Walk According to His Commands

Transcript

GR1181
7/02/2000
Walk According to His Commands
2 John 4-6
Gil Rugh

I want to direct your attention to the book of 2 John in your Bibles. All the way back of your New Testament just before the book of the Revelation of John, we have the epistles of John, 1, 2 and 3 John. And we are looking into the second epistle or the second letter of John. And you'll note as we move through this letter that it's very basic and foundational and John will use circular reasoning by intention guided by the Holy Spirit to drive home the point that he is making and to show the inseparable bond that there is between the truth of God and the transforming nature of that truth as it manifests itself in our love both for God and for the people of God. John began the letter in a standard way with an introduction. And in that introduction he identified himself by the title of "the elder." He could have called himself "the apostle" but he chooses the elder probably to identify himself more closely and personally with this local church. Similar to the way that Peter does in 1 Peter 5 where he says I'm writing to you elders as a fellow elder. So he identifies himself with them in their ministry. So by declaring himself to be an elder he is identifying himself as a pastor, as one who has overseer responsibility in the context of the ministry of this local church.

He is writing to a local church, I believe, under the metaphor or analogy of a lady and her children. He says, "the elder to the chosen lady," the elect lady and her children. You know, it could be a personal, individual woman with her family but I think in the context of the letter it fits better if we understand this to be a metaphor. The lady and her children is a reference to the church which is the Bride of Christ and in this local church the members of that church would be identified as children. It won't change the interpretation of the letter whether you view it as an individual woman or as the church, but I think the emphasis to the church fits the letter better.

He then gives a word of greeting to close out the introduction when he says, "Grace, mercy and peace will be with us." There he gives them the confident assurance of the presence of the blessings of God for them in truth and love. Truth and love become the dominate themes and focus of this short letter. What John will do is show they are inseparably joined together and the love that he has for this church and its members is a love shared by all those, the end of verse one, who know the truth. And all who know the truth love these believers, verse 2, because of the truth. My translation says "for the sake of the truth," but literally it is "one account of" or "because of the truth." The truth so works in the heart and life of the child of God that it moves the believer to action. The key focus of that action as John develops it is a love manifested toward other believers.

At the end of verse 3 when he says the blessings of God will be given to them in truth and love that emphasis on truth and love form the transition to what we would call the body of the letter. The body of the letter covers verses 4 to 11 and then verses 12 and 13 will form a conclusion to the letter. So verses 4 to 11 really focus on the heart of John's concern in writing to these people.

First, he's going to address the spiritual concerns he has for their own well-being as a body of believers. That will be covered in verses 4 to 6, their relationships to one another in the Body, in that local church. And then in verses 7 to 11 he will focus attention on the danger of false doctrine and false teachers who are attempting to infiltrate the church with their doctrine and lure believers away from the truth. We are going to look at verses 4 to 6 in our time together. Here John is going to focus attention on his concern with the inner harmony and spiritual life of this body of believers. And this will lead into his concern regarding false teachers and false doctrine. If we are not functioning in a relation of love in the truth, then the false teachers are going to be much more effective in driving a wedge into the Body and creating conflict and division and confusion that will lead to some being led away from faithful devotion to Christ.

This is an important matter to realize and appreciate the order that John follows. If we are not functioning in love in commitment to the truth, we are very open to the influence and impact of false teachers, false doctrine in the Body. What happens if there is a crack, when you apply pressure to the crack, you'll have a split. If you get a crack in your tooth, then you bit on something, put pressure on it, you end up breaking the truth. The crack that was there when pressure was applied results in something being broken or shattered. That's the way the Devil works through his emissaries in the church. When the church is not functioning and living in the truth and manifesting love for one another in the truth, there are divisions, bitterness, animosities, then the Devil goes to work to apply the pressure, to bring division and conflict and confusion to that church.

Before we proceed in 2 John, turn back to 2 Corinthians, Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, the second chapter. And we're aware that the Corinthian church had its problems with divisions and conflicts gathered around personalities. They had to deal with an issue of sin in the life of a professing believer. Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians chapter 5. Evidently the church responded to Paul's instruction. They exercised disciple and excluded that sinning Christian from the fellowship of the Body. That person has repented, it is now seeking to be restored to fellowship in the church. In verse 5 of 2 Corinthians 2 Paul says, "But if any has caused sorry, he has caused not to me but in some degree, in order not to say to much, to all of you. Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority. So that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him." Then he talks about forgiveness in verse 10. Coming to verse 11, "So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan for we are not ignorant of his schemes."

