This evening we are going to begin a brief study in the second shortest book in the Bible – the book of 2 John. It was written by the apostle John probably shortly after he wrote 1 John, somewhere about 97 AD. He called himself the elder. By that time, he was an old man and perhaps the only yet living disciple of Christ. He addressed the short letter to the elect lady and her children. Many Bible teachers guess that he was really writing to a church and the members, but if so, this is the only time in the Bible a church is addressed like this. Many conservative Bible teachers believe John was writing to a Christian lady and her children. Some suspect that the Greek word “Kuria” used here was actually her name (which means “lady”).

The purpose of the letter is to emphasize the truth that Christ taught and to warn not to entertain anyone who rejects the deity of Christ.

Transition

The first four verses of the book introduce us to the topic of the truth and teach us several things we need to know.

Truth: The Christian’s Bond, v.1

  1. Truth is the source of Christian love
    1. John said that he loved Kuria and her children “in the truth”. William Nicoll wrote, “His affection for her and her family was not merely personal; it was inspired by her devotion to the common cause and was shared by all the Christians.”
    2. Yes, the truth found in Christ forms a common point around which we bond to other Christians. God’s truth is the hub of the wheel on which Christianity turns.
      1. John the Baptist came to bear witness of the truth. (John 5:33) “Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.”
      2. Jesus taught the importance of the truth. (John 8:32) “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
      3. Jesus said that He was truth. (John 14:6) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
      4. The Bible is truth. (John 17:17) “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
      5. Unbelievers have changed the truth of God into a lie. (Romans 1:25) “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
      6. Christians are to rejoice in the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:6) “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”
      7. The truth of the gospel must be believed for a person to be saved. (Galatians 3:1) “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”
      8. The truth is our only hope of heaven. (Colossians 1:5) “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;”
      9. All who do not believe the truth will be damned. (2 Thessalonians 2:12) “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
      10. God wants all men to come to the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4) “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
    3. These verses are just a tiny sample of those that speak about God’s truth.
  2. Truth motivates Christian love
    1. John was not the only one who loved Kuria and her children.
    2. All the others who had come to know the truth of the gospel also loved them. When truth sets a person free from sin, it also unites them with others who know the same truth.
    3. We must be cautious. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian truly knows the truth of the gospel. Not all professing Christians have come to the knowledge of the truth. It is the truth that bonds not the name “Christian”.

Truth: The Christian’s Hope, v.2-3

  1. Truth in a Christian is never ending
    1. Truth abides or resides in all true Christians.
    2. Jesus is truth (Jn 14:6). His Word is truth (Jn 17:17). The Spirit who indwells believers is truth. (John 14:17) “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
    3. Truth will never depart from a true believer. John said that it will be with us forever or unto eternity. (Hebrews 13:5) “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
      ² NOTE: Sometimes the word abide or dwell is a fact as it is here, meaning something resides (the fact of residency). Other times it is a duty as when Jesus said we are to abide in Him in order to bear fruit (John 15) or to be unashamed at Christ’s coming (1Jn 2:28).
  2. Indwelling truth gives God’s blessings
    1. Because truth resides in us, God’s grace, mercy and peace will be with us.
    2. God gives us these blessings in truth and love. Notice again that truth comes before love. God’s truth and God’s love cannot be separated.

Truth: The Christian’s Manual, v.4

  1. Christians are to walk in truth
    1. John said that he rejoiced exceedingly that he found of Kuria’s children walking in truth. They were allowing God’s truth to change the way they lived. They were following God’s truth instead of their feelings or peer pressure. For them to do this, three things must be true.
      1. They had heard God’s truth that leads to salvation.
      2. They had received God’s truth and were saved.
      3. They were reading and studying God’s truth.
    2. The word “of” in verse 4 means “out of” indicating that not all of her children were walking in truth. May that never be said of you! Let’s walk in truth always.
    3. This is one of several commands in the New Testament to walk in a new way as a Christian. Here are some others.
      1. Walk honestly, Ro 13:13
      2. Walk by faith, 2Co 5:7
      3. Walk in the Spirit, Ga 5:16-17
      4. Walk in good works, Eph 2:10
      5. Walk in love, Eph 5:2
      6. Walk as children of light, Eph 5:8
      7. Walk circumspectly, Eph 5:15-16
      8. Walk worthy of the Lord, Col 1:10
      9. Walk in wisdom, Col 4:5
  2. Walking in truth is a command.
    1. Those who were walking in truth were obeying God’s command. We do not find the command “walk in truth” in the Bible, but the principle is clearly in the Bible. God’s commands are based on the truth of His Word.
    2. Christians ought to walk as Christ walked. (1 John 2:6) “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
    3. To fail to walk in truth is to walk in error. It is to walk as a fool who makes all his own choices without regard to what God says he should do.

Conclusion

Our take away from this message is that the truth is very important for our daily lives. It is God’s truth that saves. It is around God’s truth that we are to live our lives. God’s truth is to be the common point that bonds Christians in love. God’s truth living in us is never ending and assures us of God’s blessing. God’s truth is the manual that is to guide our daily conduct. We must read and study God’s manual in order to learn how to walk in truth. Be sure you are walking in God’s truth and not in foolish error.

Song: Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord – 337
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Truth
12 June 2016 PM – 2John 1:1-4 – 2Jn2016 – Scott Childs