Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Standing Firm Against Deception

1 John 2:18–29 

A couple of weeks ago at supper, I asked Jenny, “Have you heard about that chihuahua that was integrated into a wolf pack around Ely?”

I went on to tell her what I had read: supposedly, wildlife experts were called in, and when one of them was asked how a chihuahua could survive among wolves, he replied, “I’ve met many wolves and a few chihuahuas—and I was always more scared of the chihuahuas.” The article ended with, “He didn’t just survive. He belonged.”

I thought, That will preach!

Except Jenny looked at me and said, “I don’t think that’s true.”

At first, I wanted to defend myself. I was sure I had read it in an article. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was probably right. So I checked. Sure enough, I had been duped. The “expert” wasn’t real, and the “quote” came from an old meme floating around online since about 2010.

The truth is—I wanted it to be true. And because I wanted it to be true, I stopped asking hard questions. My skepticism went down, my desire went up, and deception slipped in unnoticed.

Isn’t that exactly how false teaching spreads? Our desires, fears, and hopes can cloud our discernment. We accept what we want to hear without stopping to test it against the truth. It’s no wonder the New Testament spends so much time warning us about deception.

Why Truth Matters for Christian Community

In his first letter, the Apostle John writes to Christians who were facing spiritual confusion. Some former church members were spreading a different message about Jesus—one that sounded spiritual but denied that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. They claimed deeper knowledge, higher truth, and better revelation.

But John cuts through the noise. He reminds believers that a healthy Christian community is grounded in truth and love. When false teaching seeps in, both truth and love are corrupted. That’s why discernment isn’t optional for followers of Jesus—it’s essential.

John gives five reminders to help us stand firm in a world filled with deception.

1. We Are Living in the Last Hour

John writes, “Dear children, the last hour is here” (1 John 2:18).

By “last hour,” he means we are living in the time between Jesus’s first and second comings—the time when opposition to Jesus will rise. The presence of “many antichrists” isn’t proof that God’s plan is failing; it’s evidence that we are in the middle of the story God told us would unfold. So don’t be surprised when truth is challenged—be anchored instead.

2. The Test Is What People Say About Jesus

John tells us that false teachers are known by their message. They don’t deny God—they distort Jesus.

Some in John’s day claimed that Jesus was just a man who temporarily received the “Spirit of Christ,” but that this Spirit left before the crucifixion. In other words, they wanted Jesus’s teachings without His sacrifice.

John says that’s the heart of deception. The question is always the same: What do they say about Jesus? Correct belief about Him leads to correct living.

3. We Are Anointed by the Holy Spirit

John uses a wordplay: Christ means “Anointed One.” The antichrists are those opposed to the Anointed One—but believers, John says, are also anointed (v. 20).

When we hear the Gospel and pledge our allegiance to King Jesus, the Holy Spirit marks us as belonging to Him. The Spirit convicts, empowers, and guides us in truth. This anointing sets us apart to live for God’s Kingdom in the middle of a deceptive world.

4. We Must Remain Faithful

John urges, “Remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning” (v. 24).

Faithfulness is not just believing the right things—it’s staying loyal to Jesus and the Gospel we first received. We don’t need new revelations or “secret” truths; the Gospel we’ve already heard is enough. The Holy Spirit continues to confirm that truth in us and keeps us rooted in Jesus so that when He returns, we can stand with confidence rather than shame.

5. We Are God’s Children

Finally, John reminds us that righteousness isn’t just what God sees in us—it’s what we live out.

When we do what is right, love others, forgive, and serve—we reveal the family resemblance. As God’s children, our lives reflect our Father’s character to the world.

Two Ways to Stand Firm

So how do we live this out in a world swirling with deception?

1. Keep the Gospel Central.

Use it as your litmus test. When you encounter a new teaching, idea, or post, ask: Does this align with the good news that Jesus is Lord and that His Kingdom is breaking into the world?

2. Do the Next Right Thing.

Righteous living isn’t perfection—it’s persistence. Confess sin quickly. Offer forgiveness freely. Help your neighbor. Sit with someone who is grieving. Every small act of obedience is a way of standing firm in the truth.

Nothing to Fear

When we remain with Jesus—when our allegiance is to Him alone—we don’t have to fear the lies that swirl around us. The wolves may circle, false teachers may shout, but those who belong to the Anointed One—those anointed by His Spirit—stand secure.

As John wrote, “Now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame” (1 John 2:28).

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Walking in Light

1 John 1:5–2:2

When was the last time you had to use your cell phone as a flashlight? Maybe you were rummaging around in the garage, trying to read a menu in a dimly lit restaurant, or searching for something in the backyard at night. Why did you need it? Because it was dark—and without light, you couldn’t see clearly.

