Predicazioni/1Giovanni/Ci vorrebbero distrarre dal “Solus Christus”/English Version
They want to distract us from the "Solus Christus"!
Today, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from lies. Propaganda, disguised as information, sways public opinion and confuses. Even within the Christian community, there are those who distract believers' attention with secondary or debatable issues, almost taken as dogma, distancing them from the centrality of Christ. Isn't this perhaps one of the signs of that "last hour" spoken of by the apostle John, when he already saw "many antichrists" arising? Drawing on John 2:18-28, today we propose to rediscover spiritual discernment as a gift and responsibility of the Christian. The calling remains the same: to abide in Christ, the one true Lord and Savior, to walk in the truth that liberates and in the hope that does not disappoint.
Times of great confusion
For most people today, it's become very difficult to distinguish truth from lies. Every day, we're inundated with messages, news, opinions, slogans... And it's not easy to navigate, because lies, today more than ever, aren't crude or improvised: they're refined, studied, "scientific," crafted to persuade. They're propaganda—and often pass themselves off as "information." And many, even those who call themselves Christians, fall for them, as they say, like baked pears: they believe them with little discernment.
We undoubtedly live in difficult times, in which the international and moral situation seems to worsen daily. Many consider these "the last times," "the last days," and give credence to "prophets of doom" who imagine apocalyptic scenarios. I don't like to venture into eschatological speculations, where it's wise to maintain prudence and balance, while maintaining a constructive perspective and trust in God's providence. One thing, however, is clear to me: Scripture invites us to be vigilant, to discern, and not to believe every spirit, but to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1).
The apostle John, in his first epistle, speaks of his time (!) as a period of great spiritual confusion, which he calls "the last hour": a time in which "many antichrists" were already at work, preparing the ground for the great deception that would one day reach its culmination. He addressed sincere but inexperienced believers, calling them "children," not to frighten them, but to awaken and console them, reminding them that, despite difficulties, Christ continues to victoriously lead his Kingdom.
And if there were already many antichrists then, consider how important it remains today to maintain the same attitude of vigilance, because "antichrists" abound even more—not only in religious forms, but also in cultural, ideological, moral, and media forms. For this reason, the apostle's words remain extraordinarily timely: they call us to develop a critical spiritual sense, a discernment born of communion with Christ and fidelity to His Word. In a world where so many "alternative Christs" are proposed, we are called to return to the one true Christ, the incarnate, crucified, and risen Son of God, and to live by his Spirit.
The biblical text
Let us therefore examine together what the apostle John wants to teach us in a text that, while calling us to be vigilant, is also a word of hope: because, despite the rampant lies, those who remain in Christ possess the truth that sets us free and will not be put to shame when He executes justice on every worker of iniquity. Let us listen to him.
“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and even now many antichrists have arisen. By this 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 remained with us. But they went out that they might be revealed, and that it might be seen that not all of them are of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I have written to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. But let that which you have heard from the beginning abide in you. If that which you have heard from the beginning abide in you, you also will abide in the Son and the Father. And this is the promise. which he has given us—eternal life. These things I have written to you against those who would deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you, you shall abide in him” (1 John 2:18-28).
“It is the last hour” — The Christian Time Perspective
When John writes, "Children, it is the last hour ," he does not mean that the end of the world was imminent in a chronological sense. From the biblical perspective, "the last hour" is the time inaugurated by the coming of Christ , in which history has reached its culmination and is now moving toward its final fulfillment. It is the era in which the light of the Kingdom of God has already shone, but the darkness has not yet completely retreated. The apostle thus calls believers to understand that living in the last hour means being aware of being part of a spiritual battle that spans the centuries: truth versus lies, Christ versus the spirit of the Antichrist. John's expression is therefore not a prediction of catastrophe, but a call to vigilance: the time of witness and faithfulness is now .
This awareness concerns us profoundly. We too live in the "last hour," and perhaps more than ever we perceive the intensity of the spiritual conflict that runs through history. We do not know when Christ will return, but we know that the fight for truth is already underway. It is the hour of moral and doctrinal confusion, but also the hour of grace, in which God calls his people to remain lucid, steadfast, and serene. Instead of giving in to anxiety or apocalyptic curiosity, we are called to live each day as if it were our last, serving the Lord with trust and discernment. "The last hour" is not a time of fear, but of persevering faithfulness , because Christ is already the Lord of history and nothing escapes his sovereign providence.
“Many Antichrists Have Risen” — Discerning Falsehood
When John speaks of the "many antichrists," he is referring to those who, even within the Christian community, distorted the truth about Jesus Christ , denying his incarnation or his divinity. The "antichrist" is not only someone who openly opposes Christ, but also someone who replaces him , proposing an "alternative Christ," a different gospel. This is the religious face of the lie: a spirituality that preserves the appearances of faith but empties its content. The apostle, with profound clarity, recognizes in this falsification the very sign of the "last hour." Wherever truth is relativized and Christ is reduced to a symbol or a simple moral teacher, the spirit of the antichrist is already at work.
