In 2 John, once again, we're
going to be in the third verse again, and a couple of thoughts
on that. But I'd like to read the first five verses, at least, of this
to start with, of 2 John. It says, The elder unto the elect
lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not I only,
but 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 had from the beginning, that we love one another.
And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. And this
is the commandment, that as ye have heard from the beginning,
that ye walk ye in it." And we're going to pick up with some verses
that we didn't get to about verse 3, the second part of that, and
about the grace and peace be with you, verse 3, and mercy
and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Father, in truth and love. And I'd like to take a look at a few verses that
speak to the last part of that. the Son of the Father in truth
and love." We looked last time that grace, mercy, and peace
we can know is from God the Father and the Son of the Father, and
that can only be as it is found in scriptures in truth and love,
as it stipulates or says at the bottom there. And in truth and
love can only mean as revealed to us by His Spirit as we have
it by His Word. Truth and love is not how we
define truth and love, it's how it is defined by God in His Word. That is our only rule by which
we can claim any of the promises of Scripture to His people. Holy
men of God took down the record or report as He Himself would
have it." And I'd like to look at a couple of passages that
speak to this spot here. And in 2 Peter, 2 Peter 1. And I'd like to read this chapter.
We often pick a verse or two out that say what we want it
to say all right, and not incorrectly so, but sometimes quite a bit
broader meaning and thought comes out by reading a passage of that.
And I'd like to read this this morning to start with here. 2
Peter 1, it says, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us,
Through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ,
grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge
of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord, according as His divine
power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life
and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to
glory and virtue. whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is
in the world through lust. And besides this, giving all
diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge,
and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance and patience,
and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness charity. If these things be in you and
abound, they make that ye shall never neither be barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." And I want to
stop just a second here. As this talks to, says through
here, it says, we have given, are given all things that pertain
to life and godliness through Him. And through Him and through
the, it says, the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory
and to virtue. And not just the words of the
speaking here, the words of knowledge of education is not a bad thing. We have to study, we have to
go in to learn the words of things, but this wisdom and truth And
that we can know and have these things is, by revelation, as
all of Scripture is to us. It's something that's revealed
to us. We can know the words of them and agree with the words
of them, and there's a lot of Scripture that that's how it
is that we don't understand. just because we have read a passage,
but there's times when we read a passage, maybe many times,
and then all of a sudden, the light comes on. It's revealed
to us who it's talking about and what it's talking about. We study, we should be in God's
word, we should be reading God's word, but that in itself doesn't
put it in us. We know the words of that, but
it's a long ways from here to here. And that he has to reveal
that to us. And that it says that if we know
these things and have these things, it says we shall neither be barren
nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And
that is an ongoing The more we think we understand, the more
we realize we understand so little that has to be revealed to us.
And then picking up in verse nine here, but he that lacketh
these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten
that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore, the rather,
brethren, give diligence to your calling and election. Make your
calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you shall
never fall. for so an entrance shall be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Wherefore, I will not be negligent
to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know
them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it
meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by
putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this
my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me. Moreover,
I will endeavor that you may be able after my decease to have
these things always in remembrance. For we follow, we've not followed
cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. but were eyewitnesses
of his majesty." And stopping again there just a second, and
he talks about putting them always in remembrance of these things.
And that's what we, as we look through the Old Testament, we've
been in the Old Testament a long time with a lot of a lot of different
books of the Old Testament, and all those books of the Old Testament
say the same thing in different means and matters, and that's
the position that man is by the fall, and what must be done to
get grace, mercy, and peace be shown to God's people. How that
comes about and by the pictures that we see in the Old Testament,
the nation is, boy, they can't do anything for God. They can't
be out of Moses's or anybody else's sight for five minutes,
and they're going back the old way. And I think that's a picture
and a reminder of what, by nature, what we are like,
and that we have to be reminded of this. And as he says,
put them in remembrance of these things, though you know them,
and be established in the present truth. It's something that is always in the teaching and
preaching of the gospel, those things that we know to be so,
it called into remembrance, remember where you came from and how you
got to where you are. And this is speaking to, it says
those in the beginning, remember those that have obtained like
precious faith. These are talking to the believers,
the church, the sheep, those that God has indeed redeemed
and revealed himself to them. But always in remembrance of
these things that we know to be so. In verse 17, towards the end
here, it says, For he received from God the Father honor and
glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice
which came from heaven we heard. when we were in the mount with
him in the holy mount during the Mount of Transfiguration,
that account we have. In verse 19, we have also a more
sure word of prophecy, wherefore unto you, you do well that you
take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until
the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts, knowing
this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation. for the prophecy came not in
old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost." And the record we have is of
God and is a sure record. And He alone can reveal this
verse, what this is speaking about, and that we believe that
it is... He can that is so. There are those that read accounts
of Samson, where we're at in the Old Testament, of accounts
of different ones and say, well, that's a good story and probably
tells a point or something. No, it happened. It actually is a historical fact,
but the picture is also of who it's speaking about in the bigger
sense of the Lord himself and what he has done and what he
has accomplished for his people. So this, as it says in verse
20, no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.
