Okay, in 2 John this morning,
once again, I'd like to read the first six verses of 2 John. It says, The elder unto the elect
lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I
only, but also all they that have known the truth. for the
truth's sake, which dwelleth in us and shall be with us forever. Grace be with you, mercy and
peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Son of the Father, in truth and love. I rejoice greatly that
I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received
a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady,
not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we
have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And
this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the
commandment, that as ye have heard from the beginning, ye
should walk in it." And we're going to be looking at primarily
verses, verse four today in this section, four through six, the
second three verses, second set of three verses. And it says
in verse 4 again, I rejoice greatly that I find thy children walking
in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
And in both the book of 1 John, as we saw at some length, and
again in 2 John, the themes that that John brings forth, that
is led to bring forth to us is love and truth, and a lot of
love and truth, a lot of brotherly love, and what that deals with
and speaks to and what that is. And here it says, greatly rejoiced
found thy children walking in truth as we have received a commandment
from the Father. and he's gonna go on later in
this yet, and we're gonna speak about brotherly love more, but
here walking, it says walking in truth, that the verse above,
verse three, speaks about the same things, those things that
we get from the Lord in truth and love, and both of those things,
I think, are key, obviously, to what the
Scriptures have to say. And we're going to look at some
verses today that speak to that. He's speaking in verse 4, again,
of thy children, it says. those walking in truth. And the
children, as we looked at before, speaks to those that are redeemed
of God. Here speaking as some commentators
say that speaking to a woman and her children literally a
woman and children, or as we consider that it speaks to the
church, whether the local church or the church at large, and those
that are indeed in the church that have been called of God
and have been redeemed of Him. And that either way, whether
this is a personal letter to that woman that we can glean
things from and see things from, or if it's speaking to God's
people as His children, as we saw there in 1 John, it says, God's love manifested in it.
Love is shown that He calls us the children of God, that God
calls us that. And so in that regard, there's
a special relationship there as we have to sons and daughters
in our families, as we have in the church, those relationships
that we have. that are called sons, and obviously
sons and daughters of God. There's a filial relationship
between God's people that is a special relationship that is
there as in families. John once again mentions the
children and them walking in truth. a term of endearment from
John and from the Father, as in 1 John 3, where it says, as
we just said, what manner of love that this indicates, that
God would call us children, what position it reckons those to
be in, in that are the redeemed of the Lord. We are indeed sons
of Adam, in that we fell in him, and we inherited all that from
Adam down the way, but in Christ we are the sons of God, as He
calls it itself. It says, now we are His sons,
and the hope we have in us is that we shall be like Him. And
we looked at several passages, like Him, and so as sons and
daughters, we desire to walk as He directs. if our hearts
have been replaced with an heart of faith, and not the old heart
of stone, but flesh of Him, and faith in Him by the Spirit, we
shall walk in truth." And the truth that's spoke of generally,
and there's a lot of truth in Scripture, but is generally speaking
about what it says about three things, that the truth will be
the true word of God as it reveals us in the gospel, and the gospel
is shown, or rather declared, ruined by the fall, redeemed
by his blood, and regenerated by his spirit. And that is a
quick, I guess, three things, the three R's that the gospel
and the scriptures as a whole speak to and speak about those
things in Christ. And all that is summed up in
those few words there. And those are the true things
that finding the children walking in truth have to be according
to that. And it's not in this particular talking about walking
in truth doesn't mean as versus lying. It means walking in the
truth that's been revealed to us and by his spirit and that
he does. And I turned the book of Romans,
a thought that I'd like to look at just for a few verses here
in Chapter 5. And the Book of Romans deals a lot with
the three R's and the different aspects of them. But in Chapter
5, I'd just like to read starting with verse 8 of chapter
5 of Romans, says, God commended His love toward us
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more
than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we
were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being
reconciled we shall be saved by His life. And not only so,
but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
we now have received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon
all men for that all have sinned. For until the law, sin was in
the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless,
death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned,
after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure
of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also
is the free gift. For if through the offense of
one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by
grace which is by one man, Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many."
