to 2nd John. 2nd John will continue
our study in this book. And as we've looked at in our
past study, this letter is not written to a specific church,
although it pertains to all the elect of all the ages. It's written
to an individual, a lady, who is called the elect lady. And
the theme of this letter is that she is to abide in Truth and
love. Truth and love. Now this is also
the theme and the song of the blood-washed Church of God, the
born-again body of Christ. When it all boils down to it,
truth and love is what we have on this earth. Let's read 2 John
together. The elder unto the elect lady
and her children whom I love in the truth and not only and
not I only but also all they that have no in the truth for
the church sake which dwelleth in us and shall be with us forever
grace be to you be with you mercy and peace from God the father
and from G the Lord Jesus Christ the son of the father in truth
and love Next we see an exhortation by John for them to walk 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. This is the commandment
that, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk
in it. For many deceivers are entered
into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is 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. who so transgresses 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 Godspeed. For he that biddeth him Godspeed
is partaker of his evil deeds. now we see the final greeting
to the better brethren having many things to write on to you
I would not write with paper and ink but I trust to come on
to you and speak face to face that our joy may be fall the
children of I elect sister greet the men and we see in verse for
that the beloved apostle John brings forth the effect of truth
and love the effects of the regenerating power of God the Holy Spirit
As John writes of his great joy, he writes of his great joy that
her children are walking in the truth, that her children are
walking in the truth. Verse four, I rejoice greatly
that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have
received the commandment from the Father. Again, he rejoices
with her. He rejoices with her that her
children It appears some of them, doesn't say how many, but it
appears some of them are walking in the truth, are walking in
truth. And he rejoices with her of this
wonderful news, this wonderful news. And he knows, he knows
that the only reason they're walking in the truth, in truth
and love, is because of the grace of God. He knows that, but he's
rejoicing along with her. That these children he's writing
about, the Lord has saved them. And they are walking in the truth.
And most commentators believe that the children are probably
adult children, because he's writing to her, and he's an elderly
man, and he's probably writing to a dear sister. We don't know,
but most commentators take the road that these are growing children
of hers. Turn, if you would, to Luke chapter
15. Luke chapter 15. Let's look over there. Do you
know that the scriptures declare, and I know we've read this before,
the scriptures declare that the angels rejoice over one coming
to repentance. Luke chapter 15, Luke chapter
15. The angels rejoice over one coming
to repentance. Luke chapter 15. Starting in verse 1. Then drew
near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
Publicans and sinners. The ones that the Pharisees wanted
nothing to do with. Our Lord doesn't turn them away,
does he? Oh my, there's hope for a sinner like me. Look at
that. That's what the scripture says
to us. There's a hope for a sinner like me. And our hope, we who
are born again, is in Christ, the same one who's here speaking
to the publicans and sinners. And the Pharisees and the scribes
murmured, and you know they said this with contempt, beloved,
they were not happy. Because they did not have nothing
to do with publicans and sinners. Now these religious folks, I'll
tell you what, they were self-righteous religious people who looked down
on people all the time. We ought never to look down on
anyone. Anyone at all. Anyone at all. Look at this. And the Pharisees and the scribes
murmured, saying, this man receiveth sinners. Well, praise God he
does, eh? Praise God he does, beloved.
And eateth with them. He actually breaks bread with
them. Oh, they would never think of
doing that. And he spake this parable, saying unto them, what
man of you having a hundred sheep, if you lose one of them, doth
not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after
that which is lost until you find it? And when he hath found
it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. Oh, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth
together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with
me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost. I say unto you
that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,
more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance."
Joy in heaven over a sinner being saved, beloved. Oh my. So we see here John, he's just
rejoicing with his dear sister. He's just rejoicing. And think
of the joy of a believing mother when her children walk in the
truth. It's a great joy. It's a great joy. And we see
here, John, he's just sharing in the joy with her. And we share
with joy. We rejoice in joy when we hear
of others being saved. When we hear someone, the Lord
save someone, we rejoice, don't we? Oh, my. When we heard Brother Kevin's
dad, Bill, got the Lord saved him, we were we were rejoicing,
weren't we? It's wonderful. Praise be to
God. Oh my. It's wonderful. So John, John is bringing forth
that it brings great joy to his heart to find the children of
this dear woman walking in the truth. Which means living by
day by day in continual attitude and conversation, walking in
the truth which is Christ revealed. Which is Christ revealed. Christ
in them. And so John declares his thanksgiving
that this has happened. He's sharing in their joy, beloved.
