1 John 2:18-27 may be a confusing or disturbing passage of Scripture for you. John calls the time he is writing in “the last hour” and says antichrists are coming. These can be perplexing phrases. As we read them, it is helpful to remember why John wrote this letter in the first place and to consider why God has given us this letter now. The letter is written to assure Christians, not frighten us. The reason he says this is the last hour is because he knows Jesus could come at any time—praise God! He also knows that the world is hostile to Christ and therefore, it will not be hospitable to Christians. Though it is used more specifically in other places in Scripture, here John is saying that anyone who denies that Jesus is the Son of God is antichrist. In fact, we should expect to see more and more people who are antichrist as history moves on.
Even though there are warnings and signs of darkness in these verses, they are abundantly hopeful. If you have received the good news of Jesus you have the hope of eternal life. The local church is a gift from God to us. We too can say we are living in the last hour because we believe Jesus will come again soon. There are many who oppose Him and, therefore, are against us. As the church, it is important that we encourage and strengthen one another to embrace the Gospel, turn from sin, and glorify God in the world. I hope you will be a part of that this Sunday morning. Our Saviour is a great church to join together with. Bring a friend who does not know Christ or who does not have a Gospel-centered church home.
