Once again this morning in the book of 2 John, as we've been a couple of weeks here in this, a couple of lessons in this, this morning I'd like to read the second half of 2 John, verses 7 through 13, and then we'll see a few things that it's bringing out this morning.

2 John 7, it said, For many deceivers are entering into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God's speed. For he that biddeth him God's speed is partaker of his evil deeds. Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink, but I would trust to come unto you and speak face to face that our joy may be full. The children of thy elect sister greet thee.

And a couple of thoughts before, to start with, It talks about deceivers and confess not that Jesus Christ come in the flesh, and a couple of different things that's mentioned here, that those that don't abide in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. And then it talks in verse 10, it says, if any come unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. And this is not speaking about having unbelievers in our house that that we know that they are unbelievers, but this is ones that are, as you would have someone come and bring, either preach or deliver the Word or teach the Word, that says they believe in what the Scriptures say and do not bring this, that this is a problem. This is not to be received.

But we're going to have a look at a few passages this morning that speak about the whole doctrine, the whole gospel that's being spoken of here, not just a particular phrase or two, but when someone brings the gospel and it's proclaimed, what that infers and should be like. We must abide in this doctrine, the doctrine of Christ. We're going to see what it refers to here. Must declare the whole gospel as given to us in Scripture. The whole of the gospel must contain the three R's, and we talked about it before, ruined by the fall, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and regenerated by the Spirit. And those thoughts can be brought out in different phrases, in different ways, but it must speak about the fall, what condition man is like by nature, that they have utterly and totally fallen. and that they're in dire need of redemption from that position and through the blood of Christ and his work that he has done for his people and regenerated by the Spirit.

The Spirit has to bring this and has to work in his people in what we call the new birth, the regeneration. It's not just the learning the words of it. It has to go from the head knowledge to the heart, and only the Spirit Himself can reveal that and do that for us. And several places that speak to these things have a different lesson of itself in those three R's of thought, but those have to be part and parcel. And the whole counsel of God, not just what men like to hear, that this gospel is not just a good story or a good offer out there. It has to be according to the scriptures or what it means. And if it does not include and part and parcel, of what men are like by nature, what the fall has done, then the rest of it has no bearing. If man is not fallen, then the rest of it has no bearing. But it has to reveal those parts to us that is complete essential biblical teaching as to salvation of God's people in Christ as taught in all of the Scripture.

In Luke 24, the Lord Himself, speaking to those two, goes and said that He revealed to them in all the Scripture those things concerning Himself. And we've seen that in the teachings and the messages that have been brought to us, that there's not a book that fails of that, that fails to bring out Christ in all the scriptures, that it deals with who He is to His people and in salvation that it's in Him.

I'd like to look at a couple of verses in Acts chapter 10. We're going to be in several places, but in Acts chapter 10, Let me get to Acts first here. Acts 10, starting with verse 34, and reading down a ways, this is Peter speaking here in verse 34, it said, Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. That word, I say ye know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree." Him God raised up the third day and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead.

And He commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. To Him give all the prophets witness that through His name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.

And we have several instances in the book of Acts where the Old Testament that they had was used as the text in the history of the Jews and God dealing with them and what they were like as a people and what we are like as a people. and that it's only through God's, His power and His doing that any are delivered.

But as it says here, verse 43, to Him, to the Lord Jesus Christ, give all the prophets witness. that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." And that is, again, the gospel in a nutshell in that verse there.

And then in Acts chapter 20, Acts 20 starting with verse 18. Paul, verse 17 of Acts 20, it says, speaking of him, and from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, You know from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons. serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shown you and have taught you publicly from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

And now, behold, I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more. Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

For I know this, that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore, watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.

And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." And here he says again that he failed not to bring the whole counsel of God, the whole of the Scripture, whole of the gospel to them. that he testified of the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he's admonishing them here, too. That's what must be done, and that must be the purpose and the direction.

In the book of Romans, chapter 3, And he said there in, as we just read there, he said, he knows people will rise up in their midst and bring perverse teachings and different teachings. And as we've heard in several messages lately, generally speaking, that is that the Lord and what he's done to redeem a people is not sufficient to do the job. In one way or another, there's a deficiency there because they'll bring in what we must do or in what area we must either improve or assure that things are done right.

