2 John | Walking in the Truth

INTRO

-Welcome, turn in your Bible to 2 John today

-We start a new book of the Bible that, surprise, has familiar themes of 1 John. I wonder why that is?

-Only three short verses that we will cover but they are loaded with things for us to thinking about and obey so let’s pray and jump into it.

THE WORD

English Standard Version Chapter 1

1 The elder to the elect lady and her children,

-Yes, I know we did not get far, but believe it or not, this is a important for us to understand the whole book and believe it or not, a somewhat heavily discussed part of this book in theology land.

-Who is the elder and who is the elect lady and why the obscurity?

The elder is the apostle John but it can also mean Old man.

The elect lady and her children can be an individual woman or a church.

The word “church in the greek is feminine in gender, second the church is depicted as the bride of Christ, and third the greek word kyria which means lady, referred to a social subunit in the the city state.

John possibly wrote this way because of rising persecution of the church.

If this letter would have been read by someone trying to find out who is claiming lordship to Jesus, John’s introduction would have not caught there attention by saying, “The old man to the chosen social subunit. Compared to, “John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, to the church that is meeting in this house in this city. So it is somewhat of a secretive letter, but this letter thankfully was kept soe we can learn from it. Let’s keep reading.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth,

-As you may remember, truth and love are very important to John when we read through 1 John.

-Which is interesting because love and truth continue to be things that the world wants to redefine.

-John is saying 1. Love in the truth also, 2. all who know the truth because the truth for him is not an idea or belief system.

-The truth is the person, man from nazareth, named Jesus. So he loves them in Christ, and we can know the truth in christ.

-John 14:6, John 18:38

-But why is Jesus the truth? If we step outside of just “the Bible tells me so”?(Discuss this?)

-Matthew 5: you say, but I say. This means that we have been saying things that he never said. And if he is the creator, the light, the truth, then we either got it wrong, or he has it wrong.

-In my view, since he lived perfectly, suffered brutally, and rose victoriously, I think he is doing pretty good.

He is the truth because he was what we were not. He lived as the perfect image bearer, the perfect communion with the father. The emotions, actions, and words that he spoke were what we humans are created for.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

-John loves this word “abide” as much as he loves truth and love. But it calls us back into the reality of what you and I have in Christianity.

John reminds us again that following Jesus is abiding in him now and forever.

-I may seem like I am preaching to the choir but we need to remember what we have in Christ is here and not yet. We have the Spirit, the promises of God, we have Christ in us the Hope of glory. But we will also have Christ forever. We will have freedom forever. It’s more than us just confessing something, it is a transformational thing. It is a new reality of what you have, what your hope can be and what your future will be.

-How did we get this truth? and how do we continue to stand firm in this truth like John wants us? Is it more work, and stronger resolve?

-John gives us a reminder of what we have been given and what we continue to have.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

-This is not just a cordial greeting, although it is a greeting. John is trying to help remind us of the Gospel, the goodnews of Jesus.

Grace definition: A gift, something you did not deserve.

-Did we recieve grace, a gift, in Jesus. But did that grace run out on us as a one time gift? No, you have grace that is sufficient for you every day. Grace to do what? Grace that is from God the father and Jesus Christ, in truth and in love.

-Why is that important. Grace is not there for you to keep on sinning. Grace is there to empower you to live a life free of sin, abiding in the truth, and walking in love.

-Oh brother good thing there is grace for me. We have a distorted view of grace if we think that is what God is giving us. Grace is the gift of righteousness that he who knew no sin became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God.

Mercy definition: To have compassion on, to spare someone from punishment

-Is this seen in the Gospel of Jesus? Was it a one time event that we recieved mercy and now we are out of mercy?

-Great is thy faithfulness. New mercies each morning for you to walk in. God’s heart for you is not to punish you. If that is your mindset you are not viewing him through Christ.

Peace definition: To be whole, have rest, having peace with God

Did Jesus come and make peace for us on the cross. Was that just a ne time we get peace with God? You are getting my point here hopefully.

-Everything that Jesus gave us is still accessible for us today

Are you receiving what God is giving?

-Not just my message, but what God the father and His son Jesus want to pour out on you today is grace, mercy, and peace. In truth and in love. So you can abide in Him all the days of your life until he takes your home or her returns.

-What lens are you looking through? The Gospel lens or the experience lens?