Important to see the connection here. Paul in verse 7 told this church to forgive and comfort this believer. Verse 8 reaffirm your love for him. Manifest your forgiving spirit it talks about in verse 10. Why? We don't want to give Satan an opportunity to work. For we are not ignorant of his devices. If a church does not function in truth and thus demonstrate the love of God toward a fellow believer, the Devil will go to work. We are not ignorant of his devices. So it's very important. When John is writing and dealing with division, conflict that has come within the churches that he's dealing with, that he reminds these believers repeatedly that you must be walking in truth, you must be loving one another. And when believers are joined together in the Body of Christ in a commitment to truth that shapes all of their behavior, that is manifested in an ongoing, enduring love for one another, they create a wall that cannot be penetrated. We have a barrier against the Devil and his devices and schemes. When we fail to honor the truth by our obedience, we fail to manifest an ongoing, enduring love to one another, then we open the door of opportunity and you can be sure the Devil works quickly and effective to apply pressure, to magnify the crack so he can create a split and bring division and confusion and disarray to the church of Jesus Christ.

Come back to the second epistle of John. John picks up with the body of the letter in verse 4, "I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth." John begins as Paul often begins his letter by expressing deep and great joy and gratitude for the spiritual life and walk of these believers. Paul does that repeatedly in his letters. He begins by expressing his thanks and appreciation to God for what He has done in the lives of those he is writing to. He's filled with thanks for God's goodness. Here John puts it rather strongly, "I was made to rejoice greatly when I heard that some of your children were walking in truth." Or "I found some of your children walking in truth." It may be that he had met some from that church and so those were the ones that were walking in truth he could identify with. More probably some have brought reports to him about the condition of the church.

Look at 3 John just after 2 John. Third John verse 3, "For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth that is how you are walking in truth." There in this third letter he makes clear that he could write about this because some had come and reported to him. And in all probability that's how John got his information for this second letter as well. And the indication is some in this local church were walking in the truth. Now the fact that he says that some are walking in the church--and the word "some" has been added because that's the idea of the Greek text here. It takes some out of that group are walking in the truth. It would indicate that not everyone was. We've looked back in the first epistle and seen in 1 John chapter 2 that John wrote about those who went out from us because they were not of us. And we've seen that division and schism had occurred already in the days of the apostles. And that seems to be what is taken place in the church here.

But we ought to note John is filled with a great joy to find some of this church walking in the church. Now I dare say what is the normal human response when there is a division when some do not walk in the truth, the tendency is to get discouraged, disheartened, depressed over those who have failed to be faithful. I think it's interesting that John's approach is to have great joy in his heart to find that some are walking in the truth. This fits with what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, "There must be divisions among you in order that those who approved may become evident." And what John is doing is rejoicing over those who have been demonstrated to be approved by God even in division. Because while some may have fallen off, some may have abandoned the church and the truth, he was caused to rejoice greatly to find some were walking in the truth.

Walking in the truth refers to a life that is lived in obedience and conformity to the revealed Word of God. What's entailed in walking in truth.

In 3 John again at the end of verse 3 he referred to how glad he was "that you are walking in truth. I have no greater than this to hear of my children walking in the truth." I take it he's talking about the truth of God as it has been revealed. This is not a new concept. It has always been true that God spoke, He gave His word, so that it would not only be learned but that it would be lived. That it would become part of the lives of His children in such a way that their whole demeanor and conduct of life would be altered and changed. Listen to what the psalmist David wrote in Psalm 86:11, "Teach me Your way, O Lord, I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will walk in Your truth. Teach Me Your way. Instruct me with Your Word. I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name." Another way of talking about that commitment of His heart to believe, to reverence and trust in the Lord. It would result in a walk of life that conforms to the truth.

Hezekiah the king of Israel was on his death bed and Isaiah came to announce to him get your affairs in order you will die. And Hezekiah asks for mercy from the Lord and the Lord will give him fifteen additional years added to his life. And in that prayer of Hezekiah he says to the Lord, "I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart and have down what is good in your sight" (Isaiah 38:3). I have walked before you in truth. I will walk in Your truth. John says, "I was caused to rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in truth. Truth of God - something that is to become part and parcel of our lives. Not just interesting facts to study, not just a body of knowledge to learn but living truth that enters into the heart and mind and soul of the child of God and so works and shapes him so that he now lives according to the truth. Walking describes the demeanor and character of our lives. We still use it in the same way. We talk about the walk of a person and about the character of their life. Walk here is a present participle emphasizing that this is the ongoing character and characteristic of their lives. Some of your children demonstrate a consistent walk according to truth. This is the same thing John wrote about in his first epistle in chapter 1 when he talked about walking in the light.

