that He brought me out of the
deep miry clay, and He set my feet on the rock to stay. And I thank God that that's more
amazing to me now than it has ever been. How good our God is
in His great mercy, love, and grace in Christ Jesus. Open your
Bibles with me, if you will, to 2 John. 2nd John. The title of my message is For
the Truth's Sake. Five times in the first four
verses of this very brief epistle, the Apostle writes, truth, truth. John is known as the man who
writes about love. He's called the beloved disciple,
the disciple whom Jesus loved. He wrote much about brotherly
love, love for Christ and love for one another. But John wrote
with equal force about truth, because apart from truth, there
is no real love. Apart from truth, There is no
real love and apart from love there is no real truth. Christ
is the truth and Christ teaches us truth and the Lord Jesus teaching
us truth causes his people to love him and love one another. John's purpose in writing these
13 verses, this very short epistle, is to exhort and encourage us
to continue in the truth, to continue in the faith of the
gospel, to walk in love to God and his people, avoiding false
religion, false prophets and their doctrines. John addresses
his epistle to the elect lady. Look at it. 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. When
John writes to the elect lady, he addresses her by a term so
commonly used in the early church that when believers saw one another,
as you and I commonly say, Brother Mark, Brother Lindsey, as you
and I commonly refer to one another in that manner. Believers in
ancient times referred to one another as elect brother, elect
sister, elect of God throughout the word of God. more than any
other term used in the Bible except the word saints. The word
elect is used to describe God's people. They are those people
loved, chosen, and blessed of God in everlasting salvation
in Christ Jesus the Lord. Now many suggested, as John writes
to this elect lady, He is writing to some specific lady, and that
very well could be the case. Perhaps that's so. It would not
be surprising. Our God gives special attention
to ladies in the word. He, our Lord Jesus, you'll remember,
gave special attention to Mary and Martha, the Samaritan woman,
the woman with the issue of blood, the Syrophoenician, the woman
who came and anointed him for his burial. In the Old Testament
and in the New, we read about men like Miriam, and Ruth, and
Deborah, and Esther, and Dorcas, and Lydia, and Priscilla, and
Lois, and Eunice. So we wouldn't be surprised if
the Spirit of God inspired John to write an epistle to some specific
lady. But I'm inclined to think, I'm
fairly certain, I wouldn't speak with dogmatism about it, but
I think that John Rather is writing to a local church, referring
to that local church as the elect lady and her children being members
of the local church. It really doesn't matter whether
it's to an individual lady or to a local church. The epistle
was written under divine inspiration to you and I who are God's elect
today, to you and I who are God's people. It is written especially
for us. Christ's church is his elect
lady, God's elect, those chosen in him from everlasting. who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect. Paul said, knowing,
brethren beloved, your election of God, we're bound to give all
thanks always to God for you. How we ought to rejoice in God's
electing love. Let it never cease to stand as
a wonder in our hearts that God chose us. Brother Cody prayed
last Sunday evening when he was praying. It's hard to understand
how God could love Jacob. It's easy to understand how he
could hate Esau. How he could love Jacob. And my name's Jacob. Electing love ought to be the
constant source of joy and praise and adoration for you and I who
know God. All glory to the great I am who
chose me in the blessed lamb. Though millions of this fallen
race shall never know or taste his grace. Now look at this verse
one again. John calls himself the elder.
The elder because now he's an old man. John was at least 100
years old when he wrote this epistle. At least that old. That's
remarkable. That's remarkable. Most men,
as they grow in age, tire physically. Indeed, I suppose all do. And
some more quickly than others. Some age more quickly than others. many years of conflict and struggle,
which every pastor, every preacher must endure the whole life of
his ministry. After many years of relentless
conflict and struggle, relentless conflict and struggle from all
sides, You just get weary. You just get weary. But John
didn't. John was steadfast when he was
a hundred years old and he takes his pen up to write as the elder. Not just as an old man, but as
the elder in God's church. God's servants are given this
particular distinct office. Elders. Not because they're necessarily
older than other men. We're going out next week, Lord
willing. Myself, Brother Darwin, and Brother
David Pledger, we've been asked to go out and participate in
ordaining Eric Richards as pastor out in San Diego. And Eric, he's
a little younger than we are, but he's the elder. He's the
elder. Elder in that congregation. The
elder being the man chosen of God, ordained of God to lead
and rule the house of God in the worship of God and in the
service of God. Now, Josiah addresses this elect
lady, this church of God. Whom I love in the truth. He might have written whom I
love in Christ. But John says whom I love in
the truth. showing us that he loves these
people as they are united with him in the truth, in Christ Jesus
the Lord, in the gospel of his grace. He here expresses his
sincere heartfelt love for this elect lady and her children,
whom he loved dearly. He speaks of the joy he found
in those who walked in the truth. Believers love all men. Believers are compassionate,
gracious, kind, and tender in their dealings with men in general.