And we've seen those errors come in, not only in the scripture that speaks about them in passages that we've been through before, but in our own times, the errors that people that have some of the right words to say, and it sounds good until they to show you what area they feel Christ is not sufficient. And those are the errors, and that's a grave error that comes about when man starts thinking about what should be done or how it should be done.

In Romans chapter 3, Romans chapter 3, and just a portion of this, starting at verse 21, It says, But now, and before that it said, No flesh shall be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Up here, just for a second, in verse 21, where it says, the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. So, in the days back when, who he was speaking to, the Jews and before, what they had record of, that those-the law and the prophets, it says, witnesses to the righteousness of God without the law, which is the righteousness of Christ to His people.

And that was-they had that witness They had that gospel able that we have record of what he is faced with, is placed in, that he was taught of God, of the Spirit, and taught of his parents in what they were revealed to them, that they knew what the righteousness was. It was not in the law or what they could do. And they testified of that.

of all the ones that came before the law was ever given. They didn't look to the law at those times, they looked to the Lord himself for their righteousness as all must. And it was after the law was given that now they appeared a way that they could be righteous, but God says, no, the righteousness without the law was revealed.

And then verse 23 going down, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God.

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where it is boasting, then, it is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing it is one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid, yea, we established the law.

And the law is there, and it shows the gap as it says in several places in the scriptures we have, to approach the mount that the law was given on. That was a death sentence. It was not a life sentence to look to the law. The law showed the problem. showed what the problem was.

And here, without the law of righteousness, that it says that it says, seeing it as one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith. And above here when it says that, testified that is redemption through Christ by His grace, and the other, the passage that we know and use so often there that by, We are saved by faith through grace and not of ourself. It isn't something that we work up.

And here that it says we are justified without the deeds of the law, and we're not going to see any of the scripture, the gospel, contrary to what the law says, But that's not what we look to for our righteousness or our sanctification. There's nothing that can be done that adds to what we have in Christ. We either have all that's needed in Him or we don't. And the scripture says, all that we need is in Him and supplied by Him in His doing.

And then in, turn to the book of Galatians. the book of Galatians in the first chapter. Here it speaks about the whole gospel and that in which we stand, and then we know that it gets into an issue that they've had, but I'd like to read the first few verses of Galatians chapter 1.

It says, Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. And all the brethren which are with me unto the churches of Galatia, grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and of our Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, into another gospel. which is not another. But there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." And that speaks to here that perverting of the gospel and changing of the gospel, that it says it's not another gospel, and that he has preached the whole counsel of God. But down in verse 12, where it says, I neither received it of man, Neither was taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. And by the Spirit, that is the work that has to be done. Otherwise, we know the words of it, but we don't know the reality of it if the Spirit has not revealed it to us.

And as he said, the gospel that was preached was by the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Lord Himself, in John 3 speaking about the new birth. It is a work that has to be done. It's not a work that can be accomplished by man or by learning or or any of those things, hands putting on or whatever, but only by the Lord Himself, by the Spirit Himself, revealing those things in what is called the new birth and revealed to you.

And again, it has to be the complete essential biblical teachings as to salvation in God's people. not just a thought or anything that dilutes that. I don't have that saying in front of me, but the quote that we looked at some time back that said, if anybody brings the truth of the gospel and the power of the gospel down to suit men, That is antichrist among whoever we find it. They may be somebody that we revere or hold up as knowing something, but if it's ever diluted or perverted in the least from who the Lord is, and adds anything that we must do or can do to that. He said it's anti-Christ, no matter where it's found, and it is not to be tolerated.

The things that are necessary for salvation, faith, life as being revealed in Christ, not holding back any word of God, of his righteousness, his warnings against sin, or promises to us from God. A couple of places I'd like to look at here in John chapter 15. John chapter 15. John chapter 15, and here it says, starting with verse 15, John 15, it said, Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.

and it goes on in this light here in this things that the Lord says and about the sheep and the life that is brought about through himself by the Spirit. And here, said, I have called you for all things that I have heard of my father I have made known unto you. And that can be said not only in the passages where we see it in red letters that he is attributed to him actually saying that, but all of scripture is He is the Word, and literally in all of this that was given was given by Him to His servants to record for us, and we have that. All of that is of His hand and of His doing.