And that's where the rub comes a lot of times, is people don't
like what it says, and the interpretation is by what this verse says and
by what the rest of Scripture says. We can find a verse to
say most anything you want it to say from obvious to ridiculous, but that's
what it's speaking of. It's not a private interpretation.
You can't, we can't rip out or like the king did, take a penknife
and cut out the parts that we don't like. And often that, I
think that comes around when people read that and they know
that it is so and they don't like it. It starts meddling in what we
think is right and that's the part that we don't care for often.
But it's not, that's not the interpretation that we that we
use, it has to be what the Scripture says about it. And I think that
passage we go to in Luke where the Lord is doing that, I think
that makes the point that it's all of Scripture's got to be
compared with all of Scripture to see what it's speaking about.
and who it's speaking about particularly. And in those, there are verses
that it's hard to nail down and get our mind around what it's
saying, being our minds are finite. And if he reveals things to us
that we can't arrive at that conclusion on our own, he's got
to reveal them to us. But it's by the word and we've
got to, That has got to be the foundation information we go
on is by God's word and as he reveals it to us. So that those,
we believe not after man's word, but that which God has left us
by his word, his scribes, as I said, directed and dictated
by him. in a couple of other places that,
and these are also in the bulletin this morning. There's several
articles that look to a couple of these verses and to these
thoughts. But in 2 Timothy, turn to 2 Timothy,
a place that is used quite a bit.
In the third chapter of 2 Timothy, Let's start with 2 Timothy 3. starting with verse 13, 2 Timothy
3, 13, and it says, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse
and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in
the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing
of whom thou hast learned them. and that from a child thou hast
known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good works. And here, a lot of times, one
or two of these verses are spoken to, but here it continues, it
says, and the things that thou hast learned and been assured
of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And Paul and others
of the apostles come to them and say, I come not in my own
wisdom to you, but here's what God has revealed, and here's
what, by the prophets and by what he has revealed to the apostles
as we have them, as the scribes that have taken down what is
given to them, and that it says, verse 17, that the man of God
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And that's
built upon the foundation which the scriptures hold forth, and
the scripture that says, No other foundation can be built upon
other than Jesus Christ, the Lord himself. And that's what
the scripture holds for to us. And then in John chapter, the
gospel of John chapter 16. And this is also a portion of this
is in the bulletin this morning. Chapter 16, starting with the
Lord himself speaking, And I think we read up above here last time,
but. John 16, chapter 16, verse 12
and following, it says, I have yet many things to say unto you,
but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall
not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear. That shall he
speak, and he will show you things to come. "'He shall glorify me,
for he shall receive of mine "'and shall show it unto you.
"'All things that the Father hath are mine, "'therefore said
I that he shall take of mine "'and show it unto you. "'And
a little while,' verse 16, "'and ye shall not see me. "'And again,
a little while, and ye shall see me, "'because I go to the
Father.'" And... It says here, the Spirit of truth
has come. He will guide you into all truth,
for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear,
that shall He speak, and He will come and show you things to come. And He will glorify Me, for He
shall receive of Mine and show it unto you." And a couple of
things here that come out of this is the Holy Spirit testifies
not of Himself to glorify Himself, although as God the Holy Spirit,
He is glorified in all things as the Father is and the Son
is, but the Spirit, it says, will testify of Him. And that's
what it testifies of. The Spirit doesn't testify of
other things. And if some come with teachings
and saying it testifies of whatever they may say the Spirit said
to me, if it's not testifying of the Lord Himself and His work
He has done, who He is, and the things that the Scripture shows
us, then it is not-it's man's interpretation of what the Scripture
has to say and not God's. And it says, "...ye shall glorify
Me," verse 14, "...shall receive of Mine, and show it unto you.
And all things that the Father hath are Mine. Therefore said
I, that he shall take of mine and show it unto you." Those
things in him, that other scripture said that in him we have all
things that pertain to life and godliness. And we have in the
scripture all writings of that that pertain to that, and as
God determines and as He shows it to His people in His time. All people don't see the same
exact thing at the same time. But it's as the Spirit reveals
those things and as it reveals the things of who Christ is.