But God's people are taught of the Lord to love one another
distinctly because they are the Lord's. Listen to this. As we
therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially
to them who are the household of faith. All that are with me
greet them that love us in the faith, Paul says. We have a special
affinity for one another in Christ Jesus. And the reason is just
this. It is not because Alan Kidby
is such a charming fellow. He is, but that's not the reason.
He is. It's not because Mark is such
a delightful guy. He is that, but that's not the
reason. Our love for one another has nothing to do with the person's
personality, has nothing to do with attractiveness in the person,
has nothing to do with what we receive from the person, but
our love for one another has everything to do with the truth. Christ Jesus the Lord. This lady
who just sang to us, and helped us in worshiping our God is one
with Christ. One with Christ. Being one with
Christ, she is loved by me and loved by you as one with Christ,
regardless of everything else. You understand that? Regardless
of everything else that doesn't mean that those we love in Christ
Jesus are Necessarily people that that have an attraction
to us. We love them because they're one with Christ Notice the connection
between John's love for God's Saints and their love for the
truth Those who love Christ who is the truth? Love all who walk
in the truth We love one another for Christ's sake, because God's
elect are one with Christ. It is he who dwells in us and
abides with us. See what it says? 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. Notice
this too. John speaks of God's elect with
great confidence as well as tenderness and affection. He calls her the
elect lady. He calls her election and recognizes
that all of the blessings of God's grace are heaped upon her
because she is one of God's. She is chosen of God. You who
are God's, you who are God's, God's elect with God's election. comes every other blessing of
grace. With God's election comes God's
salvation in all its fullness. With God's election comes God's
redemption by his dear son. With God's election comes God's
forgiveness. With God's election comes God's
free justification. With God's election comes sanctification. With God's election comes preservation. With God's election comes everlasting
glory and resurrection glory with Christ the Lord. Now, look
at verse two. For the truth's sake, which dwelleth
in us and shall be with us forever. I repeat, as John opens this
epistle, in the first four verses, five times he uses the word truth. Truth is more than facts about
Christ. Truth is Christ himself. John
speaks of the Lord Jesus and speaks of him and declares him
to be the truth, repeating our Savior's words countless times. Christ is the truth. He who is
the truth dwells in us and his word dwells in us as an inward
principle of grace forever. The Lord Jesus said, Father,
sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Separate my
people from the world by your truth. Your word is truth. Call
them out by your grace. Preserve my people by your truth. Your word is truth Edify strengthen
comfort my people by the truth. Your word is the truth now in
verse 3 John gives this salutation 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 Now this is a very common salutation. It's used something similar to
it by most of those who wrote New Testament epistles. Paul
used similar language. Peter used similar language.
James uses similar languages. It's not at all unusual to have
this, but because the language is similar and because it's common,
don't presume that it's insincere. I spent some time this morning
writing letters and I take great care When I write the closing
word of a letter and I give my last word in the letter, though
commonly I use very similar, if not the same words in closing
the letter, I'm as ever yours in Christ, yours by God's free
and sovereign grace, so on in the love of Christ. When I do
so, I take great care. Asking God to make those words
sincere for me to the one whom I'm dressing John writes by divine
inspiration and this is what he says to you who are God's
Grace be with you That's not a wish that's a declaration
That's a declaration. He's writing by inspiration.
