Four principles about the relations between love and truth.
Book of 2 John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Bible Reading
Bible Reading
2 John 1–13 (KJV)
1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
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.
12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
Review:
Review:
Last week we looked at why seeing others “walk in truth” gives us reasons to rejoice.
Last week we looked at why seeing others “walk in truth” gives us reasons to rejoice.
Those who walk in the truth are able to experience true love.
Those who walk in truth get to know others who walk in truth.
The path of truth comes to us from our Heavenly Father.
Those who walk in truth demonstrate the eternal, abiding presence of truth in their lives.
“Walking” is a common term for John.
“Walking” is a common term for John.
John uses various forms of the verb "to walk" three times in verses 4-6, and he links it with both love and truth.
"walking in the truth" in the middle of v.4
"we walk according to his commandments." in v.6
"This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it." v.5
What is the commandment we are to walk in?
“that we love one another”, so walk in love.
So we walk in truth. yes.
We walk in love. yes.
He mentions love four times in the first six verses, and he mentions truth five times in the first four verses.
These aren't two different paths, but two sets of parallel boundaries that mark the one narrow way every believer is supposed to stay on.
The Elect Woman
The Elect Woman
Appears to me to fit well in the context addressing a church. Possible even not naming it for security reasons, but I have my doubts about that.
We could assume this was a prominent woman with the gift of hospitality and with access to sufficient resources that she used her home as a kind of hospitality center for the church in some populated crossroads or key city somewhere in the Roman Empire.
Either way the ultimate audience is not this singular individual or church, but is to be read and applied by us all.
The Elder
The Elder
May held the office of an elder, but was certainly elderly. (not buying green bananas anymore)
Reminder John the Elder, is probably in his mid 90s.
There is a story I think you need to know about John.
There is a story I think you need to know about John.
John “the other brother”
John “the one loved by Christ”
John “The Revelator.”
John “Son of Thunder.” Mark 3:17 “17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:”
Why? Two Stories from “John’s Closet”
Why? Two Stories from “John’s Closet”
First the story of him finding truth, and following.
John 1:35–37 “35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”
John uses the Greek word for truth twenty-five times in his gospel and twenty more times in his epistles.
John loves the truth.
1. John took personal ownership of the truth.
Luke 9:49–50 “49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.”
2. John reacted in the wrong spirit to those who rejected the truth.
Luke 9:51–56 (KJV)
51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Some of you just decided that John is now your favorite Bible character.
Cautionary Tale: John showed a lack of love—for both believers and unbelievers respectively.
John was given a lesson on how to combine compassionate love with confrontational truth?
John was given a lesson on how to combine compassionate love with confrontational truth?
Story: Found myself in front of a group of men outside of New Delhi. I had the opportunity to share the gospel but first needed to give a business lesson. Only thing that came to my mind was something I heard someone tell me one time about new menu items at Chik-Fi-La. Q xs A = E [slide]
TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL is not a menu item we can change due to how it it accepted by those around us!
Since the popular notion of love is whatever feels good, confrontation cannot be loving.
John of Patmos, also known as John the Revelator, was exiled to the Greek island of Patmos because of his opposition to the Roman emperor Domitian and his continued preaching of Christianity:
Consider that for a moment. A man with a message of love in his mid 90s seemed to be such a threat to exiled him to an island. We never professed that walking in truth and live was safe or will be well received.
Four principles about love and truth from today’s passage.
Four principles about love and truth from today’s passage.
How many like to not see the list in advance and who likes to wait. Just close your eyes.
Truth seeks to convey love, not just facts.
Love welcomes truth into every discussion.
Truth shapes how to show love.
Love shapes how we share truth.
Truth and love work together: truth expresses love, and love shapes how truth is shared.
1. Truth seeks to convey love, not just facts.
1. Truth seeks to convey love, not just facts.
2 John 12 “12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.”
A. Truth desires to meet face to face when at all possible.
A. Truth desires to meet face to face when at all possible.
Those “many things to write” are instructions for these believers; such as separate from the deceivers in your life.
I might have written, “I could have told you this face-to-face but let me tell you this over text so it’s less awkward.”
When we see sharing of truth as an expression of love we desire to be with people and share it.
B. Instruction is not the goal, an expression of that love that leads to joy is.
B. Instruction is not the goal, an expression of that love that leads to joy is.
John knew what the ultimate goal for sharing truth!
Truth brings right relationships which brings joy.
1 Timothy 1:5 “5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”
The aim of our "considering one another" and "encouraging one another" is that we stir up love.
Truth serves love.
The ultimate aim of sharing of truth is to produce the love which springs from a pure heart, a good conscience and a genuine faith.
Some seem to have forgotten this and to have lost themselves in endless words. 1 Timothy 1:6 “6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;”
Transition: We may have the right understanding on a matter but we will need to the right heart to properly share the truth.