And as we've seen in all of the different parts of the Old Testament
we've been in, all those things, the sacrifices and all the pictures,
they testify, as he said, they testify of me, as the Lord said
to those two and to the others in Luke. And when it said, He
opened their eyes to what the Scriptures had to say concerning
Him. And that is indeed a truth that does not change. He must
open our eyes to the truths that concern Him and concern what
He is and what the redemption is. And I'd like to look at some
of the verses about the Son of the Father, this is the Son of
the Father continued from last time, and looking at several
verses we didn't get a chance to. So I'd like to do that now.
In the book of Romans, and remember, we'll see how these speak of
what verse three in 2 John is speaking of. In the first chapter
of Romans, And starting with the first verse
in a couple of different places in Romans, but chapter 1, verse
1, it says, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an
apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he hath promised
afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. concerning His
Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David
according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power
according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the
dead, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience
to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom are
ye also the called of Jesus Christ. to all that be in Rome, beloved
of God, called to be saints, grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." And up here, as it says,
these things concerning the Son of God, the Son of the Father,
our Lord Himself, it says, concerning His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord,
which was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh,
declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the
Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. And by that, as
He was promised, as that was the one promise to bruise the
take care of sin, bruise sin, and it said his heel would be
bruised. He indeed accomplished those
things, but here where it says, son of God with power, according
to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead,
and that the resurrection, and we heard a number of messages
some time back about the resurrection, and that key point and the part
that was the real rub with those in the apostles in Christ's day
was the resurrection from dead. That was the sign that the Father
was pleased with with the sacrifice that was offered, as we see in
Isaiah chapter 53, in some detail, those things, not only physically
that Christ did at that time, and Jesus did dying on the cross,
the physical picture of that, but the spiritual that was accomplished
at that time, and by the resurrection from the dead. It wasn't just
that we have a Christ that's been crucified, and there it
is, like those that show him on a cross still. That's not
the picture we have. We have a risen Lord, and it
says, seated at the right hand of the Father. And that's the
one that is spoken of there in 2 John, of the Son of God, the
Son of the Father. He has done, as he said to himself,
It is finished, and that encompasses all of what the Old Testament
and the Gospels after that speak of, and that that was accomplished
and has done that work which was needful by the covenant to
to secure his people, to redeem his people. And here, as this
speaks to this, that that is what we have and what we hold
to. In chapter five of Romans, chapter five of Romans, again,
I recommend, and with these thoughts in mind about the son of the
father, what He has done for His people.
Then you read the book of Romans through, but for time's sake
we're going to look at, starting with chapter 5, verse 8. It says, but God committeth 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 the 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. Not
only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom we have now received the atonement, and other thoughts.
Here, speaking, that one that's spoken of in 2 John, with the
Father of giving us grace, mercy, and peace, this is the one it's
speaking of. We have to take, when people
mention and speak of the Son of God, or they believe in Jesus,
which one are you talking about? Who are you talking about? It's
not one that has taken care of everything for everybody, no
matter what, and all you have to do is raise your hand and
you're done, and you're good to go, or baptized of an infant,
and you're good to go. There are those that that's the,
and we get farther on in the second John, he says, if those
come and they bring to you, and it doesn't say unbelievers in
your midst, it says those that are coming to preach or bring
the word, If they bring the word that is not true, that is other
gospel than that, it's like he told the Galatians, that's not
another gospel, that is not the gospel. It has to be what the
scriptures hold forth, not only how sinful man is redeemed, but
by what Jesus, by what Christ that that is accomplished by.
And you cannot take that for granted until you hear what basis
people are and who they're talking of. And that's the one that in
2 John is spoken of in the rest of scriptures. And then one more
spot in the book of Romans, Romans chapter eight, And these,
as we saw before, the precious promises that are given to God's
people can't be claimed other than through God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. And those things work by the
Son of God, and the title it has encompasses all that work
that was done for His people and is done for His people. But
in Romans 8, reading the first several verses here, it says,
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in
the flesh. that the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit,
the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God, But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you,
the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because
of righteousness. And that righteousness spoken
of is that imputed righteousness, His righteousness that is given
to us. And here it speaks about the law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. And that's the only way that we are free from the law
of sin and death is by the The Spirit by His working. There's
a little track back there on that back table that says, do
or done. And it speaks to those that say, well, I stand in Him,
but we've got to do this part too. to make sure it's done. Now, when it speaks, I think,
when it speaks there about and says there that passage we read
that says, make your calling and election sure, I think that
means to be on guard of what we are like and in ourselves. And we can't save ourselves,
but he puts that desire in us to do those things. In that list
we read of all those virtues it says to add to ourselves and
to our standing, those aren't things that we can do. Those
are things that are given to us and placed and imputed to