Mercy and peace. These things are yours in Christ. You who are in the truth. You
in whom the truth resides. From God the Father and from
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice this. The Son of the
Father in truth and love. Have you ever read through John's
epistles and noticed how this man particularly seems to take
great delight in putting these words in his writings, just interjecting
them every time he has an opportunity. He wants to convey constantly,
Jesus, the man. God the Son, the Son of the Father. He constantly tells us Jesus
Christ our Savior is God. Jesus Christ the man of Galilee
is God. Jesus Christ who lived and died
for us is God. Don't forget he whom we trust
is himself God the Son of the Father, one in the Holy Trinity. So that John's constantly calling
our attention to this fact. Don't you delight to hear Don't
you delight to read, don't you delight to be reminded that he
who has the world in his hands, who died in our stead at Calvary,
is himself God. God who cannot fail. God whose rule is absolute. God with absolute power. He rules the universe for you
who trust him. to whom the Father has trusted
our souls. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. It's John who
tells us what our Savior said, I and my Father are one. It's
John who says, that which we have seen and heard, declare
we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and
truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son,
Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Back at our text here. In love
and in truth. As I said earlier, the two can't
be separated. Used repeatedly through this
epistle and throughout John's writings. Love and truth. These two are companions. God is light, truth, and God
is love. Let them ever be united in our
minds and in our hearts. Truth without love becomes stern,
cold, and even cruel. Love without truth, if such were
possible, would be unstable and without foundation. I rejoiced
greatly, verse four, that I found of thy children walking in truth,
as we have received a commandment from the Father." God's children
rejoice when they find others who are God's children. It does our hearts good to meet
other brethren especially in unexpected places. It does our
hearts good to meet up with others who walk with the Savior in truth. You go off and have to leave
to go to college or leave to go to the service or have to
leave town for whatever reason. God in his providence makes it
necessary and you feel isolated. And then you meet up with one
who walks with God. What joy what delight meet up
with two or three? What a delight but to meet up
with a whole congregation Oh, what a privilege john says I
rejoice that I found your children walking in truth The psalmist
saying like this with regard to god's church his elect lady
Low children are an heritage of the lord and the fruit of
the room is his reward Apply these to your individual house. Take the word of God and apply
it to your household. How we long for our sons and
daughters to know and live and walk in truth. To know and live and walk in
Christ. Even when that's not the case,
even when we must, like David, look over our sons and daughters
with sorrow, seeing nothing but Absalom's and Adonijah's and
Ammon's coming from our loins, let us sigh, although my house
be not so with God. Take solace in this fact. God's
covenant of grace is ordered in all things and sure. Apply
this to any pastor. looking over a local church,
a people he served, a church with which he has any connection,
and the same joy as an expression of a faithful pastor's heart.
Oh, what a joy to see God's people walking in truth. It brought
joy to the Apostle John to find the children of this elect lady
walking in the truth, living day by day, and continual conversation
with Christ Jesus who's revealed in them. They not only professed
to know Christ, but they walked with him. And John said, I see
your children walking in truth. John was familiar with their
lives, and he said, I'm delighted to see your children having their
lives ruled by the will of God, the word of God, and the glory
of God. I'm delighted to see your children
walking in the truth. What a great privilege, what
a great joy. Looking back at 1 John chapter
3 for just a minute. This is the commandment we've
received from the Father. First John 3 verse 16. Hereby
perceive we the love of God. This is how we see the love of
God. Because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to
lay down our lives for the brethren. We lay out our lives for those
we love. We lay out our lives for those
we love. These men James said they've
hazarded their lives for the gospel. They laid out their lives
in the cause of Christ. Let us lay out our lives for
one another. We ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren. But whoso hath this world good, and seeth his
brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from
him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children,
let us not love in word. People who talk a great deal
about it don't generally practice much of it. Neither in tongue,
but in deed and in truth. Now, look at verse 5. And now
I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment
unto thee, but that which we have had from the beginning,
that we love one another. This is the same thing John talked
about in 1 John chapter 2. He's probably referring to our
Lord's declaration in John chapter 13 He's a new commandment. I give you that you love one
another as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so Walkie
in him rivered and built up in him how sweetly the grace of
Christ Leads the believer to walk in love Years ago. I heard about a young boy Just
a small boy He'd been in Sunday school and the teacher was teaching
that day about Christ in you the hope of glory in Colossians
127 and little boy was confused by it And he went home and talked
to his daddy's daddy How big is Jesus? And his daddy's well,
I don't know sons. I guess he's about the size of
any other man Maybe about my size, maybe a little bigger a
little smaller He said, why do you ask? And the boy had a puzzled
look on his face. He said, well, the teacher said
today that Christ is in me. He said, if he was in me, wouldn't
he stick out? And the daddy said, I suppose
he would. Curtis Hall, if Christ is in you, he'll stick out. You
don't have to show him he sticks out. You don't have to parade
your religion around. He sticks out in every aspect
of life. Believers live by faith. The
love John's talking about is much more than warm feelings
and emotions about God and one another. We can't love one another
and walk in love if we don't walk in truth. And if we don't
walk with Christ in the truth, he's revealed in his word, we
don't walk in love. This is love That will walk after
his commandments look at it verse 6 This is the commandment that
you've heard from the beginning that you should walk in it What's
John saying is now this is love this love you walk by God's commandments
and then it changes this is the commandment singular and This
is the... Love walks by God's commandments.
Love walks by what God's revealed in this Word. And this is THE
commandment. Now, this is what love is. Love
is obedience to Christ. Love is obedience to God. Love
is bowing to Christ. Love is surrender to Christ.
