What John says here is akin to what Paul wrote in 2Cor.13:5 where he told them to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Here in 2John1:8 John says “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” And no wonder as it is the same Holy Spirit that inspired their teaching.

I should tell you right from the start of this that I have wrestled with this teaching for a long time now. Wondering how men who are supposedly teaching the Bible can believe things about it that are the opposite from what God teaches in it. What is commonly referred to as cognitive dissonance. Believing 2 things to be true at the same time that are opposites. And still be saved.

In the message that defines for us what is the doctrine of Christ in John’s 2nd epistle he is addressing the doctrine of the Docetists. This is a sect of Gnosticism who believe that the divine emanates sparks going out from itself that is what we know as creation. A belief that holds that the further away in a spacial sense from the divine this spark of the divine gets the more evil that part of the divine is.

This is the reason that the Docetists teach that man’s flesh is evil. Sound familiar? It should. As this is also what the sin nature doctrine is predicated upon. Gnostics reasoning that it is because the flesh is so far away from the divine that is spirit.

And Augustine of Hippo, himself having been trained in Manechean Gnosticism, which adheres to the same fundamental beliefs, before he came to the Roman Catholic religion, upon whose teaching the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrine is predicated, based his beliefs about the flesh, and specifically Jesus’ incarnation, on this very same false doctrine.

This is why I believe it is not possible to reconcile the belief in sin nature with the doctrine of Christ. That they are mutually exclusive. Because this is the doctrinal deception John addressed when he wrote about those who left them saying, “18 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.

19 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.”

When John says “they went out from us” he is referring to those who had the appearance of being saved but had been deceived by the gnostic teaching of the Docetists that denied that Jesus came in the same flesh all men have. They actually came to believe what is a denial of the doctrine of Christ.

In John’s 1st and 2nd epistles he says something very concerning to the Jewish believers he was teaching about Jesus. How that Jesus came in the same flesh all men have. Telling them that they must not believe the false teachings of the gnostics.

And that not only is the flesh not to be thought of as evil. But, also that the divine God, the Creator of all things, the one whom these false teachers were telling them as divinity Jesus could never inhabit evil flesh, did indeed come in the same flesh all men have.

And John told them that those Docetists who are teaching otherwise not only do not know Jesus. But, that they also “have not God”. And goes even further saying about them in reference to the doctrine of Christ, “10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

And John also says that those who have believed this gnostic heresy have “gone out from us. Showing that they were never of us.” A very serious indictment against them indeed.

Paul writes in 1Cor.3:10-15 about the loss John also says they may suffer. He teaches here about rewards believers will receive at the bema seat judgment of the believers. Rewards because while still on earth they have taken the gift(s) God has given to all believers and used them for the benefit of the ministry of reconciliation Paul says in 2Cor.5:19 to which all believers are commissioned.

This then is what John is writing about in 2John1:8. Saying that there is a way to lose their rewards before we ever get to the judgment. It appears that John is saying here that this happens when the believer allows their witness to be influenced by false teaching.

I have always said that I can’t understand how a person can be saved in spite of what they believe, rather than because of what they believe. Especially when it comes to who they believe Jesus is. And this is the closest explanation for that from scripture that I have found. If indeed this is what John was referring to.

And in this case John is referring specifically to doctrine that these believing Jews were hearing that he was writing to in his epistles of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John.

In 1John1 John tells them that if they agree with these gnostics who say they have no sin they are liars and the truth is not in them. But, every believer in Jesus has the truth in them. So John could not have been referring to believers as not having the truth in them.

This is obviously being said about those gnostics who were denying the doctrine of Christ. And those who had been deceived by this gnostic belief to follow these gnostics rather than John’s teaching.

And the only way John says that they can be made free from this is that when they “confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Which is not knowing Jesus. Because righteousness is to know HIm.

And here again John gives us in 1John2:12-14 a confirmation that these Jews are believing Jews, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.”

This shows that these are definitely believing Jews that are already showing some growth in certain ways in their relationship with Jesus. John saying they are “strong”, that the “word of God abides in you”, and that “ye have known Him that is from the beginning”.

These are not like Mormons or JW’s or even these gnostics who from the beginning have never come into contact with the Jesus of the Bible. In fact, they prove this by rewriting their versions to fit their fabricated Jesus, Father, and atonement.

And since these John is writing to are believers there is nothing that they can do to lose or walk away from their salvation. Which is what John was saying to them again in 1John3:6-9. Saying, “…9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

That seed here is the spirit God creates in us when we trust in Jesus. Because Jesus said being born again is to have a spirit created in you by God that joins you to Him forever. Which is why Jesus said “Ye must be born again”. And this is why Paul taught in Rom.8:35-39 that “…there is nothing that can separate the believer from the love of God”.

So when John writes in 2John1:7-11 saying, “7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

We know that he is not saying to these believers that they will lose their salvation. He is saying that the rewards their works for God have earned them will be lost. If after having come to a saving faith in Jesus they allow their witness to be influenced by these false teachers.

And in 1Cor.3:9-15 we find the rewards John is talking about that they may lose if they allow themselves to be deceived. Here Paul writes,

“9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

This is why I said John was not talking about them losing their salvation if they were ever truly saved and began wrestling with the deceptions that brings some to deny the doctrine of Christ.

