Love In Truth - October 21

Read 2 John 1:4-6 (ESV)

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

Reflect

How is loving each other in light of God’s truth different from the kind of love the world encourages?

If you have kids, you know there is nothing they could ever do to make you stop loving them. Your love for them is unconditional and they don’t have to earn it. But that doesn’t mean you love everything they do. It doesn’t mean that you affirm everything they think, say, or feel. But sometimes this means you have to correct them, or tell them a truth they don’t want to hear. You want them to live in light of God’s truth because you know He loves them even more than you and wants what’s best for them.

“Loving in truth” is the theme of John's short second letter. He addressed this letter to “the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth” (2 John 1:1). There is scholarly debate over whether John was writing to a godly mother and her children or if his address was meant to indicate a local church and the believers at that church. In that view, the “elect sister” that John mentioned in verse 13 would be a sister church from which John is passing on their greetings. Regardless of the correct interpretation of the recipient of the letter, the implication of the letter is clearly grasped as is its application for us today.

First, John, “rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.” (2 John 1:4). Then, we read today’s verses in which John gives a reminder of the command that the church has had from the very beginning—love one another. In John’s Gospel, John recorded this command from Jesus Himself: “‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’” (John 13:34-35).

But what does that love look like practically speaking? Does that mean we naively accept anyone and anything that someone believes, teaches, or practices? John clearly says no. After admonishing his readers to watch out for deceivers who don’t confess the coming of Christ in the flesh (2 John 1:7), John wrote: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works” (2 John 1:10-11).

Our culture today values and promotes open-minded acceptance of everyone, so this statement no doubt sounds harsh and unloving to our modern sensibilities. But John knows that it isn’t loving to approve, affirm, and accept false teaching. False teaching leads people away from Christ! If we truly love people, both those who are in Christ and those who are apart from Christ, our greatest hope for them should be for them to remain in fellowship with Christ or to come to Christ for the salvation of their souls. Caring about someone’s eternal destiny is the most loving concern we can have for someone, whether they see it that way or not. That’s why John says we are to love, not just for the sake of love, but rather in light of the truth of Christ.

Additionally, once false teaching is allowed to infiltrate a church, it leads to division and discord. That is why John sent this letter with a stern but loving warning. Still, he acknowledged that in order to fully address this situation, he needed to visit them face to face rather than just write to them. There is wisdom that we can glean from that as well. It is ok to write or type our loving concerns and corrections to our fellow believers in Christ. But it is better by far to talk about tough issues face to face.

Friends, in a world that has embraced so many lies about what love is, it can be difficult to navigate loving each other the way Christ intended. But John’s second letter confirms that you don’t have to abandon truth in order to love someone. In fact, embracing lies simply for the sake of getting along is a false love. The apostle Paul agreed when he wrote that love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). If we truly love others, we love them in light of God’s truth because we want His best for them.

Respond

Lord, help me to love others the way that You have commanded. I don’t want to be harsh, critical, and exclusive but I don’t want to be naive, undiscerning, and unwise either. Help me to love others in light of Your truth rather than just accepting and affirming everyone and everything, even when it conflicts with Your Word. Your perfect love rejoices in the truth! Amen.

Reveal

Think of someone you care about who may be struggling to distinguish genuine love from simply affirming everything another person believes or does. Share 2 John 1:5-6 with them and talk about how biblical love and truth belong together. Encourage each other to show Christlike love while remaining faithful to what God has revealed in His Word.