The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.

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. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 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. 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.

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.

The children of your elect sister greet you.—2 John 1–13

Introduction
Have you ever heard one of these statements? “I wish Christians would just be more loving?” Or perhaps, “Christians really ought to be more accepting of others like Jesus.” Usually statements like this are said when debating a particular belief or teaching from the Bible, particularly things thought to be intolerant or out of step with our culture. One example would be the fetal heartbeat bill, which would ban abortions within a state after the point where the heartbeat of the baby can be detected. This has been signed into law in Georgia, and Hollywood has threatened to leave the state where much of their filming and production takes place. 

Some of the questions that are asked: “Why can’t you Christians be more loving? What would Jesus do here? Didn’t Jesus hang out with the tax collectors, prostitutes, and the downtrodden of society? Wouldn’t Jesus be for reproductive rights? Aren’t you Christians supposed to show unconditional love like Jesus? Doesn’t the Bible say, ‘Don’t judge others?’ You don’t want to be on the wrong side of history, do you?” This isn’t a sermon on sanctity of life, but I’m using it as an illustration to help us feel the tension between the call to love like Jesus and the commitment we ought to have to biblical truth. 

How do we as disciples of Jesus navigate in our world of increased polarization and division? Do we need more love and acceptance, more tolerance of other views? Or do we need more truth, rejecting false teaching? These two things—love and truth—often feel at odds with one another, almost mutually exclusive. Do you want to be a loving person, or a truth-telling person? It’s a little bit how when a spouse is asked, “How do I look in this outfit?” And you may be thinking, “Do you want me to be nice or honest?” You can’t have it both ways.

There is a significant tension here, like a rubber band stretched to its capacity. On one side, we’re pulled toward love. We want relational harmony and peace. We want others to be encouraged and supported, for the marginalized to be heard and validated, and for the unloved to feel loved. We want to weep with those who weep. We see the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. We want to be empathetic and bear one another’s burdens.

Yet on the other side, we’re pulled toward truth. We want people to know the truth, to believe the truth. We want to correct error and for the right things to be known, believed, upheld, and celebrated. We want to be honest. We want to be people who tell it like it is, who call a spade a spade, and who are candid and clear. We don’t want to sugarcoat the truth but rather serve others by being upfront and as honest as we can be.

The Apostle John’s main point in 2 John is that true biblical Christianity requires both love and truth, intertwined, fused together, and informed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are both indispensable. One without the other leaves our faith truncated and deficient. 

My aim is to help us love more—not less. To help us uphold and live out the truth better—not to compromise … so that in our minds we would see that love and truth are so intertwined in the Christian life that we would never separate the two. That in our desire to love, we would never compromise the truth. And in our commitment to truth, we would never fail to live it out in love.

Outline

• Exhortation: Love One Another (vv. 4–6)
• Warning & Prohibition (vv. 7–11)

Intro/Greeting (vv. 1–3)

Perhaps some context for 2 John would be appropriate before we begin. This is the second shortest book of the Bible, with only 245 words in the Greek. It would be what one might call a “postcard epistle” since it likely fit on a single piece of papyri. It was written to guard against false teaching.

The letter is written by “the elder,” which is likely a designation for the John the Apostle who wrote both the Gospel of John, and the Epistles of John. Here the use of “elder” references both his authority and leadership in the Christian community. He writes to “the elect lady and her children.” While some believe that this might be written to an individual woman and her children, it’s more likely this was a metaphorical address by John used to describe a church and its members. Here are a few reasons:

• Elect: The use of “elect” or “chosen” likely refers to the church, rather than as an individual name.
• Woman: It wouldn’t be unusual for the church to be described as a woman, like a wife or the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:25)
• Elect Sister: The letter closes with greetings from “the children of your elect sister” which likely refers to the members of the church from which John is writing.

In these opening verses, John reassures his readers of his love for them, grounded upon their shared truth. We also get the themes of his letter: truth and love. “Truth” is repeated four times, and “love” twice. There is almost a fatherly concern from John for his readers to not depart from the truth and be led astray by false teaching. [Kids] Good way to see repeating themes in a book of the Bible.

Exhortation: Love One Another (vv. 4–6) 

First John rejoices that some of them are “walking in the truth” as was commanded by the Father. What command is he referencing? This is likely an allusion to 1 John 3:23, “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” So “walking in the truth” means at least two things: belief in Jesus and love for the church.

We see “walking in truth” is commanded by God. Being truth-filled and truthful people is not optional. Truthfulness is to be an identifying characteristic of God’s people. Unfortunately, to believe in universal truth is bigoted. It is intolerant. You must not only allow other views to exist, but you have to accept and conform to these different views.

In verse 5 we get the main call to “love one another.” This is not a new command, but rather one that we have had from the beginning, John says. Love is to be an identifying characteristic of the people of God. But we can’t define love according to the world’s definition. Love—in our culture today—means acceptance of any and all lifestyles, perspectives, beliefs, and feelings regardless of revealed biblical truth. But that doesn’t mean John wants Christians to love less. No, rather he wants them to exemplify love; love more the way the Bible defines love. Love others as defined by the Bible: love sacrificially, exhort, encourage, admonish, share resources, be hospitable, tear down barriers and divisions, give charitable judgment, be long-suffering, forgive one another, bear one another’s burdens, and so forth. 

