Reflection Questions – Living in the Truth
In John 8.42-47 Jesus argues with some of his opponents. Read this passage please, and answer the following questions, based on Jesus’ words here.
- does Jesus believe in the existence of the devil?
- what does Jesus say about the nature of the devil? What are two inner dispositions the devil has?
- What does Jesus say about the work of the devil? What are the kinds of ways he operates in the world?
- Where do you see systems of lies that stifle human flourishing in the world today?
- Where do you see lust for violence and murder in the world today?
- If you can find lots of answers to 4 and 5 above, then according to Jesus’ definitions of the devil’s work, the devil is very active today! Why do you think it is so hard for western Christians in the modern world to accept the reality of the devil?
- If we ignore the reality of the devil, how might our Christian life be hampered?
In Luke 11.20-22, Jesus describes himself as the champion who attacks the devil’s kingdom and liberates precious souls. Jesus’ mighty exorcisms are: Jesus the champion overpowering the devil and plundering his house.
It is through the cross that Jesus defeats the devil and his kingdom. Through divine love, a sin bearing death and the weakness of his sufferings, the Son of God overcomes the kingdom of darkness (Colossians 2.13-15, Hebrews 2.14-18).
Because the devil is now defeated, we need not be afraid of him or in fear of evil spirits. Instead we ought to be confident in our victory, and alert to the devil’s strategies. Also, ready to call on our champion to help us resist the devil today.
A key way to resist the devil’s lies is to resist the work of antichrists. Reread 1 John 2.18-27.
8. What are the specific truths that antichrist teachers reject? Clue: 1 John 2 v22-23. Discuss.
Read: In John’s day, a number of (so called) leaders denied that that the Son had become flesh in Jesus of Nazareth. Expert NT Wright explains in his book The New Testament in Its World. These false teachers had likely confirmed, fitted in, to the Greek culture around them with its negative attitude towards physical life, physical matter, and suffering. ‘The material world is bad. It would be below a perfect God to experience physical life or suffering. We can’t have the divine Son of God living & suffering as a human.’ These were the ideas of the false teachers.
They also seemed to reject the idea that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed king sent to fulfil God’s promises (1 John 2.22).
Where do you see these kinds of false teachings today?
9. Any philosophy that sees the historical Jesus as a mere teacher, or only a wise man, or simply an inspired miracle worker, or prophet, but nothing more- not fully God & fully human- suffers from the same problem. These philosophies are antichrist, they are literally anti the true Christ who appeared in history. They are anti Jesus the Son of God.
We must be kind and merciful to adherents of other religions, for they have been misled by their teachers. However, we must guard against the influence of antichrist teachers themselves, in our lives. Guard against the teaching of those who intentionally reject that the Son of God has come among us, fully God and fully human, in Jesus- crucified and risen.
10. Read 1 John 2.20, 27. Who helps us receive the Apostles’ witness and accept the truth about the Son?
Who helps regular Christians teach each other from the Gospel, and the Apostles’ words (compare to 1 John 1.1-4)?
Do we need new ‘enlightened’ teachers to lead us into new truths? Why, or why not?
Prayer:
Spend some time praying for practitioners of other faiths you know, that they may accept the Son of God in Jesus.