"It doesn't make any difference what you believe as long as you are sincere." My first recollection of hearing that philosophy was from another Boy Scout at a National Boy Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge. This seems to be the personal philosophy of many folks today. What troubles me even more is when I hear some professing Christians using this as an argument against sharing what they believe with others. Persons with the philosophy may be very sincere in what they believe. They may be sincerely wrong. Think it through. While it may sound good, do we really believe that sincerity is the magic ingredient that makes something true?

Consider some examples:

A nurse accidentally gives the wrong medication to a patient. The nurse may be very sincere, but the patient could become very ill or die.

A man is awakened by a noise in his home at night and decides that a burglar is in his house. Before checking things out he gets a gun and shoots the "burglar" who happens to be his daughter who has gotten up for a glass of milk. She was a victim of her fa­ther's sincerity.

Suppose a family wants to drive from here to Kansas City, but they are headed north on I-35 toward the Twin Cities. Sincerity will not get them to their desired destination when they are headed in the wrong direction.

Faith in a lie will cause serious conse­quences. That is why John gives us some warnings about the conflict of light and darkness, love and hatred, and now he ad­dress­es truth and error. Sincerity is not enough! What you believe DOES matter. Your destiny is dependent upon what you believe! So again, warmly, in Christian love, John addresses us as Children.

John tells us. "It is the last hour... Antichrists have come..." The last hour marks a critical season. It is a New Testament expression for a period of struggle and suf­fering preceding a divine victory.

With Christ, the new age has dawned. John wrote that the True Light, referring to Christ, now shines. Christ, through his death and resurrection has started to usher in the new age. I speak of this as "Already, but not yet." History is now in preparation for the end of evil domination and re-creation of the earth that will take place when Jesus returns. John wrote of the last hour over 1900 years ago. Some wonder why Jesus has not yet re­turned. Peter tells us that God is not limit­ed by time as we are. II Peter 3:8.

The last hour which began in John's day has been growing in intensity since then. The last hour is a critical time, a time for decisions whether or not to believe in and follow Jesus Christ. This last hour is marked by the appearance of antichrists, a term used in the New Testament only by John. The usage may indicate a proper name of one who stands against Christ, instead of, one who opposes Christ by proposing to do what Christ did. It is done intentionally to deceive, to lead people to believe it is Christ. The idea is not just a false Christ, but one who actively opposes Christ. In addition to telling us that antichrists are coming he tells us that many have already come.

Paul wrote of a similar person in II Thessalonians 2:1-12, the man of sin, the man of lawlessness. With this background in these critical days in which we live that to be sincere is not enough, we must know what we believe. So for a few more moments this morning I want us to look at characteristics of false teachers.

Proposition: False Teachers

I. Depart from Fellowship

Read v. 19. Us speaks of the fellowship of believers, the true church.

We can gather with Christians and have our names on membership roll and not be a member of God's true Church, the true family of God. The church in the New Testament is a world wide family of those who repent of their sin and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. We also should see that the New Testament indicates that these Christians should identify with a local group of Chris­tians with whom they can grow and serve.

Earlier in this chapter, vv. 4, 11, 15-16. recall that John mentioned counterfeit Christians. It is possible for persons to belong to a local church without being a true Christian. However, the scriptures teach that Christians should make a regular practice of gathering with God's people. Fellowship means to share in common.

From my study I have come to realize that many founders of false cults and religions started out in a local church. John described them as those who "were with us," but not "of us," so they "went out from us."

Proposition: False Teachers

II. Deny the Faith

Read verses 22,23. Most false teachers believe in a god and may even call their god "Father." The question that may need to be asked centers on the person of Jesus Christ. In Mark 1:24 we see that even the demons know who Jesus is, but they have not put their faith in Christ to save them.

Who is Jesus to you, personally? Is He is good man, a fine example, a great teacher, or is He these and much more? Is He who all the scriptures claim him to be.

Peter described Him as "The Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:6.

Jesus said, "believe in God, believe also in Me." "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known Me, you would have known the Father also." John 14.

"I and the Father are one." John 10:10.

To deny Jesus is to deny the Father. Yet many professing Christians do not know what they believe. George Whitfield, a British evangelist and preaching companion of Wesley is recorded of asking a fellow, "Sir, what do you believe? He answered, "I believe what my church believes." Whitfield then asked, "And what does your church believe? "The same thing I believe," the man replied. "And what do both of you believe?" Whitfield said. "We both believe the same thing." was the man's response.

While the Lord wants us to be identified with a local church, we are not saved by merely identifying with a church and giving intellectual assent to a church creed.

Read Romans 10: 9,10 and I John 2:24,25.

We must place our faith in Jesus Christ to stand against false teachers. They not only depart from fellowship and deny the faith.

Proposition: False Teachers also

III. Deceive the Faithful - or Try

Read v. 26.

It may happen, but seldom do we see false teachers trying to lead lost sinners to their false faith. Most frequently they try to convert people involved in church, even some who profess to be Christians.

John uses the words "Trying to," and "would," which are present participles to indicate that the false teachers have NOT succeeded, but they are in the process of attempting to deceive.

Brothers and sisters in the faith, I believe we may be living in the latter days, living in the midst of false teachers charac­terized by departing from the fellowship, denying the faith, deceiv­ing the faithful. How do we live according to the truth since it is not enough to be sincere? People can be sincerely wrong as I indicated a few moments ago.

Conclusion:

We are instructed to continue to live according to the true teaching through which we were saved. We are to hold fast, to re­main, to feel at home, in the Son, in the Father, in the Word, and in the Holy Spirit, the teacher of all truth. Solution Abiding

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