My text tonight is 2 John verses
1 through 4. 2 John verses 1 through 4. In these four verses, the Apostle
John gives us his purpose in writing this brief epistle. And it is a brief epistle. If
we were talking about letters, we'd call this postcard. But
it is an epistle, though very brief, stuffed full of divine
instruction. It was John's desire to establish
God's people in the love of the truth. He wrote to this elect
lady, to this congregation of believers, for the truth's sake. And that's the title of my message
tonight, For the Truth's Sake. In the first four verses of this
epistle, John uses the word truth five times. Similarly, in the
third book of John, John's third epistle, he places great emphasis
on the truth. Surely then, I'm not mistaken,
when I assume that John was deliberately pressing upon us the importance
of divine truth. Now understand this and understand
it clearly. Nothing is more important to
God's church, God's servant, God's people, and God's calls
than the truth of God. Nothing is more important to
God's church, God's servant, God's people, and God's calls
than the truth of God. Nothing more important to the
kingdom of Christ than the truth of Christ. Yes, to be sure, we
want to know the Lord Jesus Christ, but we cannot know him unless
we know the truth that he taught. There is no possibility of faith
in Christ without knowledge of the truth that Christ taught.
You can't trust an unknown, unrevealed savior. We want to enjoy the
sweet fellowship of brotherly love. Indeed we do. But there
is no foundation for Christian love except the truth of God. We cannot know anything about
brotherly love as it's taught in this book apart from the truth
of God. There is no brotherly love where
there is no mutual respect for and belief of the truth as it's
revealed in scripture. We want to spend our time, our
labor, our energies, our money in evangelizing the world, but
we have nothing to preach, no message to deliver unless we
know the truth. Doctrinal truth is not an option. It is vital. It is vital. I make no apology ever for preaching
to men and women the doctrine of the gospel. Without it, we
have no purpose for our existence. Our Lord's mission in this world,
as he stated that mission, was to establish, to reveal, and
to establish the truth. This is the witness John gave
concerning the Lord Jesus in his gospel narrative. The law
was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John the Baptist said, no man
has seen God at any time. The only begotten son, which
is in the bosom of the father, he hath declared him. Christ
came into the world then. to reveal to us the truth of
God and the God of truth. He comes to make God known to
us by revealing to us the truth of God. This is what he told
Pilate. To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness to
the truth. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. I want to know God's truth, don't
you? That truth, if we are to know
it, in the experience of God's grace, if it is written on our
hearts, must be revealed to us by God the Holy Spirit. And God
the Holy Spirit reveals that truth to us by the preaching
of the gospel. I want to know the truth about
God, the truth about myself, the truth about this world, the
truth about God's salvation, the truth about God's Son, the
truth about time, and the truth about eternity. I want to know
the truth. It is revealed only in the book
of God and revealed only by the power of God the Holy Spirit.
I want to know God's truth. I want to be saved by God's truth. As God commanded Ezekiel, his
prophet, to eat the roll. Let us eat the word of God, eat
that which is revealed in God's word by the power and grace of
his spirit, having it become a part of us. It's not enough
to have the truth in our heads. It must be written upon our hearts
by the finger of God. If it's to make us free. And
as God enables me, I want with every fiber of my being in this
generation to preach the truth. Am I called to the work of the
gospel? Am I God's servant? If so, it is not my privilege
to pick and choose what I shall preach to you. It is my responsibility
to declare to you the word of God, the truth of God, just as
God gives it in his word. Not to declare to you a portion
of it that I like, keeping back other portions. Not to declare
to you a portion of it that you like, keeping back others. But
to declare to you the whole Word of God, the whole revelation
of God's grace, and to declare the Word of God with such plainness,
such clarity, such simplicity, that you can't misunderstand
my meaning. Before we look at our text, turn to the book of
2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, look at
verse 1. Therefore, seeing we have this
ministry, the word ministry is service. Seeing we have this
service, as we have received mercy, we faint not. We don't quit. We don't quit.
