“Living in the Truth”
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro:
Over the past several months, as we have walked through 1 John, we have been reminded that Christianity is not just a name that we wear… It is a life that we live.
John has shown us what authentic Christianity looks like. It shows up…
in what we believe,
in how we live,
in how we love,
and whether or not we continue in the truth.
John has been helping us see the difference between a faith that is merely talked about and a faith that is truly lived out.
And now, as we come to 2 John, he continues that same theme, but in a shorter and more personal letter.
1 John was written more like a general letter or sermon to a group of believers. But 2 John is brief, personal, and practical.
In fact, 2 and 3 John are the shortest books in the New Testament… yet they are packed full principles and lessons that we need to learn and apply to our lives.
John is not named directly in any of these 3 letters that bear his name, but from the earliest days of the church, believers have understood that John was the writer.
The first Christians who received these letters knew where they came from. They passed that down to the next generation, and that generation passed it down to the next. So throughout church history, there has been a strong and consistent understanding that John wrote them.
It is also traditionally accepted that, 2nd and 3rd John were written around the same time as 1st John, probably shortly after it…
Which would have been near the end of his life… just before he was exiled to the island of Patmos for boldly preaching the Gospel.
As I mentioned several times throughout our study of 1 John, false teachers were making their way into the early church causing…
Confusion
Division
and ultimately damaging the church the disciples were tasked to build.
And that is mainly what was addressed in 1 John…
But it didn’t stop there…
False teachers were also trying to influence Christian homes… Which should not come as a surprise to us, because the home has always been an important battleground for truth.
If the home is weakened, the church will be affected as well.
That fact should help us understand why John writes this short letter in a sense that seems to be loving, yet firm.
He addresses it to “the elect lady and her children.”
Some believe John is referring to a specific Christian woman and her family.
Others believe he is describing a local church and its members.
I am on both sides of the fence… I believe that a church may have been meeting in this woman’s home, as many churches did in the New Testament… And John is writing with concern for both the family in the house and the believers who regularly gather there.
Whatever the correct scenario is doesn’t change the message in his letter… his concern is very clear.
He does not want false teaching welcomed into the home or the church.
He loves these believers, and because he loves them, he wants them to stay true to Christ.
That is a reminder we still need today. If we are going to live authentically, we must guard the truth not only at church, but also in our homes.
Lets read the entire letter this morning and then we will hone in on the first few verse…
Read 2 John…
Meat:
In just the first four verses of this little letter, John uses the word truth five times. That tells us right away what is on his heart.
Before he warns about false teachers,
before he talks about hospitality,
and before he gives any instruction,
John wanted believers to be anchored in the truth, because he knew that as believers…
We are saved by the truth.
We are sanctified by the truth.
We love the truth.
We are judged by the truth.
We are set free by the truth.
We worship in the truth.
We serve God in the truth.
We rejoice in the truth.
We speak the truth.
We desire the truth.
We hear the truth.
We obey the truth.
Most of all… we are to walk in the truth…
Meaning that we conduct our lives in the realm of the truth.
That is why I have entitled the message this morning as…
“Living in the Truth” … and I see 3
Effects of Truth
Notice first of all that…
1. Truth Shapes Christian Love
1. Truth Shapes Christian Love
2 John 1 “The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth… ”
That phrase is important…
John does not simply say, “I love you.” He says, “I love you in truth.”
Which means that…
Christian love is not just emotion.
It is not just friendliness.
It is not just being nice to people.
Christian love is rooted in truth.
There is a kind of love the world talks about that has no foundation.
It is based on feelings,
agreement,
acceptance,
or personal preference.
In our culture today, many people define love as affirming whatever someone wants, no matter what God has said.
But biblical love is different…
Christian love is different…
Christian love is shaped by truth.
Paul said in the “Great Love chapter”…
(Love) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
Meaning that…
real love does not celebrate what is false.
Real love does not rejoice in sin.
Real love does not lead someone away from God.
Real love rejoices in the truth.
So John’s love for these believers was not shallow or sentimental. It was grounded in their shared relationship with Christ.
As believers, we recognize that we have…
1.1 A Shared Relationship
1.1 A Shared Relationship
John says he loved them because
they belonged to the same Lord.
They had been brought into the same family.
They shared the same Savior, the same gospel, and the same hope.
That is one of the beautiful things about being part of the family of God.
We may come from different backgrounds.
We may have different personalities.
We may not always have the same preferences.
But there is something deeper that unites us.
We are united in Christ.
That is why Christian fellowship is different from ordinary friendship… Friendship is often built on common interests… Maybe people like the same
hobbies,
the same sports team,
the same kind of music,
or the same kind of activities.
But Christian fellowship is built on something much stronger. It is built on the truth of Jesus Christ.
When you meet someone who truly knows the Lord, there is a connection that is deeper than any personality.
You may have just met them, but if they love Christ and believe the gospel, there is a bond there… Why? … Because you share the same truth.
That is what John is saying. “I love you in truth.”
