God.

            But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. John has been writing about the importance of light and darkness, truth and error. What will lead us down a path of destruction is building our lives on deceptions and lies. Sound doctrine is essential for the child of God. We live in a time when we are bombarded with all kinds of messages. People are saying many different things. However, our hearts and minds must be focused on Jesus Christ and His word. It is the Holy Spirit who will teach us and guide us into all truth.

            We are called to abide in Him. The word abide here means remain; stay; reside, to continue — to continue a certain state, condition, or activity.[1] We are called to remain, stay, reside, and continue in truth. Every day, we need to make a choice: will I do things my way or God’s way? Will I build my life on what I think is right or on what the Word of God says? Every day, we must decide to bow our knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Abiding in Him is key to seeing His purposes accomplished in our lives.

Prayer

Father thank you for the truth of your word. Holy Spirit thank you for your presence in our lives. Lead and guide me this day into a greater understanding of your word. Help me to not only understand your word, but to apply your word on a daily basis. Help me to see what you want me to see. May my heart be one with yours. Guard me this day from lie and deception. May your will be done and your name be glorified in all that I do. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Reflection Question: Is there anything you believe that is not based on sound doctrine? What recently has the Holy Spirit been teaching you? How well are you abiding in Christ on a daily basis?

[1] Rick Brannan, ed., Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Lexham Research Lexicons (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).