And again, speaking of what he's done here, of course, and because
of that, and because of the work that he does in his people, in
the new birth, there's a different outlook, a completely different
outlook on what is true and what is love, for sure, and that it's
according to what He has revealed to us. And then in 1 John, look
back into 1 John, and we spent quite a bit of time, several
lessons here in 1 John about this topic here. And in 1 John
3, and we're going to read a bit of this. In chapter 3 of 1 John,
starting with verse 1, It says, Behold what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know
that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is. And every man that hath this
hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever
commiteth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression
of the law. And you know that he was manifested
to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth
in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen
him, neither hath known him. Little children, let no man deceive
you. He that doeth righteousness is
righteous, even as he is righteous. He that commiteth sin is of the
devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil. Whosoever is born of God does
not commit sin, For his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot
sin, because he is born of God. In this is the children of God
are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever doeth
not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his
brother. For this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another." And in this passage, speaking
here about that, what love God has behold and has manifested
to His people in that, and it talks about here, about what
sin is, and then verse 7, it says, "'Let no man deceive you.
He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.'
And then here in verse 10, it said, In this the children of
God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever doeth
not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his
brother. So in this couple of things that this brings out,
speaking to here in 2 John, verse 4, the children walking according
to truth and love, this righteousness is not as natural man measures
righteousness. This does not mean that we have
a walk that measures up to man's standard, which can be pretty
variable, can be pretty easy to-some standards are pretty
easy to come up to. When it speaks here, he that
doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is. And that righteousness
that's spoken of is that only righteousness, as we looked at,
not only ruined by the fall, but redeemed by the blood and
regenerated by the Spirit. These are actions of God, not
actions of man. We can't attain unto righteousness
of our own doing, and we don't stand in righteousness of ourself,
but in one who has has all righteousness, and has not only lived as righteous,
but is indeed righteous in himself. And that is the righteousness
that is imputed to his people. There's where it says, he that
doeth righteousness is righteous. The only way we can do righteousness
is in Christ and in him, that righteousness imputed to us. And that's the righteousness
it spoke of. That righteousness has to be
according to truth and love. Those children it speaks about
in verse 4, or God's people in verse 4, has to be according
to what Scripture has and what the Spirit reveals to us. It's
not our measure of truth or always our measure of love. It has to
be according to what the Scripture reveals to us and shows that
to be. And that is the only measure of righteousness that we can
hold to or claim to is His, His alone. And that is the righteousness
that's spoken of here. Now, it speaks much about what,
if we are in Him, if we are children, how we will walk and what attitude
we'll have. We do a pretty poor, I do a pretty
poor version of that, of what it says to walk as he walks with
that same mind. And it doesn't mean that we think
as Christ thinks, but we think as what the scripture says and
the spirit reveals to us. But that's the direction we're
going in. We're headed that way. Physically and in the flesh,
we're, as Paul says, we just can't... We can't perform as we would
desire to, but the desire that is there is of God, and that
is there. And our hope is not in the righteousness
that we can attain to, because Paul talked quite a bit in several
places, several letters, about what righteousness that we have
or can attain to is worth. And he said, about the pinnacle of natural
righteousness as far as religion has to say, but he said it was
worth nothing. There was no value in that. And
so that righteousness is spoke of and speaks of here can only
be of his righteousness. And then it says in verse 10,
where it says, the children of God are manifest, the children
of the devil. And it says, whosoever doeth not righteousness is not
of God. If we don't claim that and stand
in that righteousness, it's not of God. You can't claim a good
standing before God if we don't have the true righteousness. And it's not a good, bad, and
neutral thing here. It's either we stand in His righteousness
or we don't. And if it's not there-another
passage that we looked in 1 John also that says, He that hath
the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath
not life." And what that's referring to and says to, all those things
that pertain to our salvation and our redemption are in Him,
and that's the only place it can be and must be. And those
are the things that that guide or direct what God's people are
like. And when Paul said, I can't do
the things that I would desire, and I do the things I don't desire,
and who's going to save us from this body of this death? It says,
I thank our Lord Jesus Christ in him that that's the only hope
of that. And he wasn't despairing of his
position. He was relating that what our
ability in the flesh is. And it says, in ourselves we
can do no good thing. And that's referring to the righteousness
and right-standing God. We cannot in the flesh of ourselves
do anything that is that way. He does cause us to desire, and
He gives us the strength to do those things that he'd have us
to do, but not as a bragging point or as something that we
can point to that we have done to get in this. And when he's
speaking about those children walking in truth and love, it's
not them saying this. It's a good report that they
have those attributes about them and those things about them. While we're in 1 John, chapter
4, turn the page to chapter 4 in 1 John. And we covered some of these
overlap from what John said in 1 John to 2 John. And again,
in 3 John, it's going to overlap some of the same themes and thoughts. But here, it says in verse 6, And down a bit, it says, verse
6 of chapter 4 of 1 John, we are of God. He that knoweth God,
heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth
not us. Hereby know we the spirit of
truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and
knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love
of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son
into the world, that we might live through Him. Hereby is love,
not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son
to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another." And this mindset or
this thought here of what love is, is that God
loved his people, from before the foundation of the world.
