Dealing with Deceivers

In this earnest message addressing 1 John 2:18–27, Chuck Swindoll warns believers about the dangers of spiritual deception in the "last hour." He opens with a personal story involving Dr. Bruce Waltke at a Christian Science church, illustrating that while "love is a more excellent way" to win people, love becomes dangerous if it flows outside the "banks" of truth and discernment [1–3]. Swindoll argues that there is nothing worse than spiritual deception—being led into error by charlatans who quote the Bible but offer a "phony faith". Swindoll distinguishes between the Antichrist (a future figure) and the many antichrists (present deceivers) who are already at work. He profiles these deceivers as individuals who were often once part of the church but "went out" because they never truly belonged to Christ. They prey on the biblically illiterate, offering an "adulterated gospel" that adds human merit to divine grace [14, 18–19]. In contrast, Swindoll encourages genuine believers that they possess an "anointing from the Holy One"—the Holy Spirit—who provides the capacity to discern truth from error [21–22]. The message concludes with a call to specialize in Jesus Christ. Swindoll utilizes a humorous interaction with a "thyroid specialist" to make the point: just as a specialist focuses entirely on one thing, Christians must focus exclusively on Christ, avoiding the "spiritual junk food" of the culture. He leaves the congregation with three safeguards: renew a commitment to the Word, stand firm in convictions, and stay focused on the exclusivity of the Savior [31–34].

Message Key Facts:

• Love and Truth: Swindoll shares a lesson learned with Dr. Bruce Waltke: "You always win with love." However, he qualifies that love must have boundaries. Quoting Charles Ryrie, he notes, "When [love] leaves the banks, it gets dangerous," meaning it must be contained by truth and discernment.
• A Career of Deception: Swindoll traces Satan’s history of deception from the beginning to the end. He appears in Genesis 3 deceiving Eve, and his career concludes in Revelation 20:10 where "the devil who deceived them" is thrown into the Lake of Fire.
• "Led Astray": Exploring Paul’s warning in 2 Corinthians 11:3, Swindoll defines the Greek verb phtheiro ("led astray") as causing the "deterioration of the inner life." It implies corruption through misleading tactics [12–13].
• Profile of a Deceiver: Swindoll lists four characteristics of spiritual impostors found in the text:
  1. There are many of them (not just a few).
  2. They were often once in the church ("they went out from us").
  3. They never truly trusted in Christ alone.
  4. They prey on the unsuspecting (the biblically illiterate) [17–20].
• The "Anointing": Swindoll explains that the "anointing" mentioned in 1 John 2:20 comes from the Greek word charisma. In this context, it is a symbolic term referring to the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers and acts as the "Spirit of Truth" to guide them.
• The Litmus Test: The dividing line between truth and heresy is the person of Christ. Swindoll states that a liar is one who denies the deity and the incarnation of Jesus. If one denies the Son, they automatically deny the Father [23–25].
• The "Thyroid Specialist": Swindoll tells a story about a doctor who did nothing but treat thyroids—he didn't do surgery or general practice. Swindoll uses this to challenge believers to "do Christ"—to make Jesus their sole specialty and obsession [33–34].
• Airline Narrowness: To refute the complaint that Christianity is too "narrow," Swindoll uses the analogy of an airline schedule. Passengers want the flight to leave at a specific, narrow time (e.g., 1:27 PM), not "whenever." Truth, by definition, is narrow.

Message References:

• 1 John 2:18–27: The primary text warning against antichrists and encouraging believers to abide in the anointing they received.
• 2 Corinthians 11:2–4: Paul’s warning that he is "jealous with a godly jealousy" for the church, fearing they will be led astray like Eve was by the serpent [10–11].
• Revelation 20:10: "The devil who deceived them was thrown into the fire...".
• 1 John 5:11–12: "He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life".
• John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life...".
• 1 Timothy 2:5: "There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus".
• John 16:13: Referenced regarding the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit of truth will come and he will guide you into all truth".

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll