You Can Know the Truth
We played a lot of card games as a family this summer. I'm decent at Uno — but the one I always lose is Memory. Flip the cards, find the match. For the life of me, I can never remember where anything is.
Turns out I'm not alone. Human memory is on the wane; the more our devices remember for us, the less we do. But memory is a spiritual lifeline. Scripture is full of calls to remember — Passover, stone memorials, and Jesus' own words at the table: "Do this in remembrance of me." In 1 John 2, false teachers have left the church claiming a deeper, secret knowledge of Jesus. You'd expect John to counter with some new insight. Instead, he tells the church to remember what they heard from the beginning.
The antidote to being led astray isn't new knowledge. It's remembering what you already have.
Recognize the Time
"Dear children, this is the last hour... They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us." — 1 John 2:18–19 (NIV)
Don't let "last hour" and "antichrist" send you hunting for end-times timelines — that's not John's point. He's orienting the church to the moment they live in. "Last hour" is theological, not chronological: the whole era from Christ's resurrection until his return. We're in it now. It was never a mistake that Jesus didn't come back immediately — that was always the plan. But living in this time should give our lives urgency and purpose, not the assumption that this world is all there is.
Know What Makes an Antichrist
"Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ." — 1 John 2:22 (NIV)
The danger came from inside — teachers who rose up from within the church to draw a following after themselves rather than lift up Jesus. What made them "antichrist" wasn't a mysterious future figure; it was denying who Jesus is. They taught a sanitized Jesus — a man God temporarily used, not God made flesh who truly suffered on the cross. But that guts the love of God. If Christ wasn't really given for us, where's the love in that? What you believe about Jesus matters — for how you worship God, and because "salvation is found in no one else" (Acts 4:12).
Remember and Remain
"As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father." — 1 John 2:24 (NIV)
You already have what you need. John says you've received an anointing from the Anointed One — the Holy Spirit, God's seal of ownership on your life. The false teachers had speculation; you have power. So remember. Reread the Gospels. Memorize a few verses. Gather to sing, hear the Word, and come to the Table. And then let remembering become remaining — not just recalling the truth, but letting the gospel make its home in you. Because when it does, you discover your home in God. That's eternal life.
The Bigger Story
The gospel isn't something we graduate from — it's what we keep coming back to. Even Timothy, a seasoned pastor, was told by Paul: "continue in what you have learned... go back to what you were taught." The Spirit never moves us beyond the truth of Jesus; he takes that truth and makes it real, pressing it into our hearts.
So you don't need secret knowledge or something more than Jesus. Recognize the time you live in. Remember the truth you've received. Let the Spirit impress it on your heart. And remain — make your home in him.
Share This With Someone This Week
You know someone chasing a "deeper" or trendier spirituality, quietly convinced Jesus isn't enough. This is for them: you don't need something more — you need to come home to what's already true. Sharing it is an act of love.
What Are You Going to Do About It?
Read 1 John 2:18–27 slowly this week, then sit with two questions:
- Where am I tempted to think I need something more than Jesus to feel secure or spiritually alive?
- What one practice of remembering — rereading a Gospel, memorizing a verse, coming to the Table — could I build into my week?
Pick one and start it this week. Let remembering become remaining.
About Our Sermon Series
The Letters of John walks through John's letters to a church learning to hold onto the truth in a confusing world. Join us Sundays at 9am and 11am,