And this, as it says here, In this, in verse nine, was manifested
the love of God toward us because He sent His only begotten Son
into the world that we might live through Him. And here is
love, not that we love God, but He loved us and sent His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins. And it says here, this
is manifested, God's manifested His love to us in this, in Him
coming. And that is, It's, as other things that we
see in the scripture, it's not as simple as reading some words.
There's a lot to that in that he manifests it. And our picture
of love, we think it's an affectionate feeling that we have for somebody
or deep feelings and stuff. That's not all that is to the
love that God showed His people. It's much more deeper than that,
because from eternity past, He knew what the people were. And the people were not the shining
examples of the of the people that might live on earth, we
more are like the other ones that it shows in the Scripture,
and we are like the Peters and Samson and others, that that's-if
people look at that outwardly, That is what they may see at
times, those things. But the love that God manifested
toward us is when, as it says, when we were yet sinners, he
died for us. And we're going to look at that
passage that Paul has to say in just a bit, too. But it wasn't
that he saw and picked the best of the bunch out. It's like the
picture of the sheep that were picked out, that were the ring
straked and the speckled. and not the pure white ones of
the bunch that was, and he reveals that to his people
that we know where we came from and what we are made of, and
by his grace and mercy to us that we've been lifted from that
in him. In John, the book of John, chapter
13, John, once again, another spot
used of the Lord to bring to us what he would have to say
and hear in John chapter 13, the Lord himself speaking to us. It speaks to the outward signs
of the redeemed and of the true sons of God. Chapter 13 of John,
starting with verse 31. It says, therefore, when he was
gone out, when Judas had gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son
of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified
in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway
glorify him. Little children, yet a little
while I am with you. You shall seek me, and as I said
unto the Jews, whither I go you cannot go, you cannot come. So now I say unto you a new commandment,
verse 34, I give unto you that you love one another, As I have
loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all
men know that ye are my disciples, if you have loved one to another. And I think we've mentioned this
and saw this before in the book of 1 John, that as he says here, love one another as I have loved
you." That's the part that he has to provide for us. We can't love each other as the
Lord loved us. We can't comprehend but very
little how much love the Lord had for us in redeeming a people. We can't, but that it says that
you love one another as I have loved you and that therefore
you also love one another. By this shall all men know that
you are my disciples, if you have love one to another." And
I think that goes back to several times in several different lessons
in the book of 1 John, that there's a true love of the brethren.
that is obvious, that is something that can be seen, and that there
is that love. And that's, again, given from
Him above. That love God shows and has always
shown His own will be reflected, though imperfectly, to the brethren
and to others. It's a direction we're headed,
and it's a desires we have. And as I said, it reflects that
imperfectly. Everything we do is imperfectly
that we do of ourselves. And it says, walk as he walked,
the speaking of the Lord. Well, we try to emulate those
things, but as he gives us strength and ability to do those things,
And this, the love of the brethren, it also speaks to those things
that each gift that God has given to each, that for the building
up and for the up-building of the whole building of the body
of God, of the body of the church, is each one contributes that
part in that way, and as God gives direction. In the book
of 1 Thessalonians, And we have to keep in mind that he's talking
about the children, that they're walking in truth and walking
in love as he directs that and what that means. But in chapter
3 of 1 Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians chapter 3, It says in verse 12 and 13, at
the end of the chapter 3 here, it says, And the Lord make you
to increase and abound in love, one toward another, and toward
all men, even as we toward you. To the end, He may establish
your hearts unblameable in holiness before God. even our Father at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."
And as we said, this has to do with the mindset that has been
changed and has been, and changed, and where it says, to the end He may establish your
hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."
And the only way that we can establish our hearts unblameable
in holiness before God is that there is one that has done that
and does do that and sits at the right hand of the Father.