That’s a picture of life in this world. As sinners living among other sinners in a fallen world, we encounter darkness every day. Sure, we may have Instagram-worthy moments that feel like sunny-day picnics, but the truth is, life often feels more like a midnight walk through the woods. On most days, we face more confusion, temptation, and brokenness than clarity and peace.

And here’s the problem: without light, we can’t move forward safely. Without light, we can’t see where we’re going—or even where the dangers are. That’s why we need something outside ourselves to light the way. Psalm 119:105 says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God has provided light for our darkness—truth that reveals reality and guides us forward.

It is this idea of light that John starts the main part of his teaching: “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

God Is Light

When John says that God is light, he’s saying something profound. Light represents what is good, pure, true, beautiful, and holy. Darkness, on the other hand, represents evil, deception, and sin.

To say that God is light means:

• His character is good, pure, and beautiful.
• His word is true and trustworthy.
• He reveals the way of life.

In God there is no deception, no evil, and no sin. He is holy—and that holiness shines into our world to expose what is real.

This was not just a theological statement for John; it was practical. False teachers had infiltrated the early church. They claimed fellowship with God while living in sin. They claimed they had no sin to worry about. Some even claimed that sin didn’t matter because it only affected the body, not the spirit. John corrects these lies with the truth of who God is and what it means to walk in the light.

Three False Claims

John takes up three false claims the false teachers were making:

1. Claim: We can have fellowship with God while living in darkness. — John says no—if we walk in darkness while claiming to know God, we are deceiving ourselves. Fellowship with God is seen in how we live: walking in truth, resisting evil, and demonstrating God’s character.
2. Claim: We don’t have sin. — John says that if we deny our sin nature, we are lying to ourselves. The good news, though, is this: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1:9).
3. Claim: We have not sinned. — This is even more dangerous. To deny sin in our lives is to call God a liar and reject His word. Scripture is clear: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

John’s point is not that Christians will never sin. His point is that when we sin, we have an Advocate—Jesus Christ the righteous. His death on the cross atones for our sins, and not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole world.

What This Means for Us

So how does this speak into our daily lives?

1. Life makes sense through the reality of God. On our own, life often feels meaningless. Why do people do terrible things? Why do I struggle with behavior I know is wrong? Why does life sometimes feel empty? The answer is found in the light of God—through His word and through Jesus. He helps us make sense of the world and shows us how to live.
2. Living in the light is more about how we live than what we know. Right belief matters—but right belief is meant to lead to right living. There are people who can recite the creeds, quote Scripture, and defend doctrine, yet their lives are marked by pride, anger, or selfishness. Walking in the light is about demonstrating God’s character in everyday life: love, kindness, honesty, forgiveness.
3. We need humility. The danger John confronts is pride—a pride that says, “I’ve got it all figured out. I don’t struggle with sin. I don’t need correction.” Walking in the light requires humility: admitting that we still have darkness in us, that we still sin, that we still need God’s grace every day. The good news is that we don’t need to hide our sin or pretend it isn’t there. Jesus has already taken care of it.

Walking in the Light

Here’s the heart of it:

1. God is light—holy, pure, and true.
2. We cannot claim fellowship with Him and continue to walk in darkness.
3. Walking in the light means living honestly, humbly, and lovingly.
4. And when we do sin, we don’t deny it or despair over it—we bring it to Jesus, our Advocate.

This is the good news: The God who is light has made a way for us to walk in His light—through Jesus.

So let me leave you with two challenges:

• Personal: Practice walking in the light by confessing your sins honestly to God. Don’t excuse them. Don’t hide them. Bring them into His light, trusting His promise of forgiveness.
• Relational: Look for one way to demonstrate God’s character in your relationships. Be patient with someone who tests you. Show kindness when it isn’t deserved. Offer forgiveness when it’s hard.

Closing Thought

Imagine a room with every window shuttered and every light switched off. You can’t see the dust, the clutter, or the broken things. But when sunlight pours in, everything is revealed.

That’s what it means for God to be light. His light exposes our sin, but it also reveals our Savior. And that’s the hope of the gospel: Jesus, our Advocate, has already taken care of our sin.

So step into the light—live honestly, walk humbly, love deeply—and let God’s character shine through you into a dark world.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Encountering the Word of Life

A few years ago, researchers studied how much it costs when people avoid hard conversations. They discovered that the average employee wastes about $1,500 and an entire workday for every crucial conversation they refuse to have. Multiply that across an organization, and the costs skyrocket.

Why? Because avoiding conflict doesn’t make it disappear—it just redirects it. Instead of resolving issues, people complain, stew in frustration, or distance themselves from one another. Sometimes the tension drags on for months, costing thousands of dollars.