We don't give up. but have renounced the hidden
things of dishonesty. God's servants, faithful men,
deal honestly with the word of God and deal honestly with the
souls of men. They have no hidden agenda, no
secret motives. We've renounced the hidden things
of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the
word of God deceitfully, watch this now, but by manifestation
of the truth. As we open the book of God, the
word of God is clearly manifest. When I get done preaching, you
look at the word of God, you say, well, that's exactly what
it says. That's exactly what it says.
By the manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every
man's conscience in the sight of God. This is the burden in my heart.
I want to proclaim God's truth to this generation. Most people
today have never heard the truth. The prophets of God used to gather
people in the streets and proclaim to them, thus saith the Lord.
But that wasn't the case in Isaiah's day. In Isaiah's day, he said,
truth is fallen in the streets. So it is in our day. Today, the
church has sought very much, I say church in the broadest
sense possible, has sought to make itself relevant by making
itself more cultural. And by making itself more cultural,
it's made itself more irrelevant than ever it's been. The church
has given up truth for the sake of acceptance with men. It's
given up truth for the sake of being appealing to men. It's
given up truth for the sake of come as you are, do as you please,
everything's all right. We have what's called contemporary
worship. That means you can come in pajamas
or bathing suit if you want to, and we'll play bass guitars and
have rock and roll music, and you can dance in the alley if
you want to, but we're going to worship God. Contemporary worship
is contemptible worship. The church of God today, that
which professes to be God's church, holds God, his gospel, his son,
his reverence, his honor, and his word in utter contempt. And the church itself had become
contemptible. Now let's look at our text this
evening and see what John tells us about the truth. For the truth's
sake, that's my subject. Second John chapter one, second
John verse one, excuse me. the elder unto the elect lady
and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not 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 rejoiced greatly that I found
that thy children walking in truth as we have received a commandment
from the Father. Truth is vital, vital to true
faith, vital to true religion. Vital to true Christianity vital
to the salvation of our souls I've been studying these four
verses for weeks and weeks and weeks Seeking from the Spirit
of God the best way to convey the message of these verses to
you I believe he's given me the message Let me show you seven
things. I'll be very very brief in doing
so First understand this the truth Christ himself. The truth is Christ our Savior. He is called the truth. John
14 6 he said I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh
to the father but by me. When John addressed this elect
lady that is this congregation of chosen redeemed saved sinners
he said I love you in Christ the truth Christ is the truth. He's the true God. He is eternal
life, 1 John 5 20. Christ, the truth dwells in us,
abides with us, and shall be with us forever. Christ is the
truth in, with, and by whom we are blessed of God with all spiritual
blessings. And Christ is the truth in which
we walk. This elect lady, I know some
suggest this is talking about an individual lady. That's all
right. I think the passage is referring
to a church rather than an individual, but that's really insignificant.
This elect lady, as John was inspired to call her, had herself,
by God's election, all the blessed fruits and effects of God's electing
love. As the bird contains the flower,
so God's election contains the whole of God's salvation. In
Romans chapter 8, the Apostle Paul makes this abundantly clear. He said, you've been foreordained,
foreknown, loved, predestined, called, glorified, and justified
in Jesus Christ the Lord. In 1 Timothy 1, it tells us we
were saved by God's purpose. God's purpose of grace and election
contains the whole of God's salvation. The scriptures are abundantly
clear, speaking of our everlasting salvation and everlasting blessedness
in Christ by the election of grace. Truth is speaking here
of Christ, certainly. It's one of the many precious
names our Savior takes to himself. And what a sweet, fragrant name
he is. It is, I am the truth. He's the sum and substance of
all divine truth, so that everything revealed in the book of God is
all about him. He is the embodiment of God. He is the embodiment of God,
the embodiment of the whole revelation of God, Jesus Christ, the God-man. He is the truth. Secondly, John
was inspired by God, the Holy Spirit, to make a clear connection
between love and truth. I find this very helpful. He
says, whom I love in the truth. Those who love the truth love
one another because of the truth. Now hold your hands here for
a second, John. Turn back to Galatians chapter
six. Galatians chapter six. Let's look at two or three texts
of scripture in this regard. Most people Love like Isaac loved
Esau. You remember why Isaac loved
Esau? Because of the venison he got from Esau. Most people
love for the benefit they receive from the one upon whom they bestow
their love. Those who love for the truth,
love in truth because of the truth. John says, whom I love
in the truth, the King Galatians chapter 6. Brethren, if a man
be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such in
one in the spirit of meekness. And notice what he says, considering
thyself, remembering you're made out of the same stuff, you're
cut from the same boat of cloth, lest thou also be tempted. What's
he talking about when he says restore such a one? Restore the
fallen. This is what he's talking about.
Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Look at verse 10. As we have therefore opportunity,
let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are
of the household of faith. Do good to all men. Treat all
men with kindness and forgiveness and understanding, overlooking
evil and overlooking things they do. Most of it doesn't matter. Most of it just doesn't matter.
We get so hot under the collar over nothing. I'm talking about
we. I'm talking about we. looking for a parking lot over
at Walmart, and you've been sitting there waiting for five minutes
for some fellow to back out for a spot you was looking for, and
somebody flips in right in front of you. You ready to smack them
down? A parking spot? And that's about
what most things amount to. Be kind and gracious and do good
to all men. Do good to all men. If a man
takes your coat, give him your coat. You got two of them. A
man, he takes things that are insignificant, let him have the
insignificant stuff. That's all just so much dust. Let him have it. Don't fight
with men over nothing. Don't do it. Be good to all men,
but especially be good to those who are the household of faith.
What's he talking about? Turn over a couple of pages to
Ephesians chapter 4 Ephesians 4 Paul's talking here about walking
in the spirit by living by faith in Christ Jesus Walking in the
spirit not fulfilling the lust of the flesh not being drunk
with wine But being filled with the spirit and the cat describes
it for us in Ephesians 4 verse 30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit
of God What a marvelous expression. What a marvelous expression.
Lindsay, it's impossible for you to grieve an enemy. You can't grieve somebody who
stays mad at you all the time. They're mad at you. You can't
grieve somebody who seeks your harm all the time. They're seeking
your harm. You only grieve one who is committed to you by what
you do. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Well,
preacher, how do we avoid grieving the Holy Spirit? Let all bitterness
and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away
from you with all malice. Learn to shut up. Learn to quit
gossiping. Learn to quit yakking. Learn
to quit talking about folks, bitterness, clamor, evil speaking. And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's
sake, hath forgiven you. That's the secret. Even as God,
for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. I just wrote to someone
this week dealing with this very issue. I said, You deal with
him just like God dealt with you. Deal with him just like
God deals with you. What did you do to get forgiveness?
What did you do to make reparation? What did you do to make yourself
acceptable in the eyes of that person that's been mad at you?
Nothing. Nothing. What did you do to make yourself
acceptable to Christ? What did you do to make yourself
acceptable to God? Nothing. But what's the motive
for forgiveness? For Christ's sake. For Christ's
sake. Do it for Christ's sake. Do it
for Christ's sake. You live with your wife and your
children, you go through difficulties, and you endure the difficulties.
You do it because it's right. You will believe you do it for
Christ's sake. For Christ's sake. I recall years
ago, Some very dear friends of mine, very dear friends, and
the congregation, small congregation, got upset and, I mean, the congregation
just split smack dab down the middle. Just smack dab down the
middle. And I called up the various men.
I called each of them. I said, Billy, I'll just use
you for an illustration. I said, Billy, would you destroy
your family for this? Well, no. Now I wouldn't leave
my wife, I wouldn't forsake my children for that, no. I said,
you're going to destroy God's church for it? And I said to
each of them, I said, you fellows need to get together Sunday and
eat crow and start with the tail feathers. This is a whole lot
of hooey about nothing. There's nothing. That's all it
was. That's all it was. And we ought to quit acting like
children and act like men. Act like men, for Christ's sake.