It says the command we had from the beginning, likely referencing Jesus in John’s Gospel. In John 13 Jesus had just humbled himself by washing his disciples’ feet to model the service and sacrifice needed to follow him. It’s in that context that Jesus issues his command to his disciples:

“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

Now why does Jesus say a “new commandment” when the summary of the OT is to love God and love your neighbor? In what sense is it new? The newness is in the phrase: “just as I have loved you.” Not eye for eye, but lay down my life for the unrighteous. Jesus dies to make the unlovely loveable. If Jesus—Lord over all—stooped low in sacrificial love, how much more should his disciples go low in sacrificial love for fellow believers for whom Christ died. 

Now John turns to clarify this call to love. He defines what is truly love. “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning.” Love is not warm feelings, rather love is defined by obedience to God’s commands. This could get a little redundant: Love one another—keep his commands—which is to love one another—love is keeping his commands. Yet love and obedience are integrally linked and cannot be separated. We cannot love God and ignore is commands. 

There is an interconnectedness to loving God, loving fellow believers, and obeying God’s commandments. Today, many so-called Christians want to jettison God’s commands in the name of love. That just doesn’t work. Love for fellow believers is integrally tied loving God and obeying God’s commands. All of these realities are related—to love God is to love his bride, the church. To love fellow believers is to love God. To obey God is to love him and fellow believers. In essence, one can’t exist without the others.

So let’s summarize and apply this section. John wants us to love one another in the church—which is tied up with loving God, loving one another, walking in the truth, and obeying God’s commands. All of those are tied together. It’s a little bit like taking a road trip. To take a road trip you have to have the vehicle, fuel, map, destination, and a driver. To lack any one of those things you either end up in a ditch, lost, or never start the journey. Our love for each other in the church ought to be defined by truth, motivated by love for God, and as an expression of our obedience to God’s commands.

Application: Blood-Bought Family

One way we can love each other is to refuse to relate to the church as a consumer, but instead treat it like a blood-bought family. Consumers choose based on how their needs can be met. If I want bulk, I go to Costco. If I want cheap, I go to Aldi. If I want organic, I go to Whole Foods. But too often, people treat church like they would their favorite grocery store. If I don’t like their selection, I’ll stop going or spending my money there. Instead, the church is a blood-bought family. And there’s a reason the Bible uses the imagery of a family. You’re stuck with each other. I may have some crazy uncles or cousins, but they’re still family. And in the church, we’re called to bear with one another, be long suffering, and go deeper with each other so that we can love each other sacrificially as Jesus has called us to love one another.

One simple takeaway could be asking yourself the following every week: What is one way I can sacrificially love one person in God’s family this week? You may find yourself praying for someone, inviting someone into your home, sharing your resources, giving some of your most precious resource—your time—or sacrificially loving others in our family in dozens of other ways.

The Warning & Prohibition (vv. 7–11)

The Warning (vv. 7–9)

First, we look at the warning. John begins with “for” in verse 7, giving the reason or basis for what he’s just said. So why is it important for us to love each other and to obey God’s commands? Answer: Because some people are out to deceive you! Threats to faith and Christian community! John is addressing some false teachers and deceivers that deny Jesus’ incarnation. To get Jesus wrong is to get everything wrong. John calls them “antichrists—those who are radically opposed to Jesus despite what they might say otherwise. This is strong language indeed.

Warning: Watch yourselves and abide in the teaching of Christ. Don’t abandon true biblical Christianity, which must be tethered to the truth. Why watch yourself? So that you don’t lose the reward. John gives a warning to persevere in the midst of deceivers. 

During Easter, a New York Times columnist (Nicholas Kristof) interviewed Dr. Serene Jones, the president of Union Theological Seminary in New York. In that interview, she’s asked, “Do you think of Easter as a literal flesh-and-blood resurrection?” She replies, “When you look at the Gospels, the stories are all over the place. There’s no resurrection story in Mark, just an empty tomb. Those who claim to know whether or not it happened are kidding themselves.”[1] Yet, the Apostle Paul says otherwise in 1 Corinthians 15:12–28, where he argues that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is foundational and instrumental for faith at all, and if there is no resurrection, there is no faith, no hope, and no forgiveness of sins. She goes on to call the virgin birth “bizarre,” and denies that the God of the Bible is all-powerful, all-knowing, or even a being. This is a seminary president, and yet, someone I think the Apostle John would call an antichrist and deceiver.

