Living in the Last Hour
Read the Text: 1 John 2
Memorize the Text:
All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
(1 John 1:3, CSB)
Consider the Text: 1 John 2:17-28
The apostle John discussed the need for fellowship with the Lord through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ at the beginning of his first letter. As followers of Christ, individuals must walk in the light and battle against the threat of darkness. This journey occurs in the body of Christ; as a result, believers exist as a unified body that works together. These topics lead the apostle to declare two truths: (1) we are living in the last hour, and (2) we receive a call to live in the last hour in faith and endurance.
WE LIVE AMID THE LAST HOUR
John stated the reality of the last hour in 1 John 2:18. This declaration indicates that we live in the latter part of history and live in the moments that precede the return of Christ. The last hours exist as if five minutes remain until midnight. The truth remains that individuals cannot predict the final moment and the return of Christ but must live in the reality that the final moment could occur at any moment.
The last hour includes the presence of the Antichrists. The apostle John uses this term to declare the Antichrist as a deceiver who will amaze people. The character Antichrist consists of that he is a man of lawlessness who opposes God. He will exalt the self and seeks to be honored as God. As a result, he will set up a temple so that people would worship him. In verse 19, the apostle notes the existence of many antichrists. He declared that these individuals were once associated with the church but did not authentically belong to the body of Christ.
The last hour comes with two dominant lies that plague humanity. First, the gospel becomes watered down by the attempt to introduce new ways to receive peace with God and the rejection of the exclusiveness of Christ. Second, denying sin becomes dominant, and people seek to justify their sin instead of seeking forgiveness. Thus, these lies attempt to appease the ears of flesh and the desires of humanity.
STEPS TO WALK IN FAITH AMID THE LAST HOUR
The presence and reality of the last hour present the need for the believer to understand how to walk in faith during this time. The apostle John provides five critical truths that must exist in the believer's life, navigating the last hour. First, believers must know their anointed status. John reminds believers of their anointed status in 1 John 2:20. This truth indicates that believers must live with the truth that they have received the anointing of the Lord to live as his representatives in the world during the final hours. The ability to carry out the task comes from access to the needed truth revealed by the Lord.
Second, believers need to steady the self in the truth. The apostle John charged believers to trust the truth of God's Word as the solid foundation of navigating life in the last hours. In verse 24, the apostle called believers to remain and abide in the Word. Thus, we must dwell in the Word and place the Word into the heart. The placement of the Word of God in the heart provides the basis for the ability to stand on the truth during the last hours.
Third, believers need to hold tight to the promise of eternity. The apostle John charged believers to remember the promises of eternity to gain motivation to remain faithful during the last hours. The ability to lean into the promises exists because God is the great promise maker and keeper. He promised eternal life to those who have a relationship with him. Since he keeps his promises, believers find hope in the promised eternal life.
Fourth, believers must live trusting in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The follower of Christ has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Spirit provides believers with guidance, wisdom, and strength to navigate life. The Spirit gives aid to a proper understanding of the truth and to live out the truth in life. John noted in verse 27 that the presence of the Holy Spirit gives the needed resources to navigate the last hours. When believers trust in the presence of the Holy Spirit, they live in a manner of certain victory because of the Lord.
Fifth, believers must practice spiritual discernment. John charged in verse 27 that believers need to discern the world and events around them with the presence of truth. Thus, true discernment comes when the believer lives with the foundation of life being the Word of God. At the same time, the believer uses the Word as the test to evaluate the occurrences and events to discern what is of the Lord and the world.
As we live in the final hours, we must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As a follower of Christ, we must navigate these last hours with the understanding of our anointed status that finds an anchor in the Word of God, which promotes the promise of hope in eternal life and reminds us of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the need to practice discernment. How are you living in the final hours?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