And that shared relationship is built on…
1.2 A Biblical Foundation
1.2 A Biblical Foundation
Authentic Christian love must be guided by the truth of God.
Remember, John stated in 1 John 4:8
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
That means love did not begin with us.
Love did not begin with…
culture,
feelings,
opinions,
or relationships.
Love begins with God Himself. So if we want to know what true love is, we do not look first to the world around us or even to the emotions within us…
We look to the God who is love… and He gave us the ultimate demonstration of His love…
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
True love…
is not selfish.
It is not careless.
It is not detached from holiness.
True love seeks what is best according to God’s will, even when it is costly.
Regardless of what the world thinks or says… love is not allowed to make up its own rules.
If God is love, then God defines love.
And if God defines love, then love must always be governed by His truth.
Meaning that anything that leads us away from God, away from holiness, or away from obedience may call itself love, but it is not biblical love.
This is very different from the way the world thinks today.
Many people separate love from obedience.
They think love means doing whatever feels right.
But Jesus says…
John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
And John emphasized the same thing back in 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
So if love is not guided by truth, it will eventually drift away from what God intended love to be and little by little it begins to erode the biblical foundation that true love stands on.
And once that happens, love becomes something man defines instead of something God defines.
Biblical love must always stand on biblical truth. Truth is the foundation that keeps love from becoming selfish or spiritually harmful… …
Truth also gives us…
1.3 A Common Fellowship
1.3 A Common Fellowship
John says at the end of v.1 “… I love (you) in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth.”
John says, “I am not the only one who loves you. Everyone who knows the truth loves you.”
That does not mean every believer personally knew this woman or this church. It simply means there is a common love among those who know the truth.
Truth creates fellowship.
The truth does not isolate God’s people from one another.
It brings them together.
In a world filled with confusion, changing opinions, and spiritual deception, there is a precious unity among those who know Christ and hold to His Word.
That does not mean Christians agree on every small matter. But where the truth of the gospel is held, there is a real bond.
The Psalmist says in…
I am a companion of all those who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts.
That is the idea here.
Those who love God’s truth will have a love for others who love God’s truth.
So… truth shapes Christian love.
Next…
2. Truth Abides in God’s People
2. Truth Abides in God’s People
John said… I love you in the truth, and fellow believers love you… … v2…
2 John 2 “because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:”
The NASB says “… for the sake of the truth which abides in us…”
John is pointing out that…
This is not just a passing religious idea.
This is not just a shared opinion.
This is not merely a church tradition.
This is the truth of God.
And when he states that it abides in us, he is making sure that we know that this is…
2.1 Not Just Information
2.1 Not Just Information
It is much more than that…
Yes, we should…
learn truth.
We should study the Bible.
We should know doctrine.
We should understand what we believe and why we believe it.
But Biblical truth is not meant to stay cooped up in our minds. Truth is meant to shape our hearts and lives.
It is like having a recipe in the kitchen. You can…
read the recipe,
study the ingredients,
memorize the steps,
and even explain it to someone else.
But if you never actually follow the recipe, it never produces anything.
The goal of a recipe is not just to be known; it is to be put into practice…
In the same way, God does not give us truth just so we can store it in our minds.
He gives us truth so it will work its way into our lives. It is meant to change…
the way we think,
the way we speak,
the way we love,
the way we respond,
and the way we walk with Him.
Truth that is only known but never obeyed has not had its intended effect.
God’s truth is meant to become visible in us…
It is not just information… it is…
2.2 An Inward Reality
2.2 An Inward Reality
John says “The Truth ABIDES in us”…
Meaning that it takes up residence, it makes a home in us…
Truth is not supposed to be just a visitor in the Christian life… It is not supposed to only stop by on Sunday and then leave the rest of the week. Truth abides in us.
It is to settle down in our hearts.
It is to shape our thinking.
It is to guide our decisions.
It is to correct our desires.
It is to direct our steps.
This is one of the marks of genuine Christianity. A true believer has received the truth of the gospel, and that truth has taken root.
That does not mean we understand everything immediately. It does not mean we never struggle. It does not mean we never need correction. But it does mean there is a new relationship to the truth.
Before salvation, a person may hear the truth and resist it. They may ignore it. They may be offended by it. But when God opens the heart, the truth becomes precious.
That is why the old hymn says:
“Open my eyes, that I may see, Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.
Open my ears that I may hear, Voices of truth Thou sendest clear
Open my mouth and let me bear, Gladly the warm truth everywhere
Silently now I wait for Thee
Ready, my God, Thy will to see
Open my heart, illumine me
Spirit Divine”
That really is what we need. We do not simply need information placed before us;
We need God to
open our eyes, so we can see the truth,
open our ears, so we can hear the truth
and open our mouths, so we can share the truth
And when God does that, His Truth is no longer just something we absorb…
It becomes…
light for our path,
food for our soul,
and an inward reality that we are being changed by it… …
As God’s truth abides in us, it does so as…
2.3 A Lasting Presence
2.3 A Lasting Presence
John tells us that God’s truth “…will be with us forever”
What a wonderful promise!
The truth of God…
is not temporary.