And this is what it is to walk after His commandments. This
is THE commandment. That as you have heard from the
beginning, you should walk in it. What is His commandment?
Come back to John chapter three again, first John chapter three. And this is his commandment.
That we should believe on the name of his son, Jesus Christ. And love one another as he gave
us commandment. Believe in Christ. We walk in
truth and walk in love. But then John immediately here
in first John or second John chapter six, verse seven. He
speaks of this love. And I find it interesting, instructive
and interesting, that John is talking to us now about this
love for the brethren, this love for one another, this love for
God, keeping God's commandments, keeping God's commandment, and
he puts it in context with Antichrist. For many deceivers, many deceivers
are entered into the world. Who are these deceivers? who
confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is
a deceiver and an antichrist. Many deceivers have come into
the world. Who are these deceivers? Folks who confess not that Jesus
is come in the flesh. They confess not that Jesus,
the Messiah, Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. What? These are at their classroom.
Must not be any around. Must not be any around. I don't
know anyone who professes Christianity in any form. I've never read
anyone. liberal or conservative, Calvinist
or Arminian, fundamentalist or out-and-out Pentecostal, I've
never read anyone who professed to be a Christian, Catholic or
Methodist, it doesn't matter, Baptist or any other kind. I've
never read or heard anyone who professed to be a Christian deny
that Jesus Christ ever lived. Have you? I've never heard anyone make
such a suggestion. Well, what's John talking about?
He's talking about the Antichrist. All these deceivers are folks
who deny that Jesus, that man who came here 2,000 years ago,
actually is the Christ. That he actually accomplished
everything the prophets said the Christ would accomplish.
Beware of false prophets, our Savior said. which come to you
in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Little
children, it is the last time. And as you have heard that Antichrist
shall come, even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know
it is the last time. Those whom John describes as
Antichrist are men who deny that the Lord Jesus actually accomplished
redemption and salvation for his people. There are men who
deny his very Godhead by suggesting or implying that somehow he failed
in his great work. The scriptures speak very plainly.
Then John says, look to yourselves, that we lose not those things
which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. What's
he talking about? Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter
11. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. This is an exhortation to this
elect lady and her children. An exhortation to God's church
in Denver, Kentucky and you who are part of it. An exhortation
to me and an exhortation to you to look about us and beware of
these antichrists and their doctrine, taking care of ourselves, beingware
of these false teachers and their doctrines. Look at verse 1, 2
Corinthians chapter 11. Would to God that you would bear
with me a little in my folly. These false prophets had come
saying Paul was a fake, Paul was a charlatan, Paul wouldn't
tell him the truth, denying the gospel that Paul preached. I
want you to bear with me a little in my folly and indeed bear with
me For I'm jealous over you with a godly jealousy For I have espoused
you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin
to Christ. I Care for your souls. I have
espoused you as a chaste virgin to Christ, but I fear that I'm
afraid, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through
his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ. The simplicity, the singleness,
the singularity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preaches
another Jesus, Paul is being a bit sarcastic. He said, if
a fellow comes and preaches a better Jesus whom we have not preached
or you receive another spirit, you receive a better spirit,
which we have not received, which you have not received, or another
gospel, a better gospel, which you have not accepted, you might
well bear with him. But such cannot be found. If
any comes bringing any other gospel, preaching any other Christ,
any other spirit, let him be damned. We must take care not
to lose. Not to throw away those things
that we have wrought by faith. Those things that we have wrought.
Remember what it says? That we don't lose what we have
wrought. What we have wrought by faith in Christ Jesus. Those
things that we profess to have been wrought in us by the grace
of God. And in the end, lose our own
souls. Turn back to Colossians chapter
one. Colossians chapter one. This is what he's urging us to
do. Persevere in the faith. Continue steadfast to the end. Curtis Hall, you just graduated.
And we hope God will plant you right here. But you may have
to move across the country to find a place to work, find a
place where you can worship God. But don't give up the gospel
for anything. Don't give up the worship of
God. Don't turn away from the Redeemer. Can a man leave Christ? Ralph
Barnard put it very well. He said, if you can, you can.