And they're walking in obedience to the command of our great God.
They're walking in obedience to the command of our great God,
to believe the gospel, to rest in Christ. They're walking in
Him, trusting in Him, trusting in Christ, looking to the one
who finished the work of salvation. They look to Him. And they trust
in His merits alone. for salvation, and this is obedience
to God. Isn't that wonderful? Just trust
in the Lord. Just trust in the Lord. We're
walking in obedience to our King. That's wonderful. It's not this
checklist that man rolls out. Well, let's see here. Oh, you
missed number five. You're not saved. No, no. Walking in the truth. Just trust
in the Lord. You trust him? Yeah. Sometimes our faith is fickle,
but we still trust Him, don't we? He keeps us looking to Him. He keeps us looking to Him, beloved.
And we rejoice. So not only have they professed
Christ, but their daily conduct and communication reveal that
they have a living union with Christ. Their conversation and their
conduct reveal that they have a living union with Christ. He
alone is their rest. Is Christ alone your rest? Is Christ alone your rest? He
alone is their life. And note that they're walking
in the truth. Are you walking in the truth?
Well, if I'm trusting Christ and looking to him, I'm walking
in the truth. It's wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. They're
walking in obedience to the command of our great God to believe the
gospel, to rest in Christ. I know a fellow I talked to probably
weekly, religious fella. This guy, I love him, but he's
got so many things that people have to do and have to do, and
I was talking to him the other day, and I said, look, he was
going off about something. I said, look, it's about Christ. It's about the gospel being preached. You get all worked up about all
these people doing certain things. It's about Christ. If a person's
saved, It will walk in obedience, which is what trust in Christ,
trust in Christ. We're sinners saved by the grace
of God. But but we we walk in Christ,
don't we? We trust him daily. We wake up
in the morning. Thank you, Lord, for a day you've
given me. We pillow our head at night.
Thank you, Lord. No, we know you're in full control.
I'm just going to rest in you. Oftentimes I say, Lord, I know
you're in control. I'm just going to put my head
down and I'm in and Not worry about all this stuff going on
in this world. Don't have to, right? We can pillow our head. It's happening. We're aware of
it, but we don't have to let it. We don't have to let it drive
us. We can pillow our head. Trusting
in Christ every single night and wake up every morning, no
matter what we're facing, and sometimes there's mountains we're
facing. To us. But the Lord can mow those right
down, beloved. And He often does. He often does. And if He doesn't, He's with
us. He's carrying us all the way up those mountains, isn't
He? And through them valleys. Oh, my. So they're walking in
obedience to the command of our great God to believe the gospel,
to rest in Christ, to look to the one who has finished the
work. Not to look to themselves, because there's nothing we can
do. to gain us merit with God, but to look to the one who's
finished the work, the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Him. Trust in
His merits alone. That's what we do every day,
don't we? Every day. Just by resting in Him. Just
by trusting in Him. And this is obedience to God.
And it's God who brings us obedience in us, right? We're regenerated by the power
of the Holy Spirit of God. And then we grow in the grace
and knowledge and truth of our Savior, but he's working in us.