What about the church? What’s the cost of conflict when believers avoid hard conversations? We lose unity. We stop praying for each other. We withdraw instead of serving together. And sadly, churches shrink because unresolved tension drives people away.

This isn’t new. The letters of John were written to churches struggling with conflict. False teachers denied that Jesus was truly human, which split the community. Some left, and those who remained faced deep questions about truth, love, and fellowship. Into that moment, John writes words of hope, clarity, and invitation.

Why John’s Words Still Matter
Tradition holds that 1, 2, and 3 John were written by the Apostle John between 70–90 AD—the same John who wrote the Gospel. Unlike a typical letter, 1 John reads more like a sermon written for broad circulation. An intriguing thought I came across in my study is the possibility that 2 and 3 John served as cover letters for it.

John’s goal was simple: to call the church back to the truth about Jesus and to the practice of love. His message is as relevant now as it was then. In a fractured world, we need wisdom to help us live faithfully as disciples of King Jesus—walking in truth, walking in love, and shining as light in our communities.

A Life-Changing Encounter
Have you ever had an experience so profound you couldn’t keep it to yourself? The birth of a child, an achievement you worked years to reach, or an encounter with God that changed everything? These moments demand to be shared.

That’s exactly where John begins. His testimony isn’t abstract theology—it’s rooted in what he personally experienced:

“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life.” (1 John 1:1–2a, NLT)

John piles up sensory words—heard, seen, touched—to drive home his point: Jesus was real. He wasn’t an idea or a myth. He was flesh and blood, the eternal Word of God who stepped into history. John and the other apostles walked with Him, ate with Him, and saw His miracles firsthand.

Christianity rests on this reality: Jesus came in the flesh, lived among us, died for us, and rose again. Our faith is not built on speculation but on eyewitness testimony.

That means our relationship with Jesus isn’t something we sustain in isolation. We encounter Him as we gather with others, as we pray for one another, as we serve together. We meet Him in Scripture, where the Spirit reminds us of who He is. And we see Him in the faces of “the least of these” when we serve with love.

A Proclamation of Life
John doesn’t just describe his experience—he shares it:

“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3, NLT)

John couldn’t keep silent. He knew Jesus is eternal life revealed—the very life of God made visible. And this life wasn’t for him alone. It was meant to be proclaimed and shared.

This challenges us. Too often we think proclaiming the gospel requires eloquence or formal training. But John reminds us that proclamation is simply testifying to what you’ve seen God do. Have you experienced His forgiveness? Share it. Have you found hope in a dark time? Tell someone. Has God provided when you didn’t know how things would work out? Point it back to Him.

Proclamation isn’t about being polished; it’s about being personal. Someone in your life may be waiting to hear how God’s life has touched yours.

Fellowship and Joy
Why does John proclaim this truth? His purpose is clear:

“We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.” (1 John 1:4, NLT)

John longs for believers to experience fellowship with God and one another. This isn’t just social connection; it’s a deep, Spirit-filled bond rooted in Christ. Gary Burge puts it well: “Christian fellowship is triangular: my life in fellowship with Christ, your life in fellowship with Christ, and my life in fellowship with yours.”

When we walk in truth and love, our lives interlock with God’s life and with each other. Out of that fellowship flows joy—not circumstantial happiness, but deep, resilient joy that God Himself completes in us.

If your joy feels faint, perhaps it’s time to lean back into fellowship—with God in prayer and Scripture, and with His people in community. Joy is often restored when we stop isolating and start connecting again.

Encountering the Word of Life Today
John’s words still invite us today:

1. Encounter Jesus personally. He is the eternal Word of Life who came in the flesh.
2. Proclaim what you’ve experienced. Share how God is at work in your life—it may encourage someone else to believe.
3. Pursue fellowship. Life with God is meant to be shared with others. Joy grows in community.

The big idea is simple: Encountering the Word of Life leads us into fellowship with God and others and fills us with lasting joy.

So here’s the challenge: Who in your life needs encouragement or hope? Take one step this week to share Jesus with them—whether through your story, a prayer, or an invitation into Christian community.

Encountering the Word of Life changes everything—our faith, our relationships, and our joy. Let’s live in that reality today.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Why Does Evil Exist? A Christian Perspective on the Religion Debate

I originally published on October 19, 2007 on my old blog, and updated it June 25, 2025, this article delves into the age-old question of why evil exists, offering a Christian perspective on the ongoing debate surrounding religion. I thought this was a good companion post to go along with the Clarity series.

