THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST
The doctrine of Christ is key to our relationship with God. It is not the substance of theology, but a matter of divine revelation. If we are wrong about Christ, we are wrong. If we abandon the doctrine of Christ, we are lost. That is certainly the thrust of our text for today, and of this tiny, but significant epistle.
Familiar though it may be to my readers, it bears review for our good.
John zeroes in on the subject in v. 3, where he identifies “the Lord Jesus Christ,” as “the Son of [God] the Father.” We have become so familiar with the words that we too often miss their significance. In His essential nature, Christ is Deity; God, the Son, co-equal and co-existent with the Father and infinite in power and glory. He is the uncreated cause behind every created thing. “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made [John 1:3].”
He is not only the creator of all, but He is creation’s sustainer, “upholding all things by the word of His power” (cf. Heb. 1:3). This aspect of His enterprise is reinforced by the statement in the epistle to the Colossians, “He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [Col. 1:17],” where the Greek word rendered “consist” is closely equivalent to our English word, “cohere,” or “stand together.” Christ is the cohesive power of the universe, the Reason why it does not fall apart.
In addition, the scriptures indicate that He is the owner of it all, for the Father has appointed Him “heir of all things.” He owns the earth and everything related to it. “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein [Ps. 24:1].” One day it will all return to Him and be compelled to recognize His authority as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That day could be not too far away.
The second great emphasis of the Doctrine of Christ is disclosed in v.7; “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” Doctrinally this is referred to as the incarnation: “God was manifest in the flesh,” becoming true humanity (Cf. I Tim. 3:16) This, of course, concurs with one of the names given to the Lord Jesus before His birth: “Emmanuel,” “God with us.” The great truth is that God, in the person of His Son, became one of us and one with us for the purpose of accomplishing our salvation, “full and free.” John here echoes his emphasis in the first epistle, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life… [I Jn. 1:1].” It is clearly John’s conviction that the tangible flesh and blood Jesus was the eternal Son of God, and out of that incomprehensible union of the human and the divine carrying our sins “in His own body [to] the tree,” comes our hope of eternal life. And those who distort, diminish or deny this truth are here referred to as “deceivers” and “antichrist.”
Doctrine matters, and most particularly the doctrine of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All of this is foundational to our text for today. The doctrine of Christ, as revealed in scripture, is the foundation, superstructure and capstone of our faith. Those who deny it, and those who abandon it are without God and without hope—in this world or “the world to come.” A mere “paper Christ” will not suffice. A Christ manifest only in words and not in deeds will not do. And a temporary relationship (“whosoever abideth not…”) will utterly fail in the end.
Hence John’s solemn warning, especially relevant in this day of growing apostasy and “church-ianity”: “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (v.8) If our doctrine of Christ is sound, we cannot lose our salvation, but straying into alien territory can cost us dearly. We need to be sound in our faith, consistent in our walk and careful in our associations, lest we be “ashamed before Him at His coming.”
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. —I Jn. 2:28
For our good,
"Pastor" Frasier
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