Watch this now. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children. and walk in love as Christ also
hath loved us and hath given himself for us, an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. One more text in this
connection, Philippians chapter 3, or chapter 2 rather. If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, if any comfort of love, If any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that you be
like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of
one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
or vain glory. I promise you in your household,
If a husband or wife never does anything just to get his way,
you'll get along pretty good. I promise you. If you never do
anything just because that's what you want, you'll get along
pretty good. If you never do anything just out of consideration
for yourself, I promise you, you'll get along pretty good.
The same is true in God's church. Let nothing be done through strife
or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each prefer the
other to himself. That's exactly what Paul means
by those words. Let each esteem the other better than himself. God, give me grace to prefer
you to myself. Look, not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Those who love
one another in truth, truly love one another. John said, let us
not love in word only, but in deed and in truth. All right,
back here, 2 John, verse 1. Here's the third thing. John
speaks to us about knowing the truth. The elder unto the elect
lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I,
but also all they that have known the truth. Now don't miss what
John says here. He tells us by divine inspiration
that all who know the truth love one another. All they who have
known the truth love you who love the truth. All who know
the truth love each other. Hold your hands and look back
at just one page to chapter 5 of 1 John. Verse 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God, and everyone that loveth him
that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. God's people
love each other, love each other. Not that they're supposed to,
they do. Not that they ought to, they do. Believers love each
other. What does John mean when he speaks
of people who have known the truth? He's talking about people
who have known Christ. Sinners saved by God's free grace.
People who are born of God, taught by God's Spirit. When John speaks
of those who have known the truth, he's talking about people who
have known and experienced the truth of God in their souls. The truth by which Christ is
revealed in his people in the saving operations of his grace.
Brother Don, is there any place in Scripture where we can read
exactly what that body of truth is, that men must know by which
they're saved. Is there any place in scripture
where God specifically and clearly tells us what it is that we must
know, what it is by which we must and shall be saved? Indeed
there is. Turn to John chapter 16. John
chapter 16. I can't tell you how many times
I have expressed various things about truth and knowledge of
truth. And there are all kinds of things
go through my mind, obviously all kinds of doctrinal points.
But what is it that saves the soul? What is that truth, that
understanding of truth that saves the sinner? What is that revelation
of truth by which we know God, we're born of God, and we're
taught by grace to know ourselves and know one another and love
one another because we love the truth? Here it is, John chapter
16, verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you... What
does it say? The truth. The truth. It is expedient
for you. It is absolutely necessary for
you that I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter
will not come unto you. The comforter. Now, when the
Spirit of God is described as the comforter, it is not merely
that he comes and when you're down, he comforts you. He may
or may not do that. It is not that the Holy Spirit
comes and when he comes to you, then when you're feeling bad,
he'll make you feel good. That may or may not be true.
It is not that he's the comforter in the sense that when you're
having a rough day, he'll come and make the day comfortable
for you. That may or may not be true. But when the scripture
speaks of him as the comforter, it's talking about him taking
the things of Christ and applying them to your heart. in effectual
grace, causing you to believe God and be at peace with God. Oh, what comfort when you're
at peace with God. What comfort when you know that
God is yours and you're his. When he, the spirit of truth,
I'm sorry, it's expedient for you that I go away. For if I
go not away, the comforter will not come to you. But if I depart,
if I go and die for you, if I go and redeem you, I will send him
to you. Now watch what happens when he
comes. And when he is come, when he comes to you, you who are
chosen of God and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ,
when he comes in the saving operation of his grace, he will reprove
the world. The word is convince the world. And he's not talking about all
the people in the world. He's talking about God's elect
wherever they're found throughout the world. He will convince them. He will convince them. Oh, brother
Don, I don't know whether I know God or not. Are you convinced?
Those who are born of God are convinced of some things. Absolutely,
dead sure, convinced of some things. He'll convince the world
of sin. And he'll convince you of righteousness. And he'll convince you of judgment.
