Is There A Difference

Anti-Christ, they are are all around us. They are the liars who come into the church pretending to be one of us, but have an agenda to subvert our beliefs. They are the deniers, who, despite all the evidence to the contrary, declare that Jesus is not the Son of God. They are the deceivers, who use well spun tales that sound reasonable but lead the susceptible away from the promise of life. Yes, antichrists are all around us. But, is there a difference between Antichrists and non-believers? Obviously, Antichrists are non-believers, but are all none believers antichrist, and does it make a difference?

Yes, there is a difference. Antichrists are specifically liars, deniers, and deceivers. They join churches and Christian movements for the purpose of subverting the faith. Other non-believers have little interest in what is going on behind the walls of our church, as long as it doesn’t bother them. They may come at our invitation, but hold their disbelief quietly, even if firmly. 

Don’t get me wrong, their destination is still the same. They both need the transforming power of the gospel. I believe one of the biggest difference is that a non-believer has never claimed to be anything else, where antichrists have tried to come across as one of us. The writer of Hebrews gives an almost impossible scenario when he writes,

4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” Hebrews 6:4-6.

• Been enlightened — Antichrists have heard the truth and even, at some points, agreed with the truth, until it comes to the nature of Jesus.

• Tasted the heavenly gift — I take the heavenly gift to be the abundant life in Christ we have today. They have experienced the joy, grace, forgiveness, and love that believers offer one another.

• Shared in the Holy Spirit — The sharing is different than filling. Their experience shares in the outward manifestation of the Spirit of believers. They are recipients of the Spirit’s fruits as they are lived out by others.

• Tasted of the goodness of the word of God — Tasting is different than devouring. Antichrists experience the word of God being taught and lived out, but never consume its life giving words.

• Power of the age to come — I take this to be the power of the resurrection life, the eternal hope that rests in those who believe.

Antichrists experience all of this and then they leave. And John says, “19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” 1 John 2:19.

Like the wheat and the tares, eventually, Antichrists will been known, but in the meantime we must be vigilant, testing everything against the Word of God. As for the unbelievers in your life, share the Good News that God is with us, that Jesus gave his life so our sins can be forgiven, and that he rose again from the dead in order for us to have eternal life. HE IS THE SON OF GOD. I’m just saying…