The Devil’s Doctrine

Temple Baptist Church - 10-28-2015

2 John 7-11

Introduction:

A.  I gave this message the title “The Devil’s Doctrine” for this reason: everything God is or God says is being either denied or twisted by Satan’s deceivers. 

1.  In the Garden of Eden, Satan used the serpent to change God’s Word and has used men ever since.  2 John speaks of these deceivers either not having or not abiding in the Doctrine of Christ.  The Doctrine of Christ or Christology is the most important doctrine found in the Bible. 

2.  Jesus Christ is the Center and Executor of God’s plan of the redemption of fallen man.  I do not want to take the time during this series on 2 John to deal with the Doctrine of Christ in detail as that is a study in itself but it is important to know what John means in verse 9.

B.  Everything that God has ever done for mankind has been through Jesus Christ, by Jesus Christ, and for Jesus Christ.  **Colossians 1:12-29.

C.  The Devil’s Doctrine is any doctrine that changes or discounts the Biblical account of the Person or work of Jesus Christ!  It matters not what denomination, church, or preacher who does this as they are doing the work of Satan! 

1 Timothy 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Peter 2:1-3  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  (2)  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  (3)  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

D.  What is the Doctrine of Christ?  A full explanation would take years as it would be a course in Systematic Theology.  I am preaching through the Book of 2 John, not teaching Bible College so:

E.  Here is a quick and simplistic overview of The Doctrine of Christ:

1.  Who Jesus Christ was: 

a)  He was Eternal and Self-sufficient.  Jesus the Christ has always been eternal God. He is Eternal and Self-Existent. Jesus Christ as God always existed in eternity past. He is not dependent upon anyone else for His existence. He is the uncaused cause.  John 1 declares that Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God and was God. 

John 1:1-2  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.

b)  He was Jehovah God of the Old Testament.  The great I AM.  He was not  just the Son of God, He was very God!  He appeared many times in the Old Testament in what are called:  Theophanies, Christophanies, Anthropomorphisms (representation of Christ in inanimate forms such as the Burning Bush and the Rock of Horeb). 

Matthew 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

c)  He was the Creator of all things.  John 1 declares that He was the Creator of all things.  He is life and gives life.

John 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

2.  Who Jesus Christ became: 

a)  He became man, the virgin born Son of God. 

Matthew 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

b)  The Hypostatic Union:  the union of two natures, human and divine: 100% God and 100% Man.  As God, He could not be tempeted (James 1:13) but, as man, He was tempted (Matthew 4:1).

John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

c)  He was the sinless Son of God.

Hebrews 7:26  For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

3.  What Jesus Christ did:

a)  He became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

b)  He died a substitutionary death of the cross for the sins of the world.

1 John 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

c)  He is the ONLY way of salvation.  Many denominations teach salvation through baptism, good works, sacraments, the church, Mary as co-redemptrix with Christ.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

John 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

d)  He physically died.  Some teach that Christ swooned and, pretending to be dead, was carried away by his disciples.

John 19:33  But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

e)  He was buried and rose again bodily according to the Scripture.  Some teach that it was a spiritual resurrection and not a bodily one.

Matthew 28:6  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

f)  He ascended back to heaven.

Acts 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

4.  What Jesus Christ is doing: 

a)  He is our High Priest.  He offered His blood on the Mercy Seat.

Hebrews 9:11-12  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;  (12)  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

b)  He is our Mediator.  He is the only Mediator between God and man.  Roman Catholicism teaches Mary as co-mediatrix with Christ.

1 Timothy 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

c)  He is our Intercessor.  He ever liveth to make intercession for the saints.  Roman Catholicism also teaches that Mary makes intercession for the saints.

Romans 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

5.  What Jesus Christ will do:

a)  He will come in the Rapture for His Church.  This is a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation return. 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  (16)  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  (17)  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

b)  He will come in the Revelation to set up His Millennial Kingdom.

Revelation 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Revelation 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

c)  He will sit on the Great White Throne to judge the unsaved.

Revelation 20:11-15  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  (13)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  (14)  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

d)  He will make a new heaven and a new earth.

Revelation 21:1-5  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2)  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  (3)  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  (5)  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

e)  He will dwell eternally with His people.

Revelation 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

F.  What are we commanded to do concerning these deceivers?

1.  For those who knock on our doors.  These are the cults: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, etc.

a. Do not allow them to come into your home.  2 John 1:10a  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not intoyour house.

b.  Do not argue with them.  Proverbs 19:27-28  Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. (28)  An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.

c.  Do not say God bless you to them.  2 John 10b-11  Neither bid him God speed:  (11)  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

2.  For those who we encounter outside of our local church.  These are those of “Christendom” who profess to know Jesus Christ but have not the Doctrine of Christ.

a. Try them with the Word of God.  1 John 4:1-3  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  (2)  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  (3)  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

b.  Turn away from them.  2 Timothy 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

c.  Remain separate from them.  2 Corinthians 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

3.  For those who are within our local church.   These are the ones who are a part of the “falling away” of 2 Thessalonians 2.  They are the hardest kind to separate from because they have been or supposedly have been a part of us who still believe the Doctrine of Christ.  These feast with us while constantly nibbling at the foundations of truth.

a.  Rebuke them.  Titus 1:13  This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

b.  Mark them.  Romans 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

b.  Reject them.  Titus 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;