Well, what does that mean? What does that mean? He'll convince
you that you ought to quit drinking, quit smoking, and quit chewing.
No, that's not what it means. He'll convince you that you ought
to quit wearing shorts or quit wearing long hair, quit going
to the picture show. No, that's not what it means. He'll convince
you that you ought not to have television in your house and
you ought not to eat any more pork. No, that's not what it means.
What's it mean to convince you of sin? Conviction is wrong to
steal commit adultery commit fornication. No, you know that
you've known it All your life is written on your heart by nature
the heathen in the darkest remotest Corners of the earth have always
known those things. Well, what's this mean? I've
seen Because they believe not on me Your unbelief God the Holy
Spirit comes and makes you to know that without Christ you're
under the wrath of God. Judgment's upon you. And He'll
convince you of righteousness. Of righteousness. Oh, He'll convince
you to start living right and doing good. No. No. He'll convince you that you ought
not do this and you ought to do that. No. That's not what
it's talking about. That's not what it's talking about. Convince
you that God is righteous. No, you knew that to start with
you that by nature stamped on your heart He'll convince you
of righteousness now. What's this? Because I go to
my father I Go to my father. What did he come down here to
do Bob? He came down here to bring in everlasting righteousness
And he could not return to the Father until he had fulfilled
the mission for which he came into this world, to save his
people from their sins by making them righteous by his obedience
unto death. When God the Holy Spirit comes
in saving grace, he convinces you Christ did everything the
book of God said he would do. He convinces you of righteousness,
free righteousness by his obedience in death. And he'll convince
you of something else. He'll convince you of judgment. He'll convince you that there's
a judgment day coming and you're going to go to heaven or hell.
No. Everybody walking on this earth knows that. Everybody walking
on this earth knows that. Somebody says, well, I'm an infidel.
I don't believe that. You're lying. You're lying. Everybody walking on this earth
knows judgment's coming. You try to suppress it. You try
to hide it. But when God the Holy Spirit comes and gives you
life and faith in Christ, when he causes you to know and confess
your sin, when he causes you to know the righteousness of
God in Christ, when he causes you to see Christ crucified as
your substitute, fulfilling all that God requires on your behalf,
he'll convince you of judgment. He'll convince you that judgment
is done. How come? How do you know that's
what it's talking about? Read the text. of judgment because
the prince of this world is judged. What did God promise our father
and our mother in the garden? In Genesis 3.15, he said, the
woman's seed will come and crush the serpent's head. He will crush
the serpent's head. He's going to prevail. And Christ
Jesus came and crushed the serpent's head. He cast the prince of this
world out. Fourthly, back in 2 John verse
2, John tells this elect lady that he loved her and God's people
loved her for the truth's sake. the elder unto the elect lady
and her children whom I love in the truth, and not I only,
but also all they that have known the truth for the truth's sake. Our motive, our inspiration,
our rule of conduct regarding all things ought to be for the
truth's sake. Gospel preachers, ought to be
motivated by nothing else. For his name's sake, we're told
in 2nd or 3rd John verse 7, for his name's sake, God's servants
go forth, preaching the gospel, seeking nothing for themselves. Now this is true with regard
to every man who is God's servant. This one and any other who professes
to be representative of God, speaking for God as God's servant,
that go forth to preach the gospel for the truth's sake, for Christ's
sake, seeking nothing for themselves, seeking no advantage for themselves
of any kind, materially, socially, economically, seeking nothing
for themselves. I can't tell you how disappointed
I have been in reading history and biographies over the years.
Men whose names I have revered, men I have greatly admired, have sought far too much for
themselves, making conditions of where they would go and what
they would do, what they would gain by it. not God's servants. Not a thousand years ago, not
yesterday, and not today. Not in America, not in England,
not in Africa. God's servants are men who go
forth preaching the gospel for the truth's sake, seeking nothing
for themselves. For the truth's sake, God's saints
ought to be motivated and ought to be motivated by nothing else.
