In 2 John we see a progression of instructions. First he talks about the Truth. Within verses 1-4 John uses the word truth 5 times. In verse 4-6, the word commandment is used 4 times. Then we will only go through verse 11, but in verses 7-11, we see instructions concerning the false teacher. Within 1 & 2 John, we have seen many great teachings concerning love and truth. This is at the heart of these books and without love then truth would be merely harsh realities. Without truth, love would be a great action of sacrifice. The two together bring people into God’s reality of eternal life.
In this book John, the elder, is writing to the chosen lady. This is the church that God has called out. This is not just people who chose to follow but the wording is clearly the chosen people of God. The chosen lady is the elect of God, the church. Now when we look at Scripture, the church is clearly those who are chosen of God. So if you are a believer then it is real and evident in your life that you were chosen of God. The verse then goes on to say and her children. This being the individual believers within the church. As individuals we are God’s chosen. In our salvation we demonstrate that God has chosen us.
First we see in verses 1-4 the foundation of truth to obedience. When you were growing up did you obey your parents? Seriously, did you do what they told you and follow the rules they had set to being a part of that family? For most of us, the truth was that if we did not obey they were consequences and depending on your disobedience the consequences would be great. In my home growing up, if you wanted to play sports, even in elementary school we had to pass our classes. If we had poor classroom conduct or failed a class we could not play. Parent’s rules. If we wanted to go with the youth on fellowships or other outings, pass your classes and behave. Depending on the disobedience the punishment would come, but the truth of consequences was what the punishment would hang on. Our obedience in our walk with the Lord hangs on the Truth. What is the truth? What is the constant in all of the teaching of the Bible that we should cling to? What causes SBC to serve others in dire times of catastrophe that we would give of ourselves instead of demanding attention? Jesus is the only means to eternal life. In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” Whenever Jesus would say I Am he was making a direct reference to YHWH. He was claiming to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Do we get that? Do we truly understand that Jesus is God? Not just yes I know Jesus is God, but the fact that when you look at the Old Testament and that God that was Jesus? Seriously, think about the fact that the God who was offended by the sin of Adam and Eve was Jesus. The God who condemned the world to death through the flood was Jesus. And yet this same God comes to us in the flesh to die for our redemption. No longer condemning the world to death but through his death that they might have eternal life. The Truth is that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. According to verse 4 we are to walk in the truth. Our lives are to be conducted within the reality of the Truth, “Jesus is the only way to salvation.” If Jesus is the only way to salvation then how should we live?
Second we see in verses 4-6, that there is one commandment to obedience. “Love the Lord your God.” In verse 4 John says that He is encouraged to have found some of them walking in the truth. It appears not everyone was walking in the truth, but some of them were. How did they know how to walk? They received a commandment from the Father. What is that commandment? Where is it found? Deuteronomy 6:5. Every other commandment will fall into place when you seek to love God. Sounds simple but it is true. Have you ever had one of those jobs where there just seemed to be too much to learn? No matter how hard you worked you would everyday do something wrong. In the complex nature of the job you just could not get everything down. But you wanted to do well so you kept trying and everyday you tried to keep in mind the mistakes you made the day before so you would not repeat them. And everyday you would do better and better until finally every detail of the job was second nature. When you seek everyday to love God you will grow more and more sensitive to the leading of the spirit. As you seek day by day to follow his leading you will grow more in tune with his voice. To walk in the Lord’s commandments will slowly become more and more normal and more and more second nature. We are told in Romans 13:10, “Love is the fulfillment of the Law.”
We are told in verse 6 that we are to walk in His commandments. The Spirit will change us and grow us. We are to be conformed through the convicting work of the Spirit. The standard of God’s commandment never changes. The truth never changes. The fact is that salvation has always been through Christ alone. God’s commandments have always been the same.
Because these have never changed we can always know if someone is bringing us the truth or if they are bringing us a lie. Third in verse 7-11, we see that the deceiver goes beyond the commands and truth of God. They have gone out into the world. Likely to mean that the deceivers are going out into the world just as Christian missionaries do. They are penetrating the world with their false teaching with zeal and enthusiasm. They are leading others astray and they believe they are doing the right thing. They believe they are correct which would make them dangerous to those they are attempting to convert. Do you believe that those who are Mormons know they are wrong yet they still follow the lie? Do you believe that the followers of Islam know they are wrong yet follow that false teaching? They believe they are right in their beliefs. Why do you think they are willing to die for what they believe? They believe they are possessed with the truth. Their assurance drives them to fulfill the truth in their religion. Yet for us, the truth should drive us to fulfill the truth in our world. We should be just as possessed with the zeal to see the truth fulfilled in our world. Yet our truth brings life and freedom. When we follow the Truth we live in love and service and submission. In verse 9 we are told that anyone who goes too far. The idea is to run ahead. It is as if john is telling us that those who are deceivers will go beyond or farther than the commandments tell us to. But he also adds and does not abide in the teaching of Christ. If you are going ahead of Christ then you are not abiding in Christ because you are beyond him. We are told that if you are not for Christ then you are against Christ. If you are not in his teaching then you are not abiding. Abide in Christ. A true teacher of Christ will admonish you to live within the teaching of Christ and not to go beyond it or take away from it. What are some teachings that you have heard that are not of Christ but were passed off as acceptable biblical teaching? What about the ecumenism shortly after 9/11? Muslims, Mormons, Catholics and Protestants along with others praying together as if they are praying to the same God. We may name him the same, but the fact is that we do not all worship the same God. What are some additional teachings taught that some try to pass off as required to be saved? What about you can not dance or play cards or go to the movies? Now many of these were taught with a motive to keep Christians away from impurities and in many ways that is a good thing, but over the years many would had come to equate following these teachings or requirements as necessary to be signs of your salvation. What about books that you can and can not read? What about places you can eat or can not eat? The only truth that can bring us salvation is to Love the Lord your God. If you love God then you know you are born again. If you love the things of God, then you know you are born again.
Do you come to church services and gatherings out of a love for God or out of a desire to check off your religious deed for the day? Do you come to church because you desire to draw closer to God by hearing his word taught and worshipping him or because you are supposed to? We are supposed to, but why do you actually come? We talk about the need for those who do not come to be here but why do they not come? May we pray that they would have a desire to come. There are many reasons why people do not come to church but may we seek to have the come because that is the desire of their hearts. May we pray that the church would be committed to the truth and the commandment of God. May we pray that those who are outside of the church would become committed and submitted to the Truth and commandment of God.
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