Turn back to 1 John chapter 1 verse 5. First he establishes the character of God. "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you." So here we have truth from God. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." You cannot share in the life and light of God and live in the darkness. You cannot become a partaker of the divine nature as Peter writes and not manifest the character of God in your conduct. So if you claim to have relationship with God - "to share in common," the word "fellowship" means, the life and light of God - and yet you walk and live in the darkness, you lie. You don't have relationship with God. You are not practicing the truth. "But if we walk in the light," that's the same thing as walk in the truth. "You walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son keeps on cleansing us from all sin." We have fellowship with one another. And you'll note in John the fellowship and love toward God also includes the fellowship and love that will take place among God's people. In 1 John 1:3, "What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also so that you too may have fellowship with us." That's fellowship among believers. "And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." So we have fellowship and share in love together as God's people because we have fellowship and share together in love with the living God and His Son Jesus Christ. So believers can be described as those who are walking in truth. So basic to understand. Many people are being confused and are walking in darkness and think they are walking to heaven because at some point in their life they made a "decision" and they think they are just a carnal Christian, not living for the Lord but belonging to the Lord. John says very simple that's a lie. That's not true. Anybody who makes such a claim is a liar and does not practice the truth. The children of God manifest the character of God.

Back to 2 John. So John is thrilled that some of the believers at this church, some of its members, were walking in the truth. "Just as we have received commandment to do from the Father." The emphasis on commandment in verses 4 to 6. That word will be used four times by John. Commandment, commandment, commandment, commandment. He's not talking about the Ten Commandments. He's talking about the commandments that God has given in and through Jesus Christ. Not the Mosaic Law given to Israel but commandments He's given to His people in the Church. And John is rejoicing that some of the believers in this church were obeying the commandment of God to walk in the truth. The reference I think goes back to 1 John again.

Look at 1 John chapter 3 verse 23. What we are going to find in 2 John is an elaboration of what we are going to look at in 1 John 3:23 and that is we are going to find there is a commandment. One commandment but it has two parts: truth and love. Look at 1 John 3:23, "This is His commandment." Singular. Commandment. "That we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ." That's believing the truth because He is the One in whom truth is most fully revealed. John wrote in the first chapter of his gospel grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He is called the Word because He is the very revelation and expression of the heart and mind of God. "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

So when he says, "This is His commandment that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ," he's talking about believing the Gospel, believing the truth that God has revealed that centers in His Son. And love one another. This is His commandment. It has two parts: believe and love. So we could refer to it as singular commandment even though there are two things being said. Believe and love but the two things are inseparable. You must believe the truth or you cannot love the people of God. And if you love the people of God, you will be believing the truth and thus walking in the truth. And the faith we have in Christ, viewed as we walk in the truth not just as an initial saving faith when we entered into salvation, but that which has an ongoing characteristic of our life. We not only enter into our new life in Christ by faith but we live that new life by faith as well. So we are to believe and to love.

Back to 2 John. The fact that he says this is the commandment we receive from the Father drives home to these believers the urgency of this. God is not giving a suggestion. He's not giving a recommendation. He's not saying that it will be better for you if you do this. He's saying I require this and demand this of my Church and my people. It is a commandment that you walk in the truth. Now verse 5. John adds his own plea. "Now I ask you lady not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another." Again, when he addresses her as lady, it's not disrespectful. Some of the translations have added the word "dear." Because lady sounds a little bit abrupt and cold as we would use it today but it was in any way disrespectful in John's time or viewed as a cold or a harsh way of address. We soften it in English today by saying dear lady or something like that. I take it he's addressing the church under this title and he says I ask you. He's giving his plea as an elder or pastor to join with him in obeying the commandment to love one another. So you see he moves from the commandment to be walking in the truth to the commandment at the end of verse 5 that we love one another. And you can talk about commandment singular with the two parts, the truth and love. He'll also refer to commandments plural because the truth includes all God that has revealed as Jesus said in John 17. "Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth." So every word that God speaks partakes of His character as the God who is truth. Jesus Christ the Son of God, the One who said He was the way, the truth and the life.