Let us do all things, endure all things, suffer all things,
and overlook all things for the truth's sake. If you're wrong,
take the wrong. If you're offended, Billy, Bobby
offends you tomorrow, take the offense, brush it off, and forget
it. It's exactly what I'm saying. Well, you can't expect a fellow
to do that. No. I can't expect Bill Roderick
to, but I can expect Christ to. He always has. But that's just not reasonable.
What's not reasonable about it? What's not reasonable about it?
Take the offense. Take the wrong. If somebody defiles
you, take it. Just take it. It's meaningless.
It's meaningless. Be ye kind one to another. forgiving one another even as
God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Fifth, God the Spirit speaks
to us in our text about indwelling truth. For the truth's sake that
dwelleth in us, verse two, Christ dwells in us. Christ dwells in
us. He dwells in us as our life.
He's our life. He dwells in us as our righteousness. We've been made partakers of
the divine nature. He is that righteousness imparted
to God's saints. He is that one who makes us saints,
sanctifying us by his grace in regeneration. He dwells in us
as our peace. He is in us our hope. Christ
in you the hope of glory. And our savior's word, the word
of God dwells in us. Look at Colossians 3. Colossians
3. The psalmist says, Thy word have
I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. You folks who are older, don't
you find it more difficult these days to memorize things? When I was a young man, I could
memorize chapters of books. And Shelby and I were talking
about it the other night, we'd study for a test, man stay up
all night long and just memorize pages and pages and pages and
pages and pages of notes. And if you had an essay question,
you could fill up pages and pages and pages and pages and go get
a cup of coffee, psh, gone. Just gone. Now, to memorize two
lines, I find difficult. I'm so thankful, so very thankful. In my youth, I learned the value
of knowing God's Word, as we say, by heart. Now, there's more
to having God's Word written on my heart, hidden in my heart,
than memorizing it. But you can't do better to remember
anything than this book. By word have I hid in my heart
that I might not sin against thee. Look in Colossians chapter
2. Chapter 3, verse 12. Put on, therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving
one another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all
these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness,
and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also
ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful. How on earth
can we be expected to Have anything like fulfillment of those things
to live in peace and have this this bond of perfectness Let
the word of christ dwell in you Richly in all wisdom Teaching
and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs singing with grace in your hearts to the lord And whatsoever
you do in word or deed Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
for the truth's sake, giving thanks to God and the Father
by him. Look at our text again. Not only
does the truth dwell in us, the truth shall be with us forever. God will never leave himself
without a witness. Christ the truth is forever ours,
while we live on this earth and when we live through eternity,
forever ours. Now sixth, 2 John verse 3 tells us that God's
elect are all the objects of God's everlasting love, and they
have been, are, and forever shall be blessed in the truth. 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. All the blessings of grace, all
the blessings of mercy, all the blessings of the peace that God
gives, that which comes from God, the father, and that which
comes from Jesus Christ, the son of the father. These are
yours forever by truth and love from God, our father. And here's
the last thing. Look at verse four. Lord, will
they not come back to this? When John speaks of children
walking in truth, here in this fourth verse, I think, my soul,
what a blessed thought. Children walking in truth. I rejoiced greatly that I found
of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment
from the Father. Walking in truth. is walking
by faith, trusting Christ, believing the gospel. Nothing, nothing, nothing can be more delightful
to a pastor than to see people born of God walking in truth. I have a privilege that many
of you can't ever enjoy. I get to hear from folks all
over the world who have been born of God, walking in truth. And it helps every day which
I get letters from such people, people walking in truth. What could be more delightful
to a father or a mother than to see son and daughter
walking in truth. How painful, how painful it must
be to men who, like David, had to leave this world with the
bitter, bitter, bitter memory of Adonijah, Amnon, and Absalom. But even then, those who walk
in truth can sing with joy in their hearts to God, although
my house be not so with God. Yet the Lord hath made with me
an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for this
is all my salvation and all my desire, though he make it not
to grow. For the truth's sake, for the
truth's sake, Let us live unto God in this world and ask God
to give us grace to do so. Amen.