But deceivers usually aren’t this clear and brazen as Serene Jones is in this interview. Instead, in our day and age, we must beware of those who seek to distort the teachings of Jesus or to pit them against each other. Here are a few subtle ways today that the teachings of Jesus are undermined:

• Believe in yourself vs. deny yourself & follow Jesus. The following is an excerpt from a “Christian” book for women: “The real you is destined for something more … your version of more. This is who you were made to be, and the first step to making that vision a reality is to stop apologizing for having the dream in the first place. Like Lady Gaga says, “Baby, you were born this way … it’s time to become who you were made to be.”[2]
• Reinterpret the words of Jesus: Today Christians are embarrassed and ashamed of the teachings of the Bible and want reinterpret Jesus’ teachings. It’s subtle and incremental deception, much like Satan saying, “Did God really say don’t touch the fruit?”

The Prohibition (vv. 10–11)

We come to a surprising verse. Very simply, the prohibition is to not show any hospitality or help or assistance to false teachers. Don’t welcome them into the church, don’t give them opportunity to teach, and don’t even help them along in their journey. It’s not saying don’t be hospitable or welcome unbelievers; that we should do. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” But when it comes to false teachers, be inhospitable. Why? Because to help is to share in their wicked works. We become accomplices and enablers of false teaching.

Where might we see this today? Perhaps televangelists who are so often prosperity gospel preachers. They are anti-gospel, and pro-prosperity. I think the far greater danger today is our social media feeds, entertainment choices, and news cycle. Are these the primary voices that are shaping our minds, or is the Bible shaping us? Are we being shaped by outside forces, or are we being shaped by the gathered people of God? Beware of the voices and teaching that you’re receiving.

The false teaching we’ll face today will be both subtle and forceful. It will try to slowly undermine the teaching of Jesus, the reliability of the Bible, and the truthfulness of the gospel. And it will be relentless in attacking our biblical sexual ethic; it will label Christians bigots, unloving, and uninformed; and it will seek to shame us into capitulating to its latest demands. Yet Jesus calls us to hold to faith, truth, love, and obedience without wavering.

John concludes by stating his desire to see them face to face and sends greetings from those of his church. Yet John didn’t just wait to share this face to face, but wrote it for our benefit. 

Closing

Another pastor once said, “Truth without love is dogmatism. Love without truth is sentimentality. Speaking the truth in love is Christianity.” True, authentic, biblical Christianity requires both truth and love—intertwined, fused together, and interdependent. And the good news is that the perfect fusing together of truth and love is found in a person: Jesus Christ.

Jesus perfectly, fully, and completely embodies truth and love, and love and truth. Nothing deficient. Nothing lacking. We receive truth from Jesus. John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Jesus is the embodiment of God’s truth, perfectly, once for all, and entirely sufficient. Jesus is truth itself. Jesus in John 14:6 says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

So if you don’t know Jesus this morning, I want you to know this truth: Jesus loves you; he died for you; he sacrificed himself to redeem sinners; he can change your life and open your eyes; he can handle all of your struggles, weakness, sin, and failures, and there is nothing you can do to disqualify yourself from his love if you will repent, believe, and confess that Jesus is Savior and Lord. He wants to show you what it feels like to be fully known—exposed and bare—and fully loved. That is the truth and love that Jesus offers to you.

And for us who know the truth, may we come back again and again to Jesus Christ who perfectly and fully embodies truth and love, obedience and grace, mercy and justice. There is no one like him. Don’t reinterpret him, or try to improve upon him, but rather love him, obey him, walk in his truth, love the body, and delight yourself in Jesus who loves us, has given us his truth, and will help us be salt & light in our world. He will help us be uncompromising on truth, and loving one another for his glory, for the good of the church, for the sake of the lost.
______

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/20/opinion/sunday/christian-easter-serene-jones.html

[2] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/girl-stop-apologizing/

Sermon Discussion Questions

Outline

1. Exhortation: Love one another (vv. 4–6)
2. Warning & Prohibition (vv. 7–11)

Main Point: True biblical Christianity requires both love and truth, intertwined, fused together, and informed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Opening Question

What are some ways that truth and love seem to be at odds with each other in our culture today?

Discussion Questions

• What brings the Apostle John joy and why?
• What exhortation does John bring, and why is it a command “we have had from the beginning?”
• What would be the presenting problem or need for John to issue this exhortation?
• What is the reason for giving this exhortation and why?
• What does tell the church to do in verses 9­–11 and why?
• Why does John stress remaining or abiding in the teaching of Jesus?

Application Questions

• What are some practical ways we ought to love one another?
• If you were to ask yourself “how can I love others in my church family,” how would you answer?
• How can we ensure our love is informed by and tethered to the truth?
• What are some ways we can help prevent the spread of false teaching?
• What is some false teaching or philosophy that is at risk of creeping into the church?
• How can we more fully delight in Jesus Christ, the perfect embodiment of truth and love?

Prayer Focus

Take a moment to praise God for revealing truth and love in the person of Jesus Christ. Confess any sins of failing to love others in the church, approaching church as a consumer, or conforming our thoughts or practices to false teaching. Thank God that we have forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, and that we can walk in the truth and receive his abounding love. Ask God for help in loving others according to truth of the gospel and to beware false teaching that may deceive those within the church.