The Holy Spirit's working in us, beloved, keeping us, keeping
us, keeping us looking to Christ. It's wonderful. It's absolutely
wonderful. Listen to these scriptures here
from John chapter six. Then they said unto him, what
shall we do that we might work the works of God? What must we do, Lord? They're
asking the Lord that question. Well, they're going to get an
answer that they might not like. John chapter 6. That's verse
28, though. Then they said unto him, What
shall we do that we might work the works of God? Listen to this
wonderful answer by our King. Jesus answered and said unto
them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he
hath sent. Note, this is the work of God. Are you believing on he who God
has sent? Are you believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ? Then God's done a work. It's wonderful. They're saying, what do we, tell
us what we gotta do. And he says, oh, he just flips
it right around. This is a work of God that you
believe on him whom he has sent. Oh, it's a work of God, and it's
wonderful. It's absolutely wonderful. Now, not all in the family are
saved. Rarely happens Adam had a cane
Abraham had an Ishmael Isaac had an Esau, but when God's God
is pleased to show his discriminating grace in Tribes and families
he does so by taking some and leaving others, and it's a great
mercy. We're always remember this It's
a great mercy that when any are called by grace and walk in the
truth It's a great mercy. Think of that. Take that with
you tonight and take it this week and hold on to that. If
you're saved and you're walking in the truth and trusting Christ,
it's because God has had mercy on you. And that mercy is great
mercy. Oh, my. Great mercy. I talked to my my brother, one
of my brothers this week. He has no care for the gospel,
no care for nothing, doesn't even want to bring it up. And
I'm after I got off the phone with him and I thought, my Lord,
Vicki and I were talking, I said, he's given me a saving interest
in him and just passed my brother right by. Great mercy has been
shown to me. And if you're a believer, great
mercy has been shown to you. Now, we still pray for them,
like Brother Tim said. Oh, we do, don't we? We pray for our
families all the time, lifting them up, asking the Lord to save
them if it's His will. But in the other sense, we should
reflect, too, again, about the great mercy that's been shown
to us. Oh, it's wonderful. It's absolutely wonderful. And He, our great God, shows
His discriminating grace. He does so by taking some and
leaving others. And again, it's great mercy when
there's any called by grace to walk in the truth. Which again,
walking in the truth is walking in Christ. Walking in Christ,
who is the truth. And by faith, which is a gift
to us that we've received from the Father, We are able to walk in the truth
of the gospel. We look to Christ. We trust Christ.
We trust Him. And we embrace our great God
and we are kept by the power of God. So we see here that her
children were walking in the truth. They were walking in the
doctrine of Christ. And we'll see that John brings
that forth later in our in our further studies. He brings that
forth, which will be next week. We'll look at the doctrine of
Christ. They're walking in that truth. They're walking in that
truth. This is a commandment that we
have received from the father. Listen to these words of Micah,
chapter six and verse eight, it says. He has showed. The old man. What is good? And what does the Lord require
of thee? but to do justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with our God. And that's what we do in Christ.
In Christ, beloved. We love mercy, don't we? Oh,
we praise God for mercy. We walk humbly before our God.
Oh my. Turn, if you would, to John chapter
13. We'll read the words of the master in light of this, in light
of walking in Christ and look at this, the words of the master
in John chapter 13. Verse 34 and 35, then we'll go,
then we'll go to John 15. Look at this in John chapter
34 or John 13 verses 34 and 35. A new commandment I give unto
you. That you love one another. as I have loved you, that you
also love one another. By this show, all men know that
you are my disciples. If you have loved one to another.
Then go over to chapter 15. And look at verses nine to 12.
Again, the words of the master, the Lord Jesus Christ. He says
this in verses nine to 12. As the father had loved me, so
have I loved you. My goodness, look at that statement.
As the father had loved me, so have I loved you. That's with
an everlasting love, beloved. That's an agape love. Continue ye in my love, what's
shed abroad in our hearts as believers. God, God's love shed
abroad in our hearts, beloved. If you keep my commandments,
which is again just walking in Christ, trust in him, trust in
him. You shall abide in my love, even
as I have kept my father's commandment and abide in his love. These
things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you
and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment that you
love one another as I have loved you. And then look at verse 17.