It does not expire.
It does not become outdated.
It does not need to be revised to fit the spirit of the age.
Culture changes.
Opinions change.
Feelings change.
Popular ideas change.
But the truth of God remains.
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
Jesus echoed this same promise…
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
This should give us great confidence, knowing that…
We are not building our lives on something fragile.
We are not standing on shifting sand.
We are standing on the truth that will remain forever.
Think about how many ideas have come and gone through human history.
For years, bloodletting was considered a common medical treatment.
Doctors believed that draining blood from a sick person could help restore health.
But long before modern medicine understood the importance of blood, God’s Word said in Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.”
Human wisdom was still learning, but God’s Word was already true.
Think about creation itself.
Man has offered many explanations for where we came from and why we are here.
But Scripture begins with this simple declaration: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
And the more science studies the intricacies of creation, the more we see the wisdom, design, order, and complexity built into it.
The universe is not random chaos. Life is not simple. Creation bears the marks of a Creator.
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.”
Human theories may shift, but God’s truth stands.
Think about the human heart.
Our culture often says, “Follow your heart.”
But Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”
And if we are honest, life proves that to be true.
Our feelings can mislead us.
Our desires can deceive us.
Our hearts need truth from outside of ourselves.
The examples can go on and on of how, again and again, man’s ideas change, but God’s truth remains.
That is why we do not build our lives on the popular opinion of the moment.
We build our lives on the Word of God. Because God’s truth is what stands forever.
The truth that abides in us will be with us forever…
So truth shapes Christian love… truth abides in God’s people… and lastly…
3. Truth Brings God’s Blessing
3. Truth Brings God’s Blessing
2 John 3 “Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
Yes, on the surface, this is just a simple greeting… but as you break it down, it becomes much more…
As we live in the truth…
3.1 Grace is Given
3.1 Grace is Given
This is the first blessing thats listed…
Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve…
We did not earn salvation.
We did not deserve forgiveness.
We did not make ourselves worthy of God’s love.
and yet, Ephesians 2:8-9 says
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Everything in the Christian life begins with grace…
We need grace to stand.
We need grace to grow.
We need grace to obey.
We need grace to keep going when life is hard.
Meaning that we don’t just need grace at the beginning of our walk with Christ… we need it every day!
I don’t know about you, but I am so glad that God has an infinite amount of grace to give…
The Apostle Paul, as he was pleading with God to take away what he called “a thorn in the flesh”, heard Jesus respond…
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” …
… Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
In light of God’s grace towards us, may we have the same attitude as we face the trials of life… …
The next blessing is mercy…
3.2 Mercy is Shown
3.2 Mercy is Shown
Mercy is God withholding what we do deserve.
Because of our sin, we deserve judgment. But God is rich in mercy… and I am so glad that He is…
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
Every day we live, we are living under the mercy of God.
John knew that from personal experience
He had failed the Lord several times.
Remember, he and his brother James wanted to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village, just for their lack of hospitality.
He and his brother also sought places of prominence in the kingdom.
Yet Christ had been patient with him, merciful toward him, and faithful to use him.
And when we are honest with ourselves, we will quickly admit our need of that same mercy.
We need mercy when we fail.
We need mercy when we are weak.
We need mercy when our motives are not what they should be.
We need mercy when we fall short of the glory of God.
I’m so glad for the mercy He has shown through Christ…
Lastly, John mentions Peace…
3.3 Peace is Supplied
3.3 Peace is Supplied
Peace is the settled assurance that comes from being right with God.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
This is not merely a peaceful feeling. It is a real standing before God.
Through Christ, the hostility is gone. The guilt is removed… and we, as believers are reconciled to God.
And from that peace with God comes the peace of God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
That does not mean life is always easy.
It does not mean there are no burdens,
no battles,
no tears,
and no questions.
But it does mean the we can rest in the God who is faithful and true.
And where do all of these blessings come from…
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Just like in his first letter, John is very clear about who Jesus is.
He is not just a teacher.
He is not just a prophet.
He is not just an example.
He is “the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.”
Closing:
So as John opens this little letter, he reminds us where authentic living begins.
It begins with truth.
Truth that shapes our love.
Truth that abides in God’s people.
Truth that brings God’s blessing.
And that leaves us with some important questions.
Do we know the real truth?
and if we say yes…
Has the truth taken root in us?
Is it dwelling in us?
Is it shaping the way we
think,
speak,
love,
Is it shaping the way we live?
In a world that keeps redefining truth, we must be a congregation that is anchored to the unchanging truth of God’s Word.
And in a world filled with confusion, we need to remember that the truth of God is not going anywhere.
It abides in us.
It will be with us forever.
And through Jesus Christ, it brings grace, mercy, and peace.
So may God help us, as we begin this little letter, to be people who are truly living in the truth.
Prayer
help us to be anchored in Your truth.
In a world that keeps redefining truth, help us stand firmly on Your Word.
make Your truth visible in our lives.
Do not let us be hearers only. Let the truth abide in us, change us, guide our homes, strengthen our church, and help us walk faithfully with You.