If you can, you never do it. Those who are God's continue
in the faith. They don't abandon Christ Colossians
chapter 1 verse 19 It pleased the father that in christ 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 Be sure
you understand that the alienation was all on our part. Enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in
the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and
unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. If you continue
in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel, which ye have heard and which was preached
to every creature which is under heaven. whereof I, Paul, am made
a minister. Verse 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the
Son. What's the transgression he's
talking about? The person who denies the doctrine of Christ
The Messiah has not God, knows not God, and believes not God. They went out from us because
they were not of us, John says, of these antichrists. The doctrine
of Christ is a doctrine concerning his person as the Son of God. His offices as our mediator and
surety, His accomplishments as our Redeemer, His glorious exaltation,
His reign, and His second coming. The doctrine of Christ involves
all in the scriptures concerning His person and His work. I have
just this week had some correspondence with a fellow I went to school
with, I knew many years ago, and he some years ago, got upset
with me over some doctrinal issues. And he said to me, when he wrote
to me this week, things that I once assumed were very important
aren't so important anymore. And he's exactly right. He's
exactly right. I said to the men back in the
office, John Gill, who is, in my opinion, just tops among theologians
and commentators, He preached the ordination service for one
of the Stinnick brothers, who was a seventh-day Saturday Sabbatarian
Baptist. They worshiped on Saturdays,
and not many of them left anymore, but there were a good many in
that day. And they remained friends throughout their lives. They
had such strong differences, strong differences, but our concern
is with Antichrist. An antichrist is that one who
denies, who corrupts the doctrine of Christ, corrupts the doctrine
of scripture with regard to his person, his work, his accomplishments,
his glorious accomplishments as our redeemer and his glory
as our mediator sitting on the throne of glory. Now look what
John says to us about such. If there come any unto you, and
bring not this doctrine, verse 10, the doctrine of Christ, come
some free willers, some Arminians, some will worship fellow who
denies the accomplishments of Christ. I'm speaking specifically
now about accomplished redemption. Receive him not into your house,
neither bid him Godspeed. I travel a good bit, as you know,
and I run across preachers And fellows talk about preaching
the gospel of God's grace, and they invite fellows to come preach
for them who don't. Say, well, he's a good brother,
and he won't do us any harm. Oh, yes, he will. Oh, yes, he
will. That's like bringing a little
arsenic and sprinkling it on your child's food. No, you dare
not. You don't receive him into your
house. Don't bid them Godspeed. Well, you pray for me brother.
No, I won't. No, I won't. I'll pray God to
take you out of this work altogether. No, I won't pray for you. No,
I won't ask God's blessing on you. I won't seek God's grace
on you as you seek to leave me away from him. No, sir. I won't
pray for you. That's exactly what John says. Don't invite
him into your house. Don't bid him Godspeed. Don't,
don't do it. Don't give support to folks who
oppose the gospel of God's grace Now he is not suggesting that
as men we treat them mean they treat them harshly I run into
false prophets on the streets. I shake their hands like I do
the thieves in prison I just I try to be nice to him. I I
don't I don't cause Intend them any any physical harm, but I
have nothing to do with them and give no credibility to their
ministries. Do not do anything to encourage
them in their work, but rather do everything I can to discourage
them from continuing in their work. For he that biddeth him
God's speed, what do you say here? He's partaker with his
evil deeds. He's partaker with his evil deeds. That means if you send a little
money to Jerry Falwell or No, he's dead now and Billy Graham
back then Yeah, fine. Find somebody like you said a
little money those fellas. You may as well be murdering
the souls of men yourself You're just as guilty you attend church. Well, I can do a little good
as long as I stay here The Lord never said stay here and help
he said get out. I He said, get out, leave that
alone. Don't give any credibility to
folks who deny the gospel of Christ. And then John gives this
conclusion. Having many things to write to
you, I would not write with paper and ink, but I trust to come
unto you and speak face to face that our joy may be full. It's good to write to folks.
It's good to call them. It's good to let folks know you
care for them. But it's best to see them and
speak face-to-face, mouth-to-mouth, shoulder-to-shoulder, arm-to-arm. I want to see you. I want to
speak to you. I want to communicate the gospel
of God's grace to you face to face so that our joy, mine as
the elder, and yours, elect lady, and your children, that our joy
may be full. The children of thy elect sister
greet thee. I'm quite sure I know exactly
what John's saying. I visited our friends at Eggleston
a few weeks ago, and our friends at Dudley, and our friends in
Ballymoney, and I said to them, the children of your elect sister
greet you. Now, I didn't actually use those
words. I said, your brothers and sisters in Denver, Kentucky,
send you their greetings, and they want you to know we love
you, and we pray for you, and we care for you. As you speak
to God's people, speak to encourage them, to help them, to benefit
them. As you speak about God's people,
speak to benefit them, to help them, to encourage them. not
to hurt, not to hinder, not to tear down. Pastors, let me talk to Don now. When
you speak to God's people, speak to encourage them, to comfort
them, to help them, to benefit them. When you speak about God's
people, pastor, speak well of them, speak to comfort them,
to help them, to benefit them. It's called loving Christ and
walking in truth. Amen.