These things again. He states it again these things
have I commanded you that she loved one another And then now turn if you would
to first John chapter 3 Just a couple pages over from where
we are first John chapter 3 And look at verse 18 here My
little children let us Not love in word, neither in tongue, but
in deed and in truth. Now note that again. Remember,
the gospel came to us not in word only we saw this Sunday,
but in power. Now look what John, look what
John writes here. My little children, let us not
love in word. Let us not just say, oh, I love you. No. No. Neither in tongue, but in deed
and in truth. Indeed and in truth. Listen to
this quote on 1 John 3.18. If love consisted in word only,
then love ceases as soon as the word is pronounced. The commentator
is saying it's not a true love. If it ceases, if it consists
only in words, it ceases as soon as the word is pronounced. Such
was the love between Balak and Balaam, But if love consisteth
not in word, it cannot be dissolved, such as the love of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, and the rest of the patriarchs, which was the
love of God shed abroad in their hearts. So we see then a true born-again
believers walk in truth and walk in love. They walk in truth,
look into Christ, and they walk in love. And we saw how we're
commanded by our King to love one another. And we can only
do this again. We can only do this by the grace
of God. By the grace, there's no other
way for us to do it naturally. Trust me, I've seen it in religion
and I tried to do it in religion. It doesn't, it's not real. No,
this is the love of God shed abroad in the believer's heart.
Genuine love. Oh my, love that covers a multitude
of sins. covers a multitude of sin. Let's
go back to our our our text in second John. We'll read verses
one to six to get our versus four to six. I'm sorry together.
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 you walk
after his commandments. This is the commandment that,
as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. Now, our
human love. Our human love is frail and weak
and changeable. Because we're sinners, it's frail,
it's weak, and it's changeable. But that's why all through scripture,
if you notice, when we study 1 John, that was being bought
forth. We saw the master bring it forth.
in two different places there. And in other books, it's bought
forth. Do you know why? It's because
we need to be admonished to love one another because our love
is frail and our love is weak and our love is changeable. And
our love for the brother and beloved is a settled thing because
it's a gift from God in whom there is no variableness or shallow
turning. He's the same yesterday, today
and forever. His love for us is not fickle.
His love for us doesn't change. It doesn't change because of
circumstances. It doesn't change when we mess
up. That's wonderful, isn't it? My. Because as sinners, we mess
up all the time, don't we? But His love towards us, this
is wonderful. It never changes. It never changes. It never waxes
cold. It's always hot. It's always
a burning love for his bride. Isn't that wonderful? And no
love on this earth even compares to it. It's absolutely amazing. And we who are born again are
still plagued by this body of flesh, aren't we? We're still
plagued by this body of flesh. And sometimes the expressions
of our love changes with circumstances. It shouldn't happen, but unfortunately
it does because of our sinfulness. and we see in verse 5 that John
writes this 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 so because John knows his own frailness
to remember he's just like us he knows his own weakness in
his own frailness he's not he's not vaulting himself up no we
don't do that no he he's reminding her and her son and her kid children
to to walk in the truth and and the love of brethren turn if
you would the first John chapter 2 first John chapter 2 let's
look at verses 7 and 8 in light of this text in verse 5 first
John chapter 2 verse 7 and 8 brethren I write no new commandment on
to you but an old commandment which he had from the beginning
the old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the
beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing
is true in him, in Christ, and in you, because the darkness
is past, and the true light now shineth. Again, as we looked at in our
study in 1 John, that passage there in 1 John refers to the
words of Christ, which says, a new commandment, which we looked
at earlier, a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love
one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another,
which is John 13, 34. When we studied 1 John, we found
that that verse was written about that. And this is no new commandment. in the sense that it's been formulated
and bought recently into effect. No, Christ is the God-man, isn't
he? He's the God-man. We know that our great God is
the same yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn't change. And his commandments and teachings
are the same. They're the same. This commandment, for we who
are his people, we are to love one another, it's newly explained
by him and purged from the error of the Pharisees. It's set in
contrast to the Pharisees. Remember the disgust that the
Pharisees had for Christ eating with publicans and sinners? We're told to love our neighbors
as ourselves. We're told that they despised
those Pharisees or those publicans and sinners. That would be you
and I. You ever see the folks walking
around with the big collars on their neck and their big old suits
and flowing robes and telling everybody they're religious?
They're just like the Pharisees of old. Just like the Pharisees of old. So we're the love people. But our love for the brethren
is a special, special love. And this is no new teaching,
again, or commandment. It dates back to the beginning.
We don't have a new gospel. We have an ancient gospel. We
have an ancient gospel, beloved. It's called the everlasting gospel.
The everlasting gospel of God's grace in Christ. And the principles
and commandments are always the same. Christ is our advocate
and Christ is our atonement. He's our mercy seat. And those
who know God love him and keep his words and his commandments.