2. Love welcomes truth into every conversation.
2. Love welcomes truth into every conversation.
2 John 3 “3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
A. Truth and love are so intertwined that one cannot exist without the other.
A. Truth and love are so intertwined that one cannot exist without the other.
John’s theology of love.
John affirmed that love for Christ is authenticated by obedience to Christ. John 14:15 “15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
He also pointed out that love for fellow Christians is the defining mark of true Christianity. John 13:34–35 “34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Love is the dividing line between God’s children and Satan’s children. 1 John 3:10 “10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
John’s theology of love never softened his zeal for truth—it actually brought a completeness into the life of this Son of Thunder.
B. Love that does not welcome truth is an imposter.
B. Love that does not welcome truth is an imposter.
Have you ever take the Five Love Language test by Gary Chapman?
Words of affirmation.
Quality time.
Physical touch.
Acts of service.
Receiving gifts.
Love’s love language is truth.
In the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:6 “6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”
Love is glad when truth is spoken. Therefore love aims at truth. It supports truth.
Here is an example of how love aims at truth.
Paul is filled with love and it compels him to write a letter that was hard, and caused sorrow in him and in the Corinthians. But it needed to be said.
So love said it. Love speaks the truth personally and doctrinally.
2 Corinthians 2:4 “4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.”
Contending for the truth of God is an act of love, not a sign of an absence of love.
R. C. Sproul
Transition: Love not only welcomes truth into every conversation but asks it to shape its expression.
3. Truth shapes how to show love.
3. Truth shapes how to show love.
2 John 6 “6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”
A. Know the truth, and uphold it in love.
A. Know the truth, and uphold it in love.
It is not always obvious which acts are loving.
John tells us some truth will help us know if our acts are loving.
One truth test for our love is whether we are keeping the commandments of God toward people.
B. Compromising the truth, is not compassionate.
B. Compromising the truth, is not compassionate.
2 John 11 “11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
John balances that emphasis on love in the second half of the epistle by urging this woman or church not to compromise her love by receiving and blessing false teachers who undermine the truth
Balance is not the goal. They do not exist independently of each other in their purest form.
We re not loving others if we are not loving God and keeping His commandments. 1 John 5:2 “2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”
Responses from the online question, ““Why do a growing number of you that profess to be Christian no longer attend church?”
Commonality: The church is wrong. They lack a balance between being loving and truthful. They are too (1) woke and accepting (2) too judgemental
It brought great heaviness to me to see so many hurt, confused, and many just simply misinformed (not taught properly)
Amos 8:11 “11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:”
Transition: Let us pray that God will cause his love and truth to abound and mingle in us in all these ways for the glory of his truth-filled love and love-filled truth.
Transition: Let us pray that God will cause his love and truth to abound and mingle in us in all these ways for the glory of his truth-filled love and love-filled truth.
4. Love shapes how we share truth.
4. Love shapes how we share truth.
2 John 6 “6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”
A. We should deliver truth as servant delivers a meal.
A. We should deliver truth as servant delivers a meal.
Mark 9:33–35 “33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”
Love is manifested in service to one another, not by lording it over each other. 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 “4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;”
ove shapes truth into words and ways that are patient and gentle. 2 Timothy 2:24–25 “24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;”
B. Love causes us to protect the truth.
B. Love causes us to protect the truth.
There is an loving way to speak the truth. / Ephesians 4:15 “15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
There are also ways that appear to be loving that aren’t truthful.
John's counsel to this lady has two parts: hold fast the truth (verses 6-9), and reject those who don't love the truth (verses 10-12).
What the world refers to as love isn't necessarily love. If it's true love, it comes with a built-in devotion to the truth. In the words of 1 John 4:7 “7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”
This presupposes a biblical definition of love, which always includes an unwavering love of the truth.
Transition: Lord willing, we will pick back up here next week. Let’s review.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Truth seeks to convey love, not just facts.
Love welcomes truth into every discussion.
Truth shapes how to show love.
Love shapes how we share truth.
God did a work in John’s life in regard to understanding the relationship between truth and love.
God did a work in John’s life in regard to understanding the relationship between truth and love.
John is no longer calling down fire from heaven against the enemies of truth, but he cautions this church not to go to the other extreme, either.
She is not to open her home or even bestow a verbal blessing on people who make a living twisting and opposing the truth.
Truth is never to be abandoned in the name of love.
But love is not to be deposed in the name of truth.
That is what John learned from Christ, and it gave him the proper understanding he so desperately needed.
Truth and love work together or not at all: truth expresses love, and love shapes how truth is shared.
What about us today?
Are you ready to move away from being a Son of Thunder?
Or do you need to close your doors and stop condoning those involved in evil under the guise of being loving?