And isn't this what's happening today? Modern "antichrists" don't necessarily bear a religious name: they hide behind ideologies, philosophies, cultural trends, even behind a certain Christianity that has lost the heart of the Gospel. These are those messages that promise freedom, well-being, or salvation without the cross, without repentance, without the lordship of Christ. They may even claim to follow Christ or to be consistent with the biblical message, but subtly, often with clever rhetorical devices, they shift the focus from Him (who should always remain the center of attention) to issues that distract and divert the Christian's attention to secondary issues, traditions, questionable and sectarian doctrines elevated to dogma or, upon closer examination, blatantly erroneous, making them believe essential things. This is the original meaning of the term "heresy"—that is, to choose a secondary teaching found in the Bible and radicalize it, take it to extremes, misinterpret it, make it the most important thing and the object of dispute, often bitterly. This is what frequently happens in Roman Catholicism, Pentecostalism, or so-called Christian Zionism. The centrality of Christ, to which the New Testament testifies, is lost. These are subtle seductions that penetrate even Christian communities when believers cease to think critically and rely on the Word, rigorously studied. This is why John invites us to spiritual discernment , a gift of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of fidelity to the truth received "from the beginning." Only those who know the true Christ can recognize false Christs, and only those who abide in the Word can remain steadfast when lies masquerade as light.
The Teaching Anointing—The Spirit's Leading into Truth
John reminds believers that they must not be disturbed by false teachers, because they have received an anointing from the Holy One (v. 20): a clear reference to the Holy Spirit , Christ's gift to his followers. The Spirit not only seals our belonging to God, but enlightens the mind and heart to recognize the truth. This anointing, says John, "abides in you" (v. 27): it is a constant presence that concerns all of God's people as a whole, not a passing emotion. Christian faith is therefore not uncertain knowledge, dependent on religious fads or new alleged revelations, but a living knowledge born of communion with God. Those who are truly born of God do not need to follow human traditions and doctrines to know the truth: the Spirit himself bears witness to Christ in the Word , and confirms within us what is authentic.
In an age like ours, marked by a constant flow of information and "spiritual opinions," this word is undoubtedly extraordinarily timely. It's not enough to have a critical mind; you need a consecrated mind , guided by the Spirit who reveals the true Christ. Many seek teachers who confirm their ideas, but the disciple of Jesus allows himself to be corrected, guided, even contradicted by the Spirit who speaks in Scripture. This is the secret of stability in faith: not the arrogance of those who "know everything," but the docility of those who listen to God's inner voice. As Jesus says in John 16:13: "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth." This promise continues to be true for Christians today.
Remain in Him — Perseverance and Hope
The discourse culminates in the exhortation: "And now, little children, abide in him " (v. 28). John's entire message is summed up in this word: abide . It is not just a matter of believing once and for all, but of living continually in the communion of Christ , as proclaimed and explained in the New Testament, nourishing ourselves with Him in faith, prayer, and obedience. It is a call to perseverance: those who abide in Christ will not be confused, but "will have confidence in his coming." The apostle thus leads us from eschatological vigilance to inner security: do not fear judgment, but await it with peace, because our judge is our Savior. True faith does not live in the panic of the end times, but in serene daily fidelity.
This "abiding in Him" encompasses the heart of Christian life. It is the remedy against the fear, confusion, and dispersion that the Antichrist spreads. Every age has its deceptions, but only those who truly abide in Christ remain steadfast , like the branch on the vine. Abide in Him means cultivating a living relationship, nourished by the Word and fraternal communion. When the world becomes uncertain, the believer neither flees nor exalts himself, but remains rooted in his Lord. And in this "abiding" he finds his freedom and strength: Christ in us, the hope of glory.
Conclusion — Remaining in the true Christ
We truly live, as John said, in the "last hour": not because we can calculate times or predict future events, but because with the coming of Christ the last time has already begun . His cross and resurrection have opened the season of decision: who belongs to the truth and who allows himself to be seduced by lies. For this reason the apostle speaks with urgency, but also with tenderness: "Children, it is the last hour." He does not want to frighten us, but to awaken us; he does not want us to live in suspicion, but in the clear awareness that Christ alone is the center and criterion of all things .
We have seen how the Antichrist is not only a future figure or an apocalyptic symbol, but a spiritual reality already present : everything that denies the truth of Christ, that distorts it, distracts from it or replaces it with a religious or ideological surrogate, belongs to this spirit of lies. Faced with this, John does not invite us to withdraw from the world, but to remain rooted in the faith we have received and in the commitment to concretely witness to the "lifestyle" taught us by Christ , to live in that consecration of the Spirit that teaches us to discern and guard the truth. As the apostle Jude writes: "Beloved, I was eager to write to you about our common salvation, and I felt compelled to do so to urge you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (4).
The Christian response to deception is not fear, but perseverance. Remaining in Christ means not allowing ourselves to be moved or distracted from Him by any external or internal force, but rather continuing to find in Him our life, our joy, our light. It is in this remaining that we mature as people of faith: not spectators of time, but witnesses of the Kingdom to come. When the world changes face and voices multiply, we look to one face and listen to one voice , that of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus, when He appears, we will not be confused or frightened, but joyfully recognize Him as the One in whom we have lived, believed, and hoped. For, as the apostle writes: "If you abide in Him, you will have confidence and will not be put to shame at His coming" (v. 28). This is our security, our peace, our victory: many antichrists have arisen, but only one Christ remains—and we with Him.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, our only Master and Redeemer, in the midst of a confused world where so many voices seek our attention, let our hearts remain steadfast in You. You are the Truth that liberates, the Light that illuminates, the Life that does not disappoint. Grant us spiritual discernment to recognize what comes from You and to firmly reject every lie disguised as truth. May Your Word dwell in us, may Your Spirit teach us, and may Your love be the strength that keeps us faithful to the end. Keep us, O Lord, in communion with You, so that, when You appear in glory, we may welcome You with joy and not with fear. To You alone, O living Christ, belong the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.