Turth

We are starting a mini series this morning Tilted Hold Fast a two week study though 2 John.

This series explores the importance of truth—both practicing and protecting it.

The book of 2 John paints a beautiful picture of the truth Christian community is built upon, demonstrating that this foundation results in love.

These two ideas—truth and love—are not competing ideals but deeply connected necessities for Christian community.

How can we as the Christian community live in truth?

If you have your bible go head and turn to 2 John. If you have problems finding it. Just turn to the back of the bible in Revolution and go forward. You should find this short little book.

If you do not have your bibles you can follow along on the screen in a few moments.

Before we look at our passage this morning. I have a question for you. So think for a moment.

Have you ever been asked to describe yourself in three words, or even in just one?

What are some of the words that you would say?

This type of question is use in job interviews, small groups has icebreakers or in a school setting. We ask these question so we can learn more about the other person quickly. When asking to boil oneself down to to one to three wolds it sometimes can be hard right. What is the most important qualities that fit your all character in that moment. You could say something like joyful, hard working, honest, trustworthy.

The thing is by summing yourself into this one words does mean that you will never falter in any of them. In fact, there will be day you feel lazy, mornings that bring frustration and stress instead of joy, and sticky situations where you find yourself telling a lie.

We have all been there. It’s different when we look at summing Jesus up. You can say he is truthful but your aren’t saying that he is pretty truthful or even perfectly truthful.

John cared deply for the truth. Truth is that which is embodied in Jesus Christ (John 14:6), who he is and what he has done.

John 14:6 CSB

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

2 John 1–6 CSB

1 The elder: To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not only I, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever. 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. 5 So now I ask you, dear lady—not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 This is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love.

The first half of John’s letter centers around two key words:

Love and truth

As we are read or even sharing from 2 John 1-3 are often over looked. People say this verse do not matter. They are just the Greeting to some lady and her children. Let’s skip over this three verse and move on. You see this verses are in the bible for a reason. Love and truth are written all throughout this verse.

Whether the “lady chosen by God” and “her children” refers to an individual person or is representative of a local or the global church, the term “lady chosen by God” is one of endearment and respect.

This greeting reflects the intimate connection with love and truth. John loves them in the truth. This goes far beyond the love of momentary feelings. You see it the truth that God has, through Christ, made us one body.

He makes this communal idea even clearer when he notes that not only does he love them, but all others who “know the truth” do as well. The foundation of our relationship is not common interests or shared goals but the truth that Christ has made us one.

Walking in truth

We see this in verse 4. Were John send praises to some of the believers for the relationship to the truth they had. They tried their best to keep the command of the Heavenly Father.

I you are anything like me. I do a lot of walking in my job outside the church. I can walk around 5 Km in a day sometimes. Walking comes naturally to us. We do it everyday but had some weight to your feet. Or try caring a suitcase and walking 5 km. You will get every tried by the end.

Walking in truth is not much different. We don’t just believe the truth. We must pack it up and take it with us everywhere we go. We will get tired and worn out from caring it. We might be tempted to leave it on a street corner or throw into an alley, and do or say something that we know our heavy suitcase won’t allow us the liberty to do.

Walking in truth is not easy but it can be done.

Love one another

Verse 5 makes an important argument that many of us might miss. He makes a point to clarify that this command to love one another is not a new command. “It was a reminder to keep on walking in obedience to God’s truth by continuing to ‘love one another’ (cf. 1 John 2:3-9; 3:14-18, 23; 4:7, 11, 20-21).

This was an important thing to remember, since false teachers were encouraging the readers to depart from the truth they were hearing.

Walk in love

Most of the book of the bible have among their many purposes this consistent theme: unity.

In this passage, the theme is not explicit, but the heart behind the command to “walk in obedience” and “walk in love” (v. 6) is to achieve unity.

When truth is practiced in the context of Christian community, and it produces the conditions for Christian community. Especially in the context of a letter written to a particular community of believers, it is clear that these two seeming competing ideas—truth and love—are inextricably important.

Are you walking in truth and love?

The truth is found in Christian community and results in right Christian practice. Our actions and words should be characterized by the inseparable commands to walk in truth and in love.

if you are not walking in truth and love this morning whats holding you back. Is there something you need to let go of. Is there someone you need to ask forgiveness form. So you can walk in truth and love.

It all start with your walk with Jesus. You might be say I have never walked in truth or walked in love. I have never walked with Jesus. What does that mean. Let God show you. Come now and make that a decision to follow and walk with Jesus now.