Walking in the Truth! (3 John 3)

For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.

THE STUDY:

Receiving word from Gaius had evoked great joy in John. The joy was first experienced upon the arrival of the brothers, who came as Gaius’ representatives. This in itself likely pleased John. Further, the message that Gaius and those with him persistently walk in the truth caused for more celebration. Their walking probably had in view both their adherence to the ethical truth of loving and the christological truth of believing.^[1]

I find great satisfaction in seeing, family members, friends, or just people in general “walking in the truth.” In reading this verse I can relate to Johns statement, “For I rejoice greatly”! It is a wonderful feeling to know, see or hear about those who are walking in Christ.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that as believers in Christ we will have a natural desire to share our faith with others. In doing this we become spiritually connected and great joy comes as a result. To see someone grow in Christ has a twofold affect: on the person who received and the one who shared this truth.

CONCLUSION:

  Some of you will remember the scene from the movie “A Few Good Men.” The 1992 film stared Tom Cruise as a rookie military lawyer who has to defend a squad of marines accused of murder. They claimed they were acting on orders. Jack Nicholson plays a tough guy marine officer. One climactic scene has Nicholson on the stand being interrogated by the Cruise character. Cruise is getting nowhere and finally yells, “I want the truth!” The Jack Nicholson character shouts back. “You can’t handle the truth!"

We know, as believers, the truth is what will set us free. It is in this freedom we find our joy. Seeing others find this freedom as well causes us to rejoice. Let us walk in the truth today!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (207). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

It Starts with the Soul! (3 John 2)

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.       

          .

THE STUDY:

John continues the heart felt address by calling Gaius “Beloved.” The Greek word (agapētos) means “very dear.” When I look at this verse in the Greek I see John stating the idea that as goes Gaius’ soul so goes his health and his success. If I, personally, was to translate this it would read, “My Dear friend, I pray the Lord has prospered you and you are in good health which is directly connected to your spiritual healthiness.” This verse, then, appears to be a wish that all may go well with Gaius’s whole person, as indeed it goes well with his soul.^[1]

The one thing we would want to be careful with is the phrase that all may go well with you. It should not be taken as an implicit divine promise of physical health at all times for all God’s people. Certainly it is not basis for “name-it-claim-it,” “health and wealth,” prosperity gospel. It is merely a typical secular greeting. It employs the metaphor of being led along a good road or path.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that everything starts with a spiritually healthy soul (psyche). We understand that there is a correlation between a healthy soul and success as well as one’s health. It starts with and continues throughout our lives with the SOUL!

CONCLUSION:

 Just recently, I was talking with a father whose son is going through a time in every young man’s life where they are trying to define who they are. The father shared that his son is looking to the world for the answers. The son believes that the definition of a man is determined by and found in the world.

I shared with this father that the definition of a man was never defined by or found in the world! The definition of a man was defined by God and found in Him. The one who created man is the one who defines him. The beginning of this young man’s quest should start “in” and “with” his soul.

The nurturing of a healthy soul will always have a divine result. For many young men today who are seeking the answer to this question I encourage you to go to the one who created you. As for the rest of us this morning, let us continue to nurture our soul! For as goes the soul goes everything else.  

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (221). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[2] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (207). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

Truth sets free Love! (3 John 1)

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.    

          .

THE STUDY:

Like 2 John, this letter begins with the usual A to B greeting formula in which the author identifies himself as the elder. John addresses his letter to the beloved Gaius. The name Gaius is found in four other places in the NT, and in each case the one bearing this name is associated with the apostle Paul.^[1]

The elder describes Gaius as one whom I love in truth (en alētheia). This expression can be understood in two ways: (1) ‘in the truth’ (as in the NIV); or (2) ‘truly’. In the first case, the elder would be saying that he loves Gaius, who, like him, is ‘in the truth’, that is, is one who continues faithful to the truth concerning Jesus Christ as it was heard at the beginning. In the second case the elder would be simply saying that he ‘truly’ loves Gaius. The first option almost certainly reflects what John intended; for in v. 3 he mentions reports he has heard from others of how Gaius continues ‘to walk in the truth’.^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that, just like developing a love for a friend, John had a love for Gaius. WHY? Because they had a commonality; JESUS! The truth concerning Christ is the seed that helps grow our love among believers.

CONCLUSION:

I remember being approached by a man after a Sunday morning service. He asks to speak to me alone. We sat down in my office and he started out the conversation with this statement, “I love Jesus, but I hate that woman!” (Referring to a lady of the church). I have to admit, there are not too many times I am at a loss for words but this was one of those times. I was so taken back by the thought that as a believer and lover of the truth someone could actually say “I hate someone!”

What brings us together as believers is the Love of Christ. It’s not just the love that he has for us that binds us but the Love we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ. The scripture is very clear, For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (I John 3:11) My prayer for us this morning is that we know the truth. Once we know IT, we will not be able to say, "I love Jesus but I hate that person." The truth is what will set us free to LOVE!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (220). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[2] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (220). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

Complete Joy! (2 John 12-13)

          Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 13 The children of your elect sister greet you.

          .

