Walk in Truth

Read 3 John 1-4

John says to see his children walk in truth brought him the greatest joy possible. What does he mean by “walk in truth?”

Walk - this is an action verb. While John is writing figuratively, metaphorically, he uses an action verb.

Walking is one of the Bible’s most vivid metaphors. - what does it mean to walk? It means to conduct your life - how you live - in this case to conduct your life or live in the truth. This walking is both positive in terms of what to follow and negative in what to avoid or abstain from.

Paul uses the same metaphor in Romans 6:4 as children of God we are to “walk in newness of life”

My family and I as often as we can, go to the park and walk. There is something about getting out on a nice day and walking that is just invigorating and relaxing at the same time.

It seems that many people think walking in truth is like a walk in the park, do it when it is convenient, necessary, or when I feel like it.

The text however strongly dismisses such an idea. The term, “walk” means to continuously walk in truth. In fact most newer translations have translated it “walking” “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (NIV)

That it is your life style it is your address your daily life.

And this figurative walking or living is done in the truth.

What does it mean to walk in the truth?

I like what Warren Wiersbe says on this:

It is clear that Gaius’ entire life was wrapped up in the truth. True living comes from the living truth. Jesus Christ, the truth (John 14:6), is revealed in the Word, which is God’s truth (John 17:17). The Holy Spirit is also truth (1 John 5:6), and He teaches us the truth. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to reveal the Son of God, and then to enable us to obey the will of God and “walk in truth.”

To walk in truth involves three things.

To know the truth

To believe the truth

To live the truth

1. To Know the truth!

Some people treat truth as though it is relative or subjective. But truth is powerful.

One of the modern issues in our culture is its love of circular reasoning.

I have heard so often, “There is no truth, truth is what you make of it or what you believe.”

What is so ironic about such a statement is thy have just said a truth. And dare I say an even absolute statement.

You can’t get away from truth.

Some try to ignore the truth - If I don’t acknowledge it, it will go away.

Some try to make the truth relative

Some try to recreate the truth.

Kind of like the Zoo in Gaza several years ago.

What do you do if you have a zoo without a zebra? The Marah Zoo in Gaza recently faced that question. Their answer? Take a donkey, cut its hair short, and dye its fur black and white. For most people in Gaza who had never seen a zebra, it worked. “Don’t tell anyone,” said Mahmud Berghat, the zoo’s director. “The children love him.” The donkey, however, seemed to know something was wrong. He stood in the back of his cage with his head down, turning away from the spectators.

When you try to be something you are not, it never turns out well. You can’t fool God or the people who know you any more than you make a zebra out of a donkey. Integrity is the surest path to confidence and well-being. It is better to be honest about who you are than try to be a zebra when you are really a donkey.

—Jim L. Wilson and David Johnson268

I think that is what Pilate was trying to do some of each as he was questioning Jesus in John 18:37

Pilate asks Jesus “Art thou king then?”

I love Jesus reply - He gives us a purpose statement for why He came. Listen to this - this is powerful

Jesus says, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth...”

Jesus is saying I came to “bear witness” or to testify to the truth.

Jesus then goes right on in the same verse and says, “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”

What is Jesus saying - He is saying that the “truth is contained in what He testified to.” to what He said!!!

In fact previous to this in John 14:6 Jesus had said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life...”

Now the definition for truth is “that which corresponds to reality”

I’m talking about walking in truth - We not only need to know what truth is - but we must believe the truth -

2. To Believe the Truth

To walk in truth is to believe the truth - that is what Jesus says in John 18 - “Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice” The word heareth means more than just receiving the noise or the sound of what he says,

It means assenting to, accepting the truth - accepting Christ for who he says he is.

Believing everything Jesus said.

I wish I had time to go into this - but Jesus said he didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it -

DO you hear him? Do you believe Him?

Jesus said, “Except you repent you shall all likewise perish”

Do you hear Him? Do you believe Him?

Jesus said “Ye must be born again”

Do you hear him? Do you believe Him?

Jesus said all of the law and prophets hang on two things

To love God with all we are

and our neighbor as ourselves

Do you hear Him? Do you believe Him?

Jesus said - if our enemy hungers feed him, to turn the other cheek when slapped, to bless those who persecute and hate,

Do you hear him? Do you believe Him?

He also said, “Lo I am with you always even to the ends of the earth”

Do you hear him? Do you believe Him?

He said, “Don’t be troubled, in my father’s house are many mansions”

Do you hear him? Do you believe Him?

We have to understand, that to walk in the truth, we must know the truth, we have to believe and accept the truth and from that will spring our walk or our living the truth.

3. To Live the Truth

It’s not just the knowing and believing but we must obey the truth. We must walk in it.

The story is told of an ancient Stoic philosopher, Epictetus (c. a.d. 50-120), who wanted to teach his students that truth understood is of no value; it is truth acted upon which changes things. This is, of course, a great truth. Sometimes we try putting it in a little saying like "Practice what you preach." The problem is that we tend to remember only the words in these little sayings and ignore the truth they are intended to communicate. Epictetus once gathered his students around and said, "Have you ever noticed that a sheep does not vomit up the grass it ate at the feet of the shepherd in order to impress him? The sheep digests it to produce wool and milk." What a vivid illustration of the idea that it is truth acted on that changes things. Certainly it is a word picture that you are unlikely to forget! Michael P. Green, ed., “Parables,” in Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1989), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Parables".

SO I want to encourage you today to Know the truth, accept and beleive the truth and then walk in it live it obey it - It will transform you life, it will bring fruit to your life, you will grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Whatever truth God is impressing on your heart today walk in it. Walk in Christ.