In 2007, I witnessed a thought-provoking debate between Christopher Hitchens, the author of God Is Not Great, and Alister McGrath, the author of The Dawkins Delusion. The topic of discussion was Poison or Cure? Religious Belief in the Modern World. Hitchens argued that religion is a poison, fueling unspeakable evil. While McGrath’s response was thoughtful, it lacked the vigor to effectively counter Hitchens’ arguments. Nearly two decades later, this question remains pertinent: Does religion inherently lead to evil, or is there a deeper narrative at play?

Today, this debate continues to resonate in social media firestorms, political rhetoric, and even casual conversations. Critics like Hitchens, whose arguments persist in modern atheist circles from X posts to Reddit threads, point to historical and contemporary examples of religiously justified actions, such as crusades, terrorism, and cultural conflicts. As Christians, we are confronted with the challenge of responding to these claims. More importantly, how does a Christian worldview, rooted in Scripture, address the question of evil and morality itself?

The Question of Evil and Morality

During the 2007 debate, a pivotal moment came when an audience member posed a profound question to Hitchens. If God does not exist, on what basis can anyone declare an action right or wrong? Hitchens attempted to sidestep the question, focusing instead on how religion provides “divine permission” for evil acts. However, the question lingered: Why does he label these acts as evil? What grounds his moral outrage?

As a Christian, I firmly believe that atrocities, whether historical, such as the Inquisition, or modern, like religiously motivated violence, are inherently evil. However, this ability to label something as evil points to a deeper reality. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis argues that humans universally possess a sense of right and wrong, which he refers to as the Law of Nature. He writes:

“First, that human beings, all over the world, have this peculiar idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and they cannot truly get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we inhabit.” (Mere Christianity, p. 8)

This moral intuition is a divine gift, confirmed by the Scriptures in Romans 2:14-15. It’s why individuals like Hitchens and all of us can recognize evil, whether it’s genocide, injustice, or betrayal. But without God, how does an atheist explain this universal moral sense? If life is merely the product of natural selection, why should we care about morality at all?

A Christian Worldview: Morality Points to God

In the Clarity series, we’ve delved into how a Christian worldview, shaped by Scripture, aids us in navigating life’s most challenging questions. From spiritual warfare (relying on God’s strength) to the Bible’s trustworthiness (our foundation for truth), we’ve witnessed how faith provides a lens through which we can comprehend reality. The question of evil and morality is no exception.

Hitchens’ critique assumes that morality is self-evident, but his worldview, naturalism, struggles to explain why. If we’re merely products of evolution, morality becomes a survival mechanism, not a universal truth. Why should I care about atrocities across the globe if they don’t impact my survival? Why label anything as “evil” if there’s no objective standard? These are questions that naturalism can’t answer without resorting to a theistic framework.

In contrast, a Christian worldview establishes morality based on God’s character. As citizens of God’s Kingdom (Colossians 3:17), we perceive evil as a deviation from God’s design, and our moral outrage reflects His justice and love. When we condemn something as evil, whether it’s human trafficking or systemic corruption, we are echoing God’s heart, even if we are unaware of it.

Addressing Religion’s “Evils”

Hitchens’ examples of religious evil often confuse human sin with God’s truth. Christianity acknowledges that people, including Christians, have committed terrible acts. The Bible itself critiques hypocrisy and abuse (Matthew 23:27-28). However, these failures do not negate God’s existence; they highlight our need for Him. As exiles in a broken world (1 Peter 2:11), Christians are called to live honorably, not to wield power or justify violence. Our response to evil is not to abandon faith but to align our actions with Jesus’ love and grace.

In 2025, this tension is felt both online and in global conflicts. X posts decry “religious extremism,” yet many overlook secular ideologies, such as totalitarianism or unchecked consumerism, that have caused equal harm. Evil is not unique to religion; it is a human problem, rooted in our rebellion against God (Romans 3:23). The Christian response is not to point fingers but to point to Jesus, who offers redemption and transformation.

Your Challenge: Reflect and Engage

The debate over religion and evil isn’t just an academic discussion; it profoundly impacts our daily lives. Take a moment to reflect on the source of my sense of right and wrong. In a world that often blames faith for evil, how can I effectively represent King Jesus? As we’ve explored in the Clarity series, our worldview plays a crucial role in shaping our perception of life, morality, and even politics.

Let’s approach this question with prayerful contemplation, as Colossians 3:17 advises: “Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus.” Prayer, as we discussed in our previous post, is our most powerful tool—not a passive act but an active endeavor that invites God’s Kingdom into our world.

Prayer Prompts

• Express gratitude for the moral compass God has gifted us, reflecting His character.

• Seek wisdom to discern right from wrong amidst the complexities of the world.

• Commit to representing Jesus with love, even when faith faces criticism.

If this resonates with you or you feel God’s prompting, don’t hesitate to reach out. Join us in the Clarity series as we construct a biblical worldview to navigate life’s most challenging topics.