All things have been accomplished and are done. Our hearts are unblameable before
God because of who we stand in. And that's the only way that
if we stop and analyze ourselves, of ourselves, we cannot be blameless
before God. We know that, but only in Him,
in that standing. And then in chapter four, just
right next door here, It says, verse 9 of chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians,
but as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto
you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And
indeed, it says, you do it toward all the brethren
which are in Macedonia, but we beseech you, brethren, that ye
increase more and more, and that you study to be quiet, and do
your own business, and to work with your own hands." And then
verse 12, it says, that you may walk honestly towards them that
are without, and that you may have lack of nothing. And this is, again, it says that,
need not write unto you, yourselves are taught of God to love one
another. And that, again, speaks to a family relation, an affinity
that God has for, His people have for each other. There may
be those of the brethren that we are quite different from,
but in Him we have, that's the common ground we have, that we
have that righteousness of His. And that's a common family trait
that all believers must have and must be there. It is there
if indeed we are His, taught of God to a good end, it says,
to a good end that we are taught of God to love the brethren. And that is in reaction to, in
response to what He has shown for us and to us. And then in
the book of Ephesians, if you turn to the book of Ephesians,
we have no lack of Scripture that shows
us who we stand in and who we must stand in, our righteousness,
and who the truth is in Him is the truth. But in Ephesians,
a couple of spots that we're going to look at. In Ephesians
1, starting with verse 15, this fits a multitude of thoughts
in areas that God dealing with His people. But starting with
verse 15, it says, Wherefore I also, after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love unto all saints, cease
not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what
the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and
what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us were to believe,
according to the working of His mighty power," and in verse 20
it goes on and says, "...which He wrought in Christ when He
raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand
in the heavenly places." But here it speaks of us that says,
"...give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the
knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened,
that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what
the riches of the glory of its inheritance in the saints." But
here, and we've looked at other places that speak to the same
thoughts and the same wording almost, that he give unto us
It says here, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of him and our eyes of your understanding being enlightened that we may
know these things. What is the hope of his calling?
But this is the only way that we understand and can be in the
truth and in the love and the love of God and the brethren
is as it is. given to us and enlightened.
It says, enlighten the eyes of our understanding. And there
in Luke, the passage that we quote so much of the Lord being
with those and explaining a lot of things in that passage there
in Luke, and towards the end it said, he opened their eyes
to understood what the scriptures were talking about. And if that
doesn't happen, we can read the Scriptures and be in the Scriptures
a lot and not come away with any more than anyone else. But He enlightens it and He makes
it and reveals those things to us. I would encourage you to read
through the book of Ephesians. It speaks to our righteousness
in Him, our standing in Him. It speaks to the love of God
and the brethren. Back in 1 John and in the book
of Jude, what it speaks about, it talks about some hard things
there, but it speaks some wonderful things to God's people. And I
think One of the thoughts that come from the Scripture to God's people
are, in Christ is the truth, the gospel is the truth, that
comes from God, and by the spirit of truth. And I think those things
have to keep in mind when people talk about the truth, as these
children are walking in the truth, what do they mean by that? What
is meant by that? It has to be as Christ is the
truth, gives the truth, the gospel is the truth from him, from the
Lord, and by the spirit of truth. We can have and memorize the
words of truth as many do and have done, but if the Spirit
doesn't reveal and open the eyes to that, they're just words to
us. And 1 John, when it says, he sees of
the children walking in truth and love, those are the words,
those are the things that it's referring to. And if we're not
walking in those things, that the Scriptures bring forth and
show, then we can't say we're walking in truth and love, and
it'll be evident. It'll be evident that if something's
pointed out that is contrary or doubtful about the Scripture,
God's people will say, show me what the Scripture says, and
that's where we'll go. If there seems to be an issue,
and like any of the times we're looking at here in 2 John or
any of the scripture, it has to be based upon what the scripture
says. And that's the true truth, and
the true love is that God engenders in His people. And so that... And 1 John one more time for
just a second, and then we're going to wrap this up for today. Where it says. Found of thy children
walking in truth as we have received a commandment from the Father.
And that. Has to be the truth and it has
to be the love that he has revealed to us. And so today. We're going to. We're going to call this or or
point this out as walking in truth. And once again, thank you for your
attention and being here and be free.