" Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." (II John 1:9)
John's brief second letter declares that true Christian love involves more than a mere emotional feeling. Rather it is grounded in the truth. John also warns of false teachers and urges believers not to receive them. As in his first letter, John's central tenet is that we must walk with God and love one another wholeheartedly. Sometimes we find this hard to figure out. What does it mean to love one another? John lays out his clear understanding: "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." (II John 1:6) Because God's central command is love (Matthew 22:36-40), John's statement emphasizes walking in obedience out of love. The practical kind of love that John endorses certainly includes feelings of affection, but it goes far beyond that.
John also writes consistently about "the truth." He mentions loving in the truth, knowing the truth, and walking in the truth. The truth he has in mind is the truth of salvation: God loves us, Jesus died for us, and and through faith we are forgiven of our sins. Standing behind all this is the fact that Jesus Himself is the truth. John's Gospel records Jesus' greatest "I am" statement, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) This means that we should live not only in the knowledge of our salvation, but also in Jesus Himself, dedicating our entire lives and beings to Him. John concludes his short letter with a further warning about false teachers. Such warnings crop up throughout the epistles because in every age some people misinterpret or warp a small aspect of the truth, thus disfiguring the whole thing - and too often they lead the unsuspecting into spiritual oblivion. That is why we must stay vigilant in our faith and our walk in the truth.
John also writes consistently about "the truth." He mentions loving in the truth, knowing the truth, and walking in the truth. The truth he has in mind is the truth of salvation: God loves us, Jesus died for us, and and through faith we are forgiven of our sins. Standing behind all this is the fact that Jesus Himself is the truth. John's Gospel records Jesus' greatest "I am" statement, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) This means that we should live not only in the knowledge of our salvation, but also in Jesus Himself, dedicating our entire lives and beings to Him. John concludes his short letter with a further warning about false teachers. Such warnings crop up throughout the epistles because in every age some people misinterpret or warp a small aspect of the truth, thus disfiguring the whole thing - and too often they lead the unsuspecting into spiritual oblivion. That is why we must stay vigilant in our faith and our walk in the truth.
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