So now he says in verse 5, "I ask you, lady." He doesn't commandment as an apostle but he joins as an elder and a pastor to beseech them to join with him. You'll note he says at the end of verse 6, "That we love one another." He joins himself in this responsibility to submit and obey the commandment.

I ask you fellow believers, Church of Christ, that we love one another. Join together in obeying Him. This is not a new commandment; he says in verse 5. The one which you have had from the beginning. I take it here he's going back to the time when Christ Himself walked the earth. Jump back to the Gospel of John again. In John 13:34 Jesus says, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another even as I loved you that you also love one another." Now the commandment to love was given in the Old Testament also. Now Jesus said it's a new command because the fullness of what is entailed and the depth of this love is revealed with a clarity and a completeness in Christ that had not been revealed before. It's like Hebrews chapter 1 says, "God in many ways, in many times, many places spoke through the prophets in bygone days but in these last days He has spoken to us in One who is a Son." The fullness, brilliance and completeness of the revelation that we have. That's why he could say in chapter 1 of this Gospel, "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" and the fullness of all that God would do in His grace which includes His love is focused in Christ."

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another." So it becomes a defining characteristic of a follower of Christ that He is like Christ, the One who sacrificed Himself for those that He loved.

Look at chapter 15 of John verse 12, "This is my commandment that you love one another just as I have loved you." You note the standard of this love. It doesn't say love me more than you've loved your wife. Love me more than Peter has loved you. Love one another like I have loved you. The love of God in Christ is the standard set and the requirement that must be met.

Verse 17, "This I command you that you love one another." Jump over to 1 John, back again to the epistles. First John 2:7, "Beloved I am not writing a new covenant to you but an old covenant which you've had from the beginning." That's the same thing he said in verse 5 of 2 John. Now a new commandment is the old one, the one you had from the beginning. Jesus taught this during His time on earth. Verse 8, "On the other hand I'm writing a new commandment to you which is true in Him." So it's new and it's old. Verse 9, "The one who says he's in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now." Your actions overrule your testimony. I love God and I believed in Him but I don't love my brother. You are still in the darkness. Your testimony is a lie John says.

Verse 10, "The one who loves his brother abides in the light." Verse 11, "The one who hates his brother is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, does not know where he's going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." Chapter 3 verse 11, "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning that we should love one another." And he uses Cain as the example as a lack of love. No matter what he said. No matter how much he talked about loving his brother doesn't change the fact that he hated his brother.

Verse 14, "We know we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death." Periodically as a pastor I had opportunity to meet people who claim to be Christians. I say, Oh, where do you attend church? They say, Oh, I don't. You know, I have my Bible. I worship the Lord. I don't need to. No, you can't be a believer that way. I can tell on you on the basis of the Word of God you're not a Christian. Your testimony is a lie. Because the Word of God says. "We know we've passed out of death into life because we love the brethren," and you can't stand to be with them. You don't want anything to do with them. How can you sacrifice your life and give yourself for them and you don't want to be with them?

"He who does not love abides in death." Verse 16, "We know love by this that He laid down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." We have to have the love like He had. No limits on this love. So a person comes and says I can't do it anymore. You know, I can't take these people. It just gets to me. I can't do it. That's a lie. You can. You don't want to. How do you know? How can you tell me what's in my heart? Well, I know you're still breathing so you haven't given your life for them. So your love hasn't gone to the point that God requires. So you're going to bail out. That's not biblical love. The kind of love Christ requires and says marks you out as a follower of His is a love that doesn't stop even if it's going to cost everything including your life. And then he pulls it back into a practical area because it's for me to say, oh, yes, I would die for you. I won't mind dying for you. I just don't want to have to live with you. I would give my life but I don't want to be bothered with you.

Well, what does He say? Verse 17, "Whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in Him? Little children let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth." Words are cheap. Oh, I really love these believers. I really love you but I'm not willing to sacrifice myself for you, put up with what I don't like, the irritations, the unpleasantness, the inconvenience, the sacrifice. Then my words are hollow and empty. Strong words but you note there's no middle ground as John deals with it. You either love and give yourself to God's people or you deny that you are part of His family.

