1 John 4:2-3 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
Civilization continues to erode as the world is being prepared for its greatest deception, the appearance of the false messiah — the Antichrist. The word literally means “one against Christ” and also, one “in place of Christ.” Yeshua (Jesus) predicted and warned his disciples and all believers of this dangerous development in the last days.
Toward the end of the first century, the gospel message came under the influence of Greek philosophy and culture, and was corrupted by Greek “Gnosticism” to the point of heresy. “Gnosis” – meaning “knowledge”, in this case, special, particular, hidden, esoteric, “spiritually enlightened” knowledge, was the basis and goal of Gnosticism, both at that time, and today in its many contemporary expressions. These spiritual adepts claimed to be the “spiritually enlightened” ones, some of whom inserted themselves among the true believers to draw followers and to replace the true revelation of Yeshua (Jesus) with a counterfeit.
The apostles addressed this heresy in numerous letters. Paul exhorted Timothy to, “Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge (gnosis).” [1 Timothy 6:20]
Most of these Gnostics believed Yeshua, whom they called, “Christ”, to be divine, but that he was only one of the “aeons” or “divine spiritual beings.” They taught that Christ only seemed to be human, that he was never actually born to a Jewish household, growing up in Nazareth, and that He was never actually crucified nor bodily risen from the dead. This Gnostic “Christ” revealed himself only to reaffirm and exemplify the message of “spiritual enlightenment” for those who sought this “special revelation.”
And they believed that he was only one of numerous “prophets” appearing from time to time with this “universal” Gnostic message. The apostle John was well aware of this and was led by the Holy Spirit to teach and warn of it.
And Gnosticism is alive and well today. One of its ubiquitous signs is the “all seeing eye”, which is traceable to ancient Egypt as the “eye of Horus” and is associated with the same “special revelation” or “enlightenment” propounded by the Greek Gnostics. The same false rendering of Yeshua also abounds today in various Gnostic teachings, so that the words of John the apostle are just as relevant as ever, perhaps even more so. According to Gnostic teachings, Jesus is no longer the savior of the world who died for sins and rose from the grave, but a spiritual adept who appeared to exemplify and teach the transcendent knowledge of “enlightenment.”
There is a dark being in the scriptures who is associated with “light” [2 Corinthians 11:14] and who is behind all false teachings of “enlightenment.” His light is darkness. [Matthew 6:23]. So our brother John carefully warns us to, “Test the spirits … to see whether they are from God.” The test is simple but unequivocal. “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” “In the flesh!”; not a “spiritual, angelic, aeon/avatar, one of many bringing a false message and a false “light”… but a unique incarnation of the Creator YHVH, who lived a human life, and died a human death, and was physically, bodily raised to eternal life.
The true Gospel message is simple and beautiful, and accessible to all. It is not a deep esoteric knowledge, or mystical experience. We can rejoice in the beautiful and simple fact that in Him, namely “Yeshua (Jesus),… are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” [Colossians 2:3]
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Many families across the U.S. are gathering today to celebrate “Thanksgiving.” But let’s take a moment to turn our hearts to the ultimate source of thanksgiving: God Himself. Psalm 100 is often called the “Psalm of Thanksgiving,” and it’s a perfect guide for how we should approach God—not just during Thanksgiving but every day.
For nearly twenty years, Romans 13:12 has been my signature verse on every email I send. For me, it’s a constant reminder that the long, dark night of this world is almost over, and the Day of the Lord is just about to dawn.
The testing of Abraham’s faith was repeated by YHVH throughout the patriarch’s entire life. The tests grew greater as his life advanced, and through every one, whether Abraham passed or not, YHVH proved Himself to be his friend over and over again. Every test or “trial” involved a serious challenge or threat in which Abraham had to trust that the LORD knew what He was doing, asking, or requiring, and that His goodness and faithfulness were unquestionably reliable.
While I was in the States, I read several stories about Ronald Reagan that made me appreciate him as a person and as a leader. But one amusing story really caught my attention and made me smile. When he was a young man, Reagan worked at a radio station and sometimes played records of sermons. His shift at the station was a one-man operation and so, on occasion, Ron would set the record playing and then sneak out for a cup of coffee. One day he got a call while he was at the coffee shop from the station’s owner, ordering him back to the station, and then … he received his termination notice. He’d returned to the station finding the record skipping at a particular point in the sermon…
Having spent over 20 years living in Israel’s Negev Desert, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of salt in maintaining proper hydration. “What in the world does salt have to do with grace and truth?”, you ask. Well, I’ll tell you.
During the first great awakening, revivalist George Whitfield was preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, “What do you believe?” “Well, I believe the same as the church.” “And what does the church believe?” “Well, they believe the same as me.” Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, “And what is it that you both believe?” “Well, I suppose the same thing.”
The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stretches over 4,000 miles (6,400 KM) and was built to protect China from the barbaric hordes to the north. The designers of the wall made it so high that it could not be scaled, so thick that it could not be penetrated, and so long that no one could go around it.