What is truth?

4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. 5 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. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

Last week, as we looked at verses 1-3, we were introduced to the subject of “truth”

John uses this word 5 times in verses 1-4

The Lexham Bible Dictionary defines truth as referring to those things which are “factual, faithful, firm, reliable, and real”

The most common terms associated with truth in the New Testament are ἀλήθεια (alētheia, “truth”), ἀληθής (alēthēs, “true”), ἀληθινός (alēthinos, “true,” “real”), ἀληθεύω (alētheuō, “to tell the truth”), and ἀληθῶς (alēthōs, “truly”). (LBD)

These words are used in three senses:

As factual - truth is conveyed in a sense of being in accordance with fact or reality, as opposed to being false or in error. This is its dominate use in the NT

It is used to characterize a quality of speech, indicating honesty or sincerity like in John 4:15-18, where the Samaritan woman said to Jesus: “15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” 16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.””

It is used to contrast telling the truth with lying in Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

It is used to describe the gospel in Colossians 1:3-5, “3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel”

The second sense of the word is...

As faithfulness and reliability - Romans 3:3-4, “3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.””

The third way it is used...

As real - that which is real and genuine as opposed to fake or only an imitation

Jesus is described as being “the true light” in John 1:9, “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”

The Father desires true worshipers in John 4:23-24, “23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””

So for something to be true, it has to be factual, faithful or reliable and real

When we come to the Bible and ask “What is truth?”, we need to start with God

“Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God” (MacArthur)

“Truth is the self-expression of God” (MacArthur)

Truth then is “theological” (MacArthur)

God is the God of truth (Jn.4:24)

What He says and what He does is always in truth

All His decisions are based upon truth, therefore, they are factual, faithful or reliable, and real

We can trust the God of truth because He cannot lie (Titus 1:2, “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago”)

We can also trust His word because Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17)

This is why you can give your allegiance to Him

This is also why you can trust Him and trust His Word

He will never fail you, nor will His Word fail you

When God saves you, it is described in 1 Timothy 2:3-4 as coming “to the knowledge of the truth”

You now have God’s truth living inside of you, governing your mind, will and emotions

And you need to constantly feed on the truth

Therefore, every true believe walks in truth and in obedience to the truth

This was true of the chosen lady and her children

They were walking in truth!

John loved the truth and was excited when he learned they were walking in truth

Last week we saw how John connected truth with love

But first let’s talk about John’s...

LESSON

I. Joy Over the Lady’s Children(v.4)

He says, “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth”

It is a great joy to hear when others are walking in truth

John had this same response when he wrote his third letter - 3 John 3-4 “3 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

Paul had this same response when he heard how the Thessalonians were doing - 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10, “6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, 10 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?”

This was John’s personal joy

He had encountered several members of this elect lady’s family

This was what he felt after meeting them

He says, “I was very glad” (echaren, aor.pass.)

The adverb “very” (lian) means, “very much, exceedingly” (Hiebert)

The ESV translates this “I rejoiced greatly”

He says...

He rejoiced when he found some of them walking in truth

“some of them” can mean some didn’t walk in the truth and had fallen prey to the false teachers he warns about in verse 7 or he had met only “some of them” who were walking in the truth but didn’t know about the rest of the lady’s children

The word “find” (heurisko, per.act.ind.) is in the perfect tense indicating his initial response to the news was that of joy and gladness and that joy was continuing as he wrote

He had “an abiding sense of joy produced by the encounter” (Hiebert)

John “does not indicate where the encounter took place but rather stresses its joyous impact” (Hiebert)

John’s use of the preposition ek has a partitive force, implying that he had met only part of the children. John’s expression, as Burdick notes, “does not necessarily mean that her children were not all faithful. It may mean that John had come in contact with some, but not all, who were ‘walking in truth.’ ” (Burdick)

They were doing “just as we have received commandment to do from the Father”

Believer’s Bible Commentary II. The Apostle’s Joy: Obedient Children (v. 4)

The truth is not just something to be believed with the mind, but something to be lived out in everyday behavior. Just as the Lord Jesus was the living embodiment of truth, so He expects our lives to be testimonies to the truth.

God said to Abraham in Genesis 18:17-19, “17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19 “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.””

David said to Solomon in 1 Kings 2:3-4, “3 “Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 so that the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’” a

John now identifies his charge to the “chosen lady” in verses 5 and 6. He says...

“5 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. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.”

John exhorts the “chosen lady” to...

II. Love in Response to the Commandment (v.5)

This is not a new commandment

“we have had from the beginning”

It was commanded back in Leviticus - Leviticus 19:18, “‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.”

The command is “that we love one another”

Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

Jesus also said in John 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (He washed their feet - met their personal need)

This kind of love (agape) humbles itself to the need of another

Philippians 2:1-3, “1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”

Romans 12::9-10, “9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;”

Romans 12:13, “contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

The apostle John repeated this command throughout 1 John:

1 John 3:11, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;”

1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

1 John 4:21, “And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”

Paul also repeated this command in Ephesians 5:1-2, “1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk (imp.) in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Paul also said in Romans 13:8, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”

The writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 13:1, “Let love of the brethren continue.”

Peter echos this two times in his first letter:

1 Peter 1:22, “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,”

1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

John says in verse 6 that we are called to...

III. Obedience to Walk in Love (v.6)

To “walk according to His commandments” is obedience

“walk” (peripateo, pres.act.subj.), means “to behave” (DBL Greek), “to conduct oneself” (LXGRCANLEX). This is speaking of “a moral walk” (BTLNTG)

“according to” is the preposition kata which means “down” suggesting “domination” (Wuest)

We are to order our behavior, conduct ourselves, dominated by the commandments of God. They are to be the dominating factor in our behavior” (Wuest)

2 John 1:4, “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father

Colossians 2:6, “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him”

Galatians 5:16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

John shows us what obedience and love looks like in 1 John 2:3-11.

So...

Obeying God’s commandments demonstrates true love

“And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments”

It’s because...

Love and obedience are inseparably linked as Jesus made clear in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

This is the only way to prove our love for Jesus - John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.””

John said in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

CONCLUSION

Are you walking in truth, obeying God’s command to love one another?

Before you can walk in the truth you need to know the truth

The truth is found in Jesus who said in John 14:6, “...I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Obeying God’s command to love one another comes as a result of salvation

Romans 5:5, “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

But first you need to obey the gospel

The reason people go to hell is because they refuse to obey the gospel

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, “8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”

The gospel is a call for a recognition of one’s condition (a sinner) and a recognition of the Savior (Jesus who is God) and repenting of your condition and coming to Jesus for forgiveness

Alistair Begg said, “Christ died in my place. That’s the gospel.”

You cannot be saved unless you understand this

Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

John 1:12, “But as many as received (lambano, aor.act.ind.) Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,”

To receive Him, who is the Word of God, means to acknowledge His claims, place one’s faith in Him, and thereby yield allegiance to Him (MacArthur)