This is why when you nail most of them down they will say they believe men have free will. And also have a sin nature. This happens because they are wrestling with this false teaching.

As I once heard Chuck Smith express as he read Phil.3:6. Here Paul says “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” After reading this Chuck paused. And after thinking about this said, “I don’t have the slightest idea how Paul could say this.”

The reason Chuck had no idea was because his frame of reference did not allow for what Paul said here to be true. Because believing in sin nature means that it would be impossible for Paul to be blameless according to the righteousness that comes by way of keeping the law.

But, that is what Paul said. And Luke says the same of Zachariah and Elizabeth in Luke1:5,6. So Chuck’s belief in sin nature and free will, rather than being a confirmation, instead collided with what Paul said here.

This is what I am talking about when referring to John’s teaching in threes 3 epistles. His teaching shows us that the sin nature doctrine is the same lie the gnostics taught. And that some having their witness influenced by this message lost what they had wrought. While others left to show they were never of them to begin with.

But, what they could lose by allowing themselves to be deceived are the rewards that come from the works they did for Jesus as a believer. That are because of this gnostic deception that made the witness of the believer to be wood, hay, or stubble. Rather than gold, silver, and precious stones.

Works like after having been saved coming very close to preaching a doctrine that denies the doctrine of Christ. The doctrine of the gnostic sect of the docetists John was warning the believing Jews about in his epistles. Doctrine that we know as the sin nature doctrine.

This doctrine is the result of allowing the “many deceivers” John was talking about to influence your understanding about who Jesus was in His incarnation. Doctrines like the sin nature doctrine that when followed to its logical conclusion denies the doctrine of Christ that He came in the same flesh all men have.

When a truly saved person is influenced by this false teaching in his witness to unbelievers it is wood, hay, and stubble that will burn up in the fire when their works are made to pass through at the bema seat judgment of believers. A judgment solely for receiving rewards for the work believers did while living on earth.

But, this is a very fine line one draws when they allow the sin nature doctrine to influence their belief about the incarnation. Because on the one hand it is true that this doctrine denies the doctrine of Christ that could mean they have not God.

While on the other hand it may be that the truly saved believer has only its influence in their witness that makes their work for God unfruitful. And that they will lose what they have wrought. When they stand before Jesus at the bema seat judgment. But, will still be saved.

Because while the works of wood, hay, and stubble are burned up, the believer’s salvation is never in jeopardy. His salvation is secure because he is a spirit created by God that makes him God’s child from the time he first believed throughout all eternity.

But, for these who are deceived and teach the sin nature doctrine, if they have come down on Jesus’ side of salvation from the beginning, the rewards they should have gotten will be burned up. As John said “they will lose what they have wrought”. Because what they have wrought is a deception. A doctrine that reveals to those who believe them a different Jesus. A different Father. And a different atonement.

Leaving the believer in a condition that makes him weak and ineffectual for the kingdom of God and the ministry of reconciliation. Because giving someone a different Jesus, Father, and atonement, gives them no salvation at all. No matter what the mass of people standing at the altar repeating a prayer they give them to say looks like.

Now I can’t say at whether a person is or is not saved who struggles with the deception of this false sin nature doctrine. But, John does say of those docetists who were trying to deceive the believing Jews he was teaching that because they have denied that Jesus came in the same flesh all men have “They have not God”.

But, it appears that for these Jewish believers in Jesus John is saying that while they will lose what they have wrought. They are still saved.

There will be no condemnation for them at the bema seat judgment. There will be only rejoicing in our salvation. Not realizing what could have been regarding their rewards has been lost.

Regarding this Paul writes this comforting message in Rom.8:1,2 saying, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Now at this point I want to address the false doctrine of original sin as well. In it we find a rejection of Paul’s teaching in Rom.5:12-14 where he says, “12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13 For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”

Do you see where Paul says “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law”? This is where Paul shows us that Adam’s sin in vs.12 was neither imputed to Adam, nor to any of the rest of mankind. Making it impossible that death was a penalty imposed upon Adam or anyone else because of Adam’s sin. Because according to Paul before Moses there was no law. And “where there is no law there is no transgression”- Rom.4:15

In other words you can’t get a speeding ticket where there are no speed limit laws.

The whole of Ez.18 is dedicated to this same principle. Because in it Ezekiel makes the point again and again that any sin the father may commit will never be imputed to the son. And visa versa. Destroying the foundation some refer to as the federal headship doctrine the doctrine of original sin is based upon.

I say all of this in the hope that it will lead you to the main question. What will you believe about Jesus? Was His incarnation in the same flesh all men have? Did He really die for you? Or will you be deceived by the gnostic heresy of the sin nature so that “you have not God”?

If you have not yet come to a saving faith in Jesus, but have a desire to know Him the main thing this message will do for you is keep you from being deceived to believe in the gnostic Jesus. And that’s saying a lot in today’s church. So count that as a real blessing.

And if you do want to know Jesus Paul says you need to confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus. And believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead.

If you will do this then God will create a spirit in you that you never had before. If you will do this then spirit He creates in you will make you His child and heir to His kingdom. If you will do this you will have eternal life now. And immortality at the resurrection from the dead. If you will do this… then I will see you there or in the air!