photo #9229610

They Went Out1 John 2:18-19.“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”Through the years I have watched people I know and love walk away from God. I do not think such a decision happens over night. The first step away from God is a gradual one. The word “antichrist” means one who is an adversary of the Messiah. One day there will come an Antichrist who will at first seem like a good person but eventually will show who he really is. But presently today there are those in the world who are antichrists, they are adversaries of Christ. Sadly, as our text suggests, some of them used to be a part of the church. The phrase “they went out from us, but they were not of us” is a puzzling one. The explanation is in the text, “they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us”. I believe Judas Iscariot is a picture of such a one. He was with them, but went out. We are “in the last time” and people walking away from God is a characteristic of the times. May God give us wisdom in these days.