And those who abide in Christ seek to walk as he walked in
love. Let's look at verse six, look
at this, and this is love that we walk after his commandments.
This is the commandment that, as you have heard from the beginning,
you should walk in. Brother Henry Mahan makes this
comment. I really like this. The love which this commandment
requires is an active, obedient love. Warm feelings towards God
or toward men are worthless unless they are united with truth. Unless
they are united with truth on one hand and obedience on the
other. Again, which is all wrought in us by the Holy Spirit of God. This is the will or commandment
of God that his people walk in love. which means that they're
guided by it and practice it. And practice it. So we have to be reminded of
that which we have heard from the beginning. And unfortunately,
the fact that we have to be reminded is a testimony to our sinfulness. The fact that we have to be reminded
is a testimony to our sinfulness. Really, it's a testimony of our
need for Christ all the time. And that's why we just keep looking
to him. That's why Paul says, set your mind on things above.
Just keep looking to him. Just keep looking to him. And
in fact, it actually daily again reminds us of our need for Christ
so that we will look to him. We will look to him. And this is a stark reminder
that as we sojourn in this life to what a what a reminder this
is to the fact that we have to be reminded of this is a testimony
to our sinfulness and also a testimony that we do not approve or improve
in any measurable degree by anything we do. We need Christ. And we need a
more now than we've ever needed him before. I do. And I know it's so for you, too,
who believe. I know it is. You see your need
more today than you ever did before. That's called growing
in grace, beloved. That's what that is. We see our
sinfulness more and more, and we see our need for Him more
and more. It's absolutely wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. We do not
progress in holiness or righteousness, as some say, or sanctification. No, we see our sinfulness more
and more. Therefore, we have to be admonished
again and again to love one another. This is what the scripture says.
And again, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, then we have a greater understanding
of our continued need for him. Our continued need for grace,
our continued need for mercy. Is because we know that we can't
offer anything acceptable to God. We know that. We've been
taught that. And so again, we are showing
our desperate need. More and more, even after conversion.
After conversion. We still wander away, we're sheep,
don't we? We sure do. But he just keeps coming and
getting us. He's wonderful, isn't he? He's wonderful. Oh, my. Now he put us in his pasture
and we feast on his word. We feast on his word. The love
of God shed abroad in our hearts is manifested. How? By walking
into the truth. By walking in truth and by love
for the brethren. And walking in his commandments,
which is, again, just looking to Christ, looking to him. I remember they said, what must
we do? And he said, just you believe on me. Believe on the
one whom God has sent. Oh, my. Walking in his commandments,
believe in the gospel, look at verse six again, and this is
love that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment that,
as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. Now, religion
diminishes the value of faith by diminishing the importance
of the gospel. In doing so, they create a so-called
believer that is without any motive for obedience other than
self-attainment. Rewards. Rewards. They do this for a reward,
and they do that for a reward, and they grieve because they
feel like they've lost a reward doing something else. Praise
God, beloved of God, that Christ is our reward. Christ is our
reward. He is our reward. Religion's a hard way. It's a
hard task, master, beloved. But what do people do? They flock
to it, don't they? They flock to it. They flock
to it because it, you know why? You know why they flock? Because
it appeals to the flesh. It appeals to the flesh. You
give a man something to do and he'll run to it. Tell him salvation
is by free grace, and free grace only, he'll run away from it.
Natural man, I'm talking about, natural man. Run away. What have you made willing in
the day of his power? Oh, you run to Christ. You run to Christ. And this religion is a, again,
it's a hard task, master. People flock to it because they
like to keep their checklist going. How many rewards they'll
supposedly obtain. And we see in our text that this
lady's children were obedient because why they walked in the
truth. They walked in the truth. Are
you walking in the truth? Are you walking? Are you walking
in Christ? Are you trusting him daily? Do you believe the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you look to him alone? You're
walking in the truth, beloved. You're walking. Do you love the
brethren? Yeah, I love the brethren. You're walking in truth and love
then. Isn't that wonderful? Oh my, people, don't they muddy
the water so much? They muddy the water so much.
