Too Good Not to Be True: Sermon Summary
Main Text: 1 John 2:18-27; 4:1-6; 5:1-5
The Challenge We Face
We live in “the last hour”—the period between Christ's first and second comings. Like a soccer match in sudden-death overtime, we know the next goal ends the game, but we don't know when it will come. During this era, John warns us about "antichrists"—not just one future figure, but multiple false teachers already present and continuing until Christ returns.
These false teachers share one key characteristic: they deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. They reject three essential truths: that Jesus of Nazareth is the divine Word of God, that Jesus is fully divine and fully human, and that Jesus alone provides eternal life.
We see this today in prosperity gospel teachers who deny sacrifice and suffering, theological liberals who deny the incarnation or resurrection, moral relativists who reject absolute truth, and cultural Christianity that accepts Jesus as a teacher while denying His divinity.
John commands us to “test the spirits”—we can't trust everyone claiming to speak for God. This reality feels frightening and overwhelming. We're surrounded by deception in the last days.
But this isn't where John stops.
The Protection We Have
John declares: “You have an anointing from the Holy One.” While not explicitly naming the Holy Spirit, John clearly implies that believers possess divine protection and discernment.
This anointing connects to baptism. Acts 2:38 promises that when we repent and are baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Our conversion isn't just forgiveness—it's receiving the Spirit who provides discernment and protects us from false teaching.
We also have Scripture—God's complete Word that reveals truth from falsehood. Like counterfeit detector pens that identify fake currency, these tools help us recognize counterfeit teaching.
The Promise We Claim
Here's the best news: “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
This is one of Scripture's greatest promises. The Holy Spirit dwelling in believers empowers us to overcome whatever the world throws at us. We can resist false teaching, resist temptation, resist losing faith.
Paul reinforces this: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). God "will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" and “will provide a way out” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
We don't have to live with spiritual anxiety. We're loved by God, confident in our salvation, able to face the fiercest storms knowing God is victorious.
The Victory We Possess
“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4-5).
Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? If so, you have already overcome—not “will overcome” but have overcome. The victory is already won.
This sounds too good to be true: fragile humans overcoming the world, resisting deception, standing firm until Jesus returns. But because Jesus is who He says He is—fully God, fully human, crucified and raised—it's not too good to be true. It's too good NOT to be true.
We are not defenseless, not alone, not powerless. We have the Spirit's anointing, God's Word, the church community, and the promise that He in us is greater than he in the world.
The question isn't whether we can overcome. The question is: Will we believe it and live like it's true?
