1 John 4:4

Memory Verse

You are out from God, little children, and you are victorious over them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

John explains that antichrists deny that Jesus has come in the flesh, and these deceivers will impact the Church as long as it is on earth. By denying Jesus as the resurrected, glorified one, they also deny the Father (1 John 2:22).

Those who deny that Jesus has come in the flesh are deceivers who seek to undermine what we have built. We are called not to accept those who bring a different doctrine than that received from the beginning (2 John 7–10).

To clarify further, the antichrist is not the man of lawlessness, also known as the beast of Daniel and Revelation, who becomes the world power during the Tribulation period—a time on earth in which God is both judging the dispensation of law and pouring out His wrath upon the unrighteousness of men. Since the man of lawlessness is not revealed before the Church is taken from the earth by the return of the Lord in the air, we are not to be troubled by those claiming these times of troubles have come upon us (2 Thessalonians 2:5–9).

Because of all this, since we are out from God, we have overcome the antichrists, for we have believed the truth of the gospel. Let us hold to it, and reject those who teach contrary to the doctrine of the Christ. The core of which can be expressed in salvation is by faith in Christ’s death on behalf of sins and resurrection three days later, and we live by grace through faith because in Christ we are free to walk in newness of life.