Chapter 4 verse 21, "This commandment we have from Him that the one who loves God should love his brother also." That's the commandment we have for Him. We just have to make a note also. It's hard to command the love we think. I mean, I can't help it. I don't love them. Well, He commands you to love them. What can I do? I don't. Now I problem there is we are equating love with the emotion, with a feeling and that's not what we are talking about here. We are talking about action - doing. Our feelings come and go. Our emotions are up and down. We are not saying that love does not have emotion involved in it. We are saying that love is not identified with the emotion that often occupies it. I may feel something for you today. Tomorrow I have no feel something for you. It has nothing to do with whether I am to love you, to devote myself to doing what is best for you, helping you grow, doing what I can to meet your needs, being willing to sacrifice myself in helping you become more of what God intends you to be in Christ. Well, I don't feel like it. What do you tell your kids? You tell one of your children I want you to clean your room. And they say I don't feel like it. You say, Oh, OK. No. What do you expect them to do something they don't feel like doing? So what do you say? I don't care what you feel like. Get your room clean. That's basically what God is doing here. Love your brethren. I don't feel like it. I don't care what you feel like. Love them. So I can do it. I can do what is best for you.

It's true in all our relationships and our husband and wife relationships. I don't feel the same depth of emotion and feeling for my wife today that I did yesterday. I mustn't love her. The more I dwell on that then I think who my feelings aren't anything like a person in love ought to be. I guess I don't love her. What's that got to do with anything? I'm still supposed to do what is best for her. Treat her as she should be treated. Do what should be done with her to help her be all that God says she needs to be. To help her in whatever way I can. You know, what happens when you treat a person like that? Feelings follow along. The emotions come. But they are not the love. They accompany the love that is demonstrated.

So love not only can be commanded, it is commanded. Do what needs to be done. I don't like them. They get on my nerves. What can I do to help them be more the person God wants them to be? What can I do to help them mature to become more like Christ? Well, I'll pray they change. No that's not the love I'm talking about. You can pray for them and then I have to look how can I help? I've become so burdened with them, so burdened with the that they get on my nerves. Lord, you've brought them into my attention, into my life, I tread to think of it but you probably want to use me in their life. How? What? How can I love them? Which is another way of saying what can I do for them? That's what we are talking about in His commanded love. So be careful we don't confuse our emotions with the love that God requires.

John Stott noted, referring to love, "It is not an involuntary, uncontrollable passion, but unselfish service undertaken by deliberate choice." Do it. Similar to our faith. We are commanded to believe the Gospel. I can't help it I don't believe it. That's why it's equated with obeying. Submit to it. You can. You won't. These are the issues.

Back in 2 John verse 6. Now we come to complete the circle. "And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments." You see you can't separate truth and love. What does it mean to walk according to His commandments? That means you are walking in the truth. Verse 4, "I was very glad to hear some of your children are walking in truth." Verse 6, This is love, that we walk according to His commandments." Now you note the commandments are plural. They can be all condensed into one with two aspects or you can learn at them in their diversity. Our obedience. This is love that we walk according to His commandments.

Back in John 14:15 Jesus identified love and obedience for His disciples. In John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." Verse 21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me." So you see both in my love for God and my love for fellow believers, it's a matter of obedience. I love you when I'm obedient to God's Word in serving you. I love God when I'm obedient to His Word and do His commands.

As you come back to 2 John you stop at chapter 5 of 1 John and you can read the whole book of 1 John and you get the flavor and development that John has given to this. But in 1 John 5:2, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." You note here we are in a circle. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God. That helps. How do I know if I really love fellow believers? I mean, sometimes I don't feel like I love them. I didn't even feel like coming to church today and you know, I just don't feel anything. How do I know? Oh, well, you know because you love God. Well, you know, I don't feel like I love God today either. I didn't get a good night's sleep last night, I wasn't feeling good, I was up a lot. You know, I just don't feel a lot in love today with God or others. Well, how do I know? Verse 2 of 1 John 5, "When we love God and do His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we feel good about Him." No. "That we keep His commandments." So we are not talking about being saved by works. We are talking about those who have been saved by grace and now by the grace of God having the character of God produced in them and that involves the truth working in and through their lives.

