Based on 1 John 2:18-29 (New King James Version)
“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
One of the most modern influences that the enemy has sought to promote today—though it is based on his same old tactics—is a philosophy called "relativism." This way of thinking is very common in the world today, and it has also infiltrated the minds of many so-called believers. It is defined as follows: “Relativism is a family of philosophical views that deny absolute objectivity and assert that truth, knowledge, or moral values are dependent on the observer, culture, or historical context.” (The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). A simpler way to define it is in practical terms: something might be true for you, is not true for me. In this view—put quite simply—there is no such thing as universal truth. Those who adopt this way of thinking believe that there is no such thing as absolute or universal truth. This is highly advantageous for the enemy, as it aligns perfectly with his primary and most fundamental tactic: sowing doubt and subsequently introducing deception. Before humanity fell into sin, the enemy first asked the woman: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And he then said: “…You will not surely die...” So, how might this be translated through the lens of relativism? It begins by introducing doubt—"So, Jesus Christ is the Son of God?"—followed by the lie: "There is no such thing as universal truth!" and "Nothing bad will happen to you if you think otherwise!" This is how relativism operates. While the devil may employ a newer method of temptation, it is, in fact, his oldest tactic for causing humanity to fall. The enemy’s task is quite simple: sow a seed of doubt to prompt deviation—and that is how every path toward perdition begins. That is why the Lord warned: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.
Now, let us look at the other matter the Apostle John mentions regarding the antichrist. In the end times, a specific individual will indeed arise as the antichrist—the devil’s version of a messiah—who will attempt to mimic the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. In other words, the antichrist will be the devil’s messiah for the world, used to deceive and subjugate humanity during the end times. However, John also speaks of many "antichrists." Does this mean the devil has raised up many such false messiahs in the world? The point is that the term "antichrist" does not refer solely to this malevolent figure of the end times; it can also be understood as the "absence of Christ." In other words, there have been—and will continue to be—many people who deny, or seek to erase, the identity and significance of Christ, the only begotten Son of God. To clarify further: anyone who denies the Lord Jesus Christ—along with His importance and relevance to all things—acts as an antichrist. John even notes that these antichrists emerged from within groups of believers—people who once made a confession of faith and were even part of the congregation, but who later drifted away to the point of denying the Lord and abandoning their faith in Him. This brings us to our final point.
Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle John warns everyone—especially those within the faith—that we must remain steadfast in our belief in Christ. This ensures that when the Lord returns to judge the world, we will not go away in shame, but rather stand firmly grounded and unshakable in our faith in Christ. This leads us to a crucial realization: true faith is not centered on some generic "god," as many believe. Believing in God, by itself, is of no avail. What saves and redeems humanity before God the Father is faith in—and remaining in—the Lord Jesus Christ. There are not many paths to God. There is only one path, one Person, one way to be saved, and that is solely through the Lord Jesus Christ. This stands in direct opposition to the relativism we discussed earlier. There is only one Truth; our sins can be forgiven through only one Person; and eternal life is found through only one God: the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus Christ is God. This is what the Word of God says: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:4-8. That is why He urges and exhorts us not only to believe, but to remain in Him—in Christ—for the Lord Himself said: “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” And this brings us back to the controversy over whether or not a person can lose their salvation. It must be made clear that one is saved simply because they prayed a prayer on one occasion; rather, one attains salvation—or inherits eternal life—by remaining faithful to the end, by never denying the faith, and by never abandoning the Lord to pursue something else. The race must not only be started; it must also be finished. As it is written: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13. So, will you choose to abide in Christ—come what may—until the time comes for you to stand before His throne and give an account for what you did during this temporary, fleeting life? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!