us in Him. He has all those virtues that
we said before. And in the passage where it says,
if there'd be any good things, and I think it's at the end of
Philippians, think on these things. Well, those good things are the
Lord himself and those virtues he has and what he has done for
us. And that is the son of the father
that's spoken of, that there in 2 John, these things that
we're reading, that's the one who we have to mean and not just
man's definition of who he is, who the Lord is. In the book
of 1 Peter, In the book of 1 Peter, the first
chapter, the first few verses of the first chapter, it says,
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you, and peace
be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to His abundant mercy,
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. who are kept
by the power of God through faith under salvation, ready to be
revealed in the last time." And here again, the standing and
what John is speaking of and speaking to in 2 John, as in
the rest of scripture, of that Son of God, Son of the Father,
and it says, in truth and love. And we can't just have the Son
of the Father, as we said, as we define it, we'd like it to
be, but it has to be in truth and love. It has to be according,
there's some stipulations on Him being the Redeemer, the Savior. There's some stipulations upon
that, that it is for those whom was given to him. That's not
blanket worldwide no matter what, as some believe that Christ died
for all men everywhere in all sin. That couldn't be any farther
from the truth. And we have to, as it says here,
this is how we have to stand in. And that's the only standing
we have is in truth and love. And when what we think or what
we determine, when we find the word is crosswise with that,
we better change. And we will, God's people will
say, Well, that is not, that's not, I'm not right. The scripture,
what it says, regardless of how I meshed it in with what I think,
that's not right. And God's people, there's a passage
that we're going to, we've looked at in 1 John, we're going to
look at a similar passage as we go down through 2 John, that
God's people will come to the light. And they'll come to the
light to make sure that we're on the straight and narrow. And
it said, those that don't have that in mind, they hide from
the light. They don't want the light shined
on it, because it reveals that. And there's some errors that
we see come up, grave errors about the Lord come up in our
time, that if they'll shine the light on it, it doesn't hold
water. There's some real heresy that men have in their mind,
in their thoughts about who the Lord is, and the scripture is
not vague on who he is or his or what his attributes are, just
who he is. It's not vague on those things.
And so, as we said, their interpretation is not right. It's their own
interpretation of some things are just plain wrong. And I don't have that quote from
a man named Adam Clark that said, but anything that varies from
the gospel and from the teachings of who Christ is, No matter where
it's found, it's a heresy. It is antichrist," she said.
And I didn't write that down again. It just came to mind.
But that is the truth. Anything that varies from what
the Scripture says is not right. And those that won't bear the
Scripture What the scripture says about those things, they're
just plain wrong. I mean, there's just, there's no two ways about
it. And John's going to address that
down the road there in second, John, about those that bring
other things that are not according to what the scriptures say. And
he says, don't follow that. Don't go along with that. And
then in Colossians chapter one, in Colossians 1. And this is a group, however
big they were and how many there were at the time, that Paul's
writing to that these were, says, saints and faithful of the Lord
that he had revealed himself to, that stood for what the gospel
says, what the scriptures say. And then I'd like to start in
verse 8 and reading down a bit in Colossians chapter 1. verse 7, it says, And ye also
learned of Epaphras, our dear fellow-servant, who is for you
a faithful minister of Christ, who also declared unto us your
love in the Spirit. For this cause also we also,
since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and
desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will
in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. that ye might walk worthy of
the Lord unto all, pleasing, being fruitful in every good
work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthen with all might,
according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and longsuffering,
with joyfulness, 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 in earth, visible, invisible, whether they
be thrones or 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 the 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 being not moved away from
the hope of the gospel which ye have heard, which was preached
to every creature which is under heaven, who are with I, Paul,
and made a minister. And quite a lot of ground covered
here, but revealing and reminding him once again who we stand in
and by whose power that we understand and know these things. But it's
by his power, it says, strengthened according to him and by his doing. And he has delivered us from
the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His, dear
son." It's not by anything we have done, by our desires, or
it's not by our will that these things were done until that day
that He made us willing. And then God's people say, thank
you for that. And again, where it defines who we're talking
about, about the kingdom of that dear Son, and it defines who
we're talking about there. And He is the one wherein we
stand and whom we stand. It is the one, it says, all things
give preeminence to him. And indeed, that's in the gospel
that he is, that he's the head of the body, the church, it says.
And this is the one that back in 2 John, one time for just
a second here, Reading the first three verses
of 2 John, it says, The elder unto the elect lady and her children,
whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but 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 thy children walking in truth, as we have received
a commandment from the Father." And once again, that grace, that peace and mercy from
God the Father, from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the
Father, in truth and love. And those things cannot be separated.
It has to be that way. It has to
be all a grace and mercy and peace that we receive is from
God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Son of the
Father. And then as we looked at, today
about the last bit there, those things in truth and love, and
that has to be supported and foundation upon what the scriptures
say to us. And we're going to in that spot in
verse three today. And then we're going to pick
up with verse four in a few verses next time around. So thank you
once again for your attention. And as always, in the Lord himself,
be free.