Remember 2 Corinthians 3:18, "As we are beholding in the mirror of the Word of God, the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory." The Spirit of God is using the truth of God to so transform us from within that we are becoming more and more like Jesus Christ in every way. That's what we are talking about here. So we walk in the truth. Our lives are characterized by truth. And if my life is characterized by truth, I will be obeying His commandments, one of which is to love fellow believers. So you see we are in a circle. When I love fellow believers I'm demonstrating I'm walking in truth. And it's because of the truth working in me that I'm loving believers. How do you know if you love someone? I can't see your heart and mind. You can't see my heart and mind. How are you feeling about this person today? No, you look and see the sacrifice people make, the way they are willing to inconvenience themselves, put up with things they don't necessarily like for the good of other people. My concern is not whether I like this, not whether it's done my way, not whether our personalities are compatible, not whether you get on my nerves or not as a person. My concern is how can I help you grow. How can I be used of God in your life so that you can be built to further maturity in Him? How can I help meet your needs in a biblical way as John used the example in his first epistle? There's something lacking in your life. You have lost your job? Oh, well, it serves him right. They wasted their money on other things any way. We want to help one another grow in a healthy biblical sense. This is in the truth. This is not just an emotion that I get swept away. Oh, they have a need and I give everything I have to . . . I say wait a minute. This is in the context of truth. I want to help them become what God wants them to be not just become wasteful. So those who don't work don't eat Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. This is love demonstrated in truth but it is self-sacrificing love that we are talking about.

So he says at the end of verse 6, "This is the commandment just as you have heard from the beginning that you should walk in it." So we are going to walk in love. This is the commandment we've heard from the beginning. But when we walk in the commandment, we are what? Walking in truth. Because the commandment is God's word of truth given. I am obeying the truth. That's the commandment of God. When God speaks that's truth. So this is the commandment that we walk in the truth. You've heard it from the beginning that you should walk in it. So we have a circle in a very real way. Yes, I walk in the truth and when I walk in the truth I walk in love. Because to walk in the truth is to walk in obedience to the truth and the One who is the truth. In the word of truth, He gave commanded me to love fellow believers. And because of the truth as we saw in verse 2 all who know the truth love fellow believers. It's an ongoing thing.

Now if that's the case, we have a church here that cannot be penetrated, cannot be divided, cannot be fractured. So we are going to pick up with the false teachers, the false doctrine, the deceivers. Those who would try to bring a wedge in among believers, divide them over, doctrine over personalities, over whatever. But wait, there's no room. We are walking in truth and our truth binds us together in a relationship of love. Yeah, but you know what they did. Hasn't that been going over in your heart and mind? Hasn't that got on your nerves? Bothered you? Created some bitterness in you? Now think about it. Aren't you troubled by them for some time? If those things are going on, the Devil's got a wedge to get in. And pretty soon he's playing on that and then the crack gets wider. Pretty it becomes a break. Now we have confusion brought in because now there's all kind of issues that come in. What about my friends? What about my family and now people become more susceptible to delusion and deception? Well, we are not ignorant of the schemes of the Devil. So we have to be careful that we are functioning together in truth and in love.

Let me read you what 1 Peter 1:22-23 say as we draw this to a conclusion. Peter writing, "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart." We must understand when we talk about love being action, doing something, we are not talking about hypocrisy, going through the motions for show, but we are willing to sacrifice ourselves in doing what is for the good and best of others because the truth of God has so completely penetrated our hearts and minds that we are controlled by it and motivated it. So that truth that we have obeyed in salvation now drives us and moves us in a sincere or an unhypocritical love of the brethren. We are to have a fiery, passionate love for one another from the heart. "For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable through the living and enduring Word of God." You see the truth permeates everything and because of the truth you have been born again, born again of the Word of God which is living and enduring and living and enduring truth that's taken hold within us as John said in the second verse of his second epistle. And part of that work of God and bringing us into the truth and the truth into us in His gracious salvation was what? So we could have an unhypocritical love of the brethren.

"There must be divisions among you so that those who are approved may become evident." You know, what divisions do in the Body? They reveal those who have a genuine love for the brethren, who set aside their own personal convictions and desires and differences. Not setting aside doctrinal truth because you can't sacrifice truth in the name of love. But I can give up everything else but truth. I can give up what I want, what I like, what I prefer, what I want for the truth of God and the well-being of God's people.

That's what John is talking about. With that as a foundation now he can move to give a warning about the antichrists that the Devil sends forth to try to divide the Body and lure it away from the purity of devotion to Christ. Is that the characteristic of your life? Is your life characterized by walking in the truth in an unshakable devotion, commitment to serving God's people? Those are the identifying marks of one who truly belongs to the living God. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Father, for a Savior who loved us and died for us. In loving us and dying for us, He provided a salvation which is complete and eternal and also set before us a clear and perfect example of sacrificing love. He gave Himself for us. And we thank you for such a Savior and such love. Lord, I pray that the Spirit might impress it upon our hearts and minds and we must be a people characterized by truth in all that we do. We must be a people characterized by an unshakable, loyal love for one another that is a manifestation of the working of your truth in our lives. And we pray in Christ's name, amen.