My, let's look at verse seven and eight now. For many deceivers
are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and antichrist.
Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have
wrought, but we receive a full reward. Now here before us in
verse seven, we see the importance of walking in the truth and loving
the brethren because many deceivers are entered into the world. The
word there for deceiver is defined in the Greek as a wanderer, a
vagabond, one who misleads or leads into error, a corruptor, and a deceiver. Do you know the same word? Look
over there quickly to 1 John. look over there for quickly the
first john look at verse 18 the same word for deceiver is used
over here first john chapter 2 verse 18 little children it is the last
time and as you've heard that antichrist shall come even now
there are many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time deceivers Antichrist. Antichrist. Corruptors. One who misleads into error.
The truth is the only discloser of a lie. The truth is the only
discloser of a lie. What do bank tellers study? The
no counterfeit bills? The real bills, beloved. What
do we study? To know truth from error, we
study the Word of God, the truth, the truth. Remember the Bereans? They searched the scriptures
to see if these things were so what Paul was speaking. They
were truth seekers, beloved. Oh, my. These false teachers, these deceivers
are anti-Christ. They are false teachers. They are those who profess to
know Christ, but yet they walk in darkness. False teachers who are described
by their character. Deceivers. Deceivers. Deceitful workers. Pretending
to be the ministers of Christ. Pretending to have a love for
souls and a view to the glory of God, but they lie in wait
and they deceive. They lie in wait, and they deceive,
and they handle the Word of God deceitfully. They add to the
finished work of Christ. And in 1 John 2, 18, we see that
there are many in number. Look at that verse again, many
in number. Little children, it is the last time, and ye shall
have heard that Antichrist shall come even now. There are many
Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time. Many. We see that even in our world,
don't we? Now, in our time, many. Many false teachers. Many deceivers. And it makes you grateful for
the truth being proclaimed and preached, eh? It's marvelous
that the Lord's given us hearing ears and seeing eyes. That we're not carried away.
Well. Let's look at that verse again.
These deceivers are their imposters. For many deceivers are entered
into the world who confess not that Jesus is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Now, we see here that John brings
forth by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, the chief error
of these imposters that he's speaking of here. The fact that
they deny that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming to flesh. And
in doing so, in denying that the Lord Jesus Christ has come
in the flesh, they not only deny His person, but they deny His
work, beloved. They deny His perfect redemption. They deny the complete, finished,
atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man. They profess
to believe in Christ as a prophet, or as a teacher, or as a healer,
or even a messenger from God, but they deny, beloved, it says
here in the scripture, that He's God incarnate. They deny that
the second person of the Trinity, the divine word of God, was made
flesh and dwelt among us. And John here, remember too,
again, John by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, the author
of the scriptures, makes it very clear that all those who deny
that Christ has come in the flesh, that Jesus Christ is God, are
deceivers and antichrists. That's what the scripture declares.
That's not our opinion. That's what the scriptures declare. So they deny that. So in their
denying that Christ has come in the flesh, it is a direct
attack, again, against the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, who was
sent by God to save his people from their sins. You see how
serious this is? That's why John says they're
a deceiver and an antichrist. And to deny that he came in the
flesh is to discount his successful redemption. To count it as nothing. Altogether without any good. Because without the sacrifice
of his sinless physical body, the payment necessary to answer
the penalty of sin, Our sins could never be paid for. Therefore, this is denying the
gospel, beloved, at its core. This is denying the gospel at
its core. It denies the necessity of Christ's
incarnation. It denies his finished work.
Therefore, it places man on the footing that asserts that he,
by his works, his knowledge, or his will, can merit an acceptable
righteousness before God, which we know is an outright lie. The only way for us to be accepted
by God is to be clothed in the perfect, spotless righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the only ones who are clothed
in that righteousness are the ones for whom Christ died for
on Calvary's cross. Also to deny that Christ has
come in the flesh is to deny that Christ is denied particular
redemption, because why did Christ come here? to save His people
from their sins. So when denying that Christ came
in the flesh, they are denying particular redemption. Now, beloved, He came to save
His people from their sins. He came to live the perfect life,
which we never could. He came to die for His people
as a substitute, those who are called the elect in Scripture.
