The Power of Truth

Scripture: 1 John 2:26-29 TPT (Click link for scripture in You Version)

26 I’ve written these things about those who are attempting to lead you astray. 27 But the wonderful anointing you have received from God is so much greater than their deception and now lives in you. There’s no need for anyone to keep teaching you. His anointing teaches you all that you need to know, for it will lead you into truth, not a counterfeit. So just as the anointing has taught you, remain in him. 28 And now, dear children, remain in him, so that when he is revealed we may have joyful confidence and not be ashamed when we stand before him at his appearing. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who lives in righteousness has been divinely fathered by him. (1 John 2:26-29 TPT)

John reminds us about the antichrists, both within and outside the church, who are trying to lead people away from the Message of Life into deception and error. They do this by taking away from the truth of God’s love and Jesus’ divinity. They do it by adding rituals and complexity to the message and practice of faith. It’s a real issue, and John doesn’t minimize the dangers, either for believers living in his time or in ours.

BUT! But the wonderful anointing you have received from God lives in you and is so much greater than their deception! That “anointing” is the work of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth (John 16:12-15). Friends, early in my Christian life I was warned about getting too “spiritual”, about how things can get crazy and out of hand when we encourage too much dependence on the Holy Spirit. There certainly are extremes. There is some silliness that goes on, and the Holy Spirit often gets blamed for what is actually human foolishness. John’s readers then didn’t have a Bible to help them sort truth from error, so they needed the Spirit and the Spirit was a more than adequate resource!

We do have a Bible to help us sort truth from error! But if we try to live by the Bible without the “anointing”—without the inspiration, explanation, and application that comes by the Holy Spirit who lives in us, we’re capable of finding our way into just as much and just as damaging error as they did back then. The key is keeping our hearts right, staying in fellowship with the Father, Son, and Spirit and holding to the truth we already have in the clear and simple Message of Life.

Prayer:

Father, Please teach us by your Spirit the Truth and the Truths about your Son! In Jesus’ Name!