THE STUDY:

The theme of joy appears in all the letters (1 John 1:4; 2 John 4, 12; 3 John 3, 4). This joy likely was associated with the friendship of the elder and his churches. He rejoiced in their growing doctrinal clarity.

The letter ends with a hopeful tone. The outcome from the exchange of this letter, and the expected face to face visit must have had positive result. Had the “chosen lady and her children” (v 1) not embraced the elder’s views, the letter probably would not have survived.

The word for complete (peplērōmenē) carries the sense of “filled up”—their mutual joy was nearly overflowing. The tense indicates an event with continuing effect: we receive joy and continue to live in that joy. Such complete joy among Jesus and his followers is characteristic of John’s writings (John 3:29; 15:11; 16:24; 17:13; 1 John 1:4).^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that John’s readers were not believers who didn’t understand the teachings of Christ. They were believers who understood the teachings of Christ and through that understanding they found JOY. Not just a good feeling for the moment but a joy that was fulfilling and lasting.

CONCLUSION:

A.   W. Tozer wrote:

George Mueller would not preach until his heart was happy in the grace of God; Ian Ruybroeck would not write while his feelings were low, but would retire to a quiet place and wait on God till he felt the spirit of inspiration. It is well-known that the elevated spirits of a group of Moravians convinced John Wesley of the reality of their religion, and helped to bring him a short time later to a state of true conversion.

The Christian owes it to the world to be supernaturally joyful. I pray that we pursue Christ more and more each day so that our Joy will be found in Him and poured out through our obedience. I close 2 John with the lyrics from a childhood song: “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where”? I pray for joy this morning for us all.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (196). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

Being Intolerable! (2 John 10-11)

          If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11   for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

THE STUDY:

In our devotional today a couple of things stand out to me. The first thing is do not receive him into your house. This refusal of hospitality expands a Jewish practice typically directed toward Gentiles. Jews religiously avoided table fellowship with Gentiles (see Acts 10:28; Gal 2:11–13). It appears that John adapted Jew vs. Gentile practice to erect a protective barrier against those that claimed that Jesus Christ was not a real person. Since early churches met in homes, the “keep out” sign specifically refused the secessionists access to teach among the believers in such houses.

The second thing that stood out to me was the believers were to not give them any greeting. The reasoning for this was looked at as to welcome false teachers was to grant them theological affirmation.

Finally, the last thing that stood out to me was John stating that whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. Hosting false teachers was like inviting Satan to dinner!^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding of the importance that the early disciples placed on the teachings of Christ. If a person was not in total agreement with the teachings of Jesus Christ they were not to be associated with and even worse, not accepted.

CONCLUSION:

           To some modern minds these instructions seem unduly rigid and harsh. A great part of the problem, however, lies in the modern inclination to be highly tolerant of religious differences. One must frankly face the fact that the New Testament writers did not share this spirit of toleration. Their commitment to the truth and their consciousness of the dangers of religious error called forth many stern denunciations of false teachers. Not surprisingly, this modern age, having a diminishing sense of the dangers of heresy, has lost its convictions about the truth.^[2]

          I pray that today we live by the conviction in our hearts of God’s teachings and truths. I Pray we are moved to live by the truth and by our convictions to hold fast to the teachings of Christ. If we sway just a little it starts us down a slippery slope away from God. If we sway just a little it starts us down a slippery slope away from God.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (194). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (2 Jn 10). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Don't get ahead, get connected! (2 John 9)

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

THE STUDY:

Was the one who goes ahead adding “advanced” teachings to the received traditions from Jesus? Did they consider themselves progressives? This is the sense of the NASB’s “goes too far” in an alleged “advance teaching”. They failed to keep “in step with the Spirit”.

The secessionists’ separation from those they had formerly walked with shaped the self-understanding of the believer’s community. They had experienced this “with us or against us” mentality early by their expulsion from the synagogues (John 9:22). Later the departure of the secessionists from them reinforced this mentality.

Along with the potential for lost reward (v 8) the elder warns that whoever does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Anyone who separated from the faith community would lose what he or she had “worked for” (v 8). None is exempt from the possibility of spiritual failure. To avoiding such loss one must abide (ESV) (lit. remaining). The image is not passive but relational, drawing on the imagery of the vine and branches in John 15. To continue, or abide, is to intentionally stay linked to the divine life (God/Christ) and to the like-minded (the church).^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that in order to avoid spiritual failure we must/need to abide (continue) in our walk with Christ. Coasting in our relationship with Christ is just as, if not more, harmful as turning away or refusing one with Him.

CONCLUSION:

          Today, I close with an illustration of the importance of remaining in the teachings of Christ.  

The vine clings to the oak during the fiercest of storms. Although the violence of nature may uproot the oak, twining tendrils still cling to it. If the vine is on the side of the tree opposite the wind, the great oak is its protection: if it is on the exposed side, the storm only presses it closer to the trunk.

What we need to be is the vine. Not one that is separated but understands and depends upon the tree (God). The one who does this is the one who realizes that in some of the storms of life, God intervenes and shelters us; while in others He allows us to be exposed, so that we will be pressed more closely to Him.

Whatever side of the tree you are on today, remember you are either being protect or being pressed closer to the source of life: GOD!  

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (192–193). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.