In Colossians, the book of Colossians, And this all, again, remembering and applying this or thinking this back there in Second John for guarding those that would bring the scripture and not bring the whole scripture. In Colossians chapter one, and starting in verse 12, it says, giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible, invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church. who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight.

If you continue in the faith, grounded, and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached unto every creature which is under heaven, where am I, Paul, and made a minister. who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church, where I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. even the mystery which hath been hid from the ages from generations, but is now made manifest to the saints, to whom God would make known which is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily."

And up here, of speaking in that working and presenting us as spotless, and has reconciled us. But in verse 22 up here it says, "...in the body of his flesh through death, to present you wholly and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight." That's the only way that we can be wholly unblameable and unreprovable is by his doing. We don't add to that, or we can't finish the work, as it were, or add to the work. If we are not presented in him wholly unblameable and unreprovable, we never will be if it's not in Him, if it's not in Him that this is done.

In Acts chapter 7, And Peter speaks of the same things. He speaks about preaching the whole gospel and not turning aside from it or diluting the gospel in the book of Peter. But in Acts chapter 7, and we've been through this about-and this passage here that we're going to look at is Stephen preaching the whole doctrine of Christ. They had slain the prophets that showed them before the coming of the Holy One, the Just One, the Lord Himself. And Stephen recounted the history of Israel and God over time, and what they had been like, and what God had been like. And I'd like to just read a little bit here, starting with verse 51.

After saying all these things about who God was and what they were like, he says, Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the just one, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers. who have received the law by the dispensation of angels have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on them with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God. And Jesus, standing on the right hand of God, said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God."

And here, previous to this, he had laid out the history of those things that, from the the beginning just about, and laid out those things that they knew and they're aware of. And then he sums it up down here when, in verse 52, not only were they stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart, which hits to the core of the problem, is they might have been physically circumcised, but not of the heart. And where it says here, they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the just one, of whom ye now have been the betrayers and murderers."

And that is what all in the Old Testament of the showing the ruin by the fall and redeemed by the blood of Christ and has to be applied and has to be brought to fruition by the Spirit in the new birth. As they said here, the ones that had revealed who the just one was, the one that in salvation and the only one we could look to for hope, you slain him. you slayed the only hope that you had, and that hit them pretty hard. And that struck right to the heart of the problem, the core of the problem was their being unregenerate and religious and only religious in those things, and he preached those.

Isaiah, I have a lot of parts of Isaiah that speak to the Lord himself being the Lord himself and being the Holy One of Israel, the only Redeemer, and that that must be brought forth. And Isaiah did that in a number of places and brought forth the gospel to them and to us as we hold it and all through the book of Isaiah. And then afterward, but the 53rd chapter that goes into great detail of what the Lord did for His people. And there's nothing in that chapter there that refers to what what must be done by God's people. It was all done by his hand, and there's no room in there to put part of what we can do to add to that, and if it is, then it's diluting what the gospel says, and it's definitely not the truth.

And then in, I turned to the book of 1 John for, just in wrapping up this thought, but the book of 1 John, 1 John 5. The book of 1 John speaks a lot about the love of the brethren, and the love to God, and God's love to His people. But in 5, verse 20, It says, And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

And this is the ongoing theme in 2 John, in all of the Gospels, in all of the Law, the Prophets, all that we have, the Psalms, is that we may know Him that is true, by the Spirit, even His Son, this is the true God and eternal life." And it said, God hath given us an understanding. If we stand in Him and understand anything at all, and He has borne witness with us that it's all of God's doing. And again, in 2 John here, as we look to that and look to some more, specifically what it's speaking to, that any that don't bring this, message that it's not right. It's not the right message, and it says not to partake of that.

And so we, once again, the teaching in the declaration is that the whole counsel of God be preached, the whole gospel of Christ be taught. And with that, we'll pick that up next time, Lord willing. Thank you.