The very one who John's writing to, the elect lady. Listen to what, let's turn over
there. 2 Corinthians. Listen to what
Paul writes here. 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians
chapter 11. Look what Paul writes over here. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. We'll start in verse 1, we'll
read the verse 4 here. Would the God you could bear
with me, a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me? For
I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused
you to one husband, that's Christ. And I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ, but I fear less by any means as the serpent
beguiled Eve to his subtly, so your mind should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ. From the simplicity of
salvation in Christ alone. In Christ alone, verse four.
For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, or Jesus who wants
to save you but can't, unless you let him. A Jesus who has no arms and feet,
unless he has your arms and feet. My, another Jesus. Whom we have received. I'll start
that again. For if he that cometh preaches
another Jesus whom we have not preached. Or if you receive another
spirit. Oh, there's another spirit too.
Which he has not received. Or another gospel. There's another
gospel too. Which he has not accepted. You
might well bear with him. For I suppose I was not a wit
behind the very cheapest apostles. Oh my. There are many deceivers entered
into this world, beloved. Many deceivers entered into this
world. And their deceptions are as manifold
as their differences as people. There are so many deceptions.
false apostles deceitful workers Paul actually says look what
Paul says Over here in 2nd Corinthians
again chapter 11 same chapter look at verses 13 and 14 For such are false apostles Deceitful workers transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. I'll just flip your
TV on you see a whole bunch of Won't stand being able to watch
it trust me You just got a flip through the channel. There's
a one. There's one. There's one Deceitful workers
say transforming or transforming themselves into the Apostles
Christ another Jesus Now the gospel another spirits They look
what he says And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light. My, oh, my. Deceitful workers. How are they discovered? How
are they discerned? Well, we see in the most singular
manner, as Brother Tim James brings forth, in truth and love. truth and love the Lord Jesus
Christ whom the believers rest is and we hear the gospel of
God's free grace preached and proclaimed we can easily discern
the false prophets easily discern them so we have seen tonight
the Apostle John admonished the elect lady to take caution knowing
that these deceivers are cut have entered into the world and
we're seeing next week that she's had people into her house and
some believe that She had people come and that the church men
in her house and that that she was having teachers come who
denied the very thing that that John's writing to her about who
denied that Christ came in the flesh. So he's he's warning her. He's warning her not to have
these people in her home. Not to have them. And let's look at verse nine
to 11, we're closed with this. Again, there's many deceivers
and wolves. wolves who are in sheep's clothing and they proclaim
to have fellowship with God, but they're liars and the truth
is not in their gospel. Beloved is a counterfeit gospel.
The Apostle John here reminds the elect lady he's writing to
to be careful whom she has come into her home and preach. And look at look at this again.
Versus nine to nine to eleven, whosoever transgresses 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 that bring not this doctrine.
So he's setting a line. He's setting a contrast. Receive
him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed. Don't let him
in. For he that biddeth him Godspeed
is a partaker of his evil deeds. And then look at verse eight.
We'll close with this again. Look to you, look to yourselves
that we lose, not these things which we have wrought, but that
we receive a full reward. Christ is our reward, beloved.
Christ is our reward. And in verse eight, is watch
yourself. Watch yourself, beloved. Look
to yourself, is watch yourself. Watch yourself. This is an exhortation
to the elect lady and her children to look about them and be aware
of these false teachers. Be aware of them. Take care not
to partake with them. Be aware of these false teachers
and their doctrines. Watch yourselves. Be aware. How? How do we be aware? By keeping our eyes on Christ.
by keeping our eyes on Christ and being under the sound of
the gospel, beloved. Glory to his name. Heavenly Father,
we thank you again for the honor and the privilege it is for us
to gather during the midweek And we know, Lord, that every
time we get to meet, it's such a privilege and such an honor.
Oh, Lord, I pray we take something with us and just cling to it
tonight, what we've heard. Oh, that you warm the hearts
of your people. Again, we're a needy people,
Lord, but you're a great God, all sufficient God. We may not
always have what we want, but we always have what we need.
And we praise your mighty name for that. We love you because
you first loved us, in Jesus' name, amen.