How Are We to Know the Truth?

2 John 1:1-13
 
The emphasis of Second John chapter 2 is on the basics of following Christ, of truth and love, and to warn against false teachers. We are not to just read the Word of God, but we are to obey it as well. When a believer knows how to walk in the truth, he or she should know how to act, should know what to do, is willing to learn, and is determined to do so.
 
The “elder” is John, one of twelve disciples. He also is the author of the Gospel of John, the three epistles, and the book of Revelation. This letter was composed soon after First John to caution about the false teachers. The welcome, “unto the elect lady and her children” could allude to a particular lady, or to a church congregation whose. Whichever is the case, the identity is not generally known. The fact of the matter is, is that the truth is regarding Jesus Christ, and not the lies of the false teachers.

• 1 John 2:21-23, I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
• John 14:6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 
When we have accepted the truth, we have accepted Jesus and then we know that Christ abides in us (John 8:32, 14:16-17; 2 Corinthians 4:7-10; 1 John 1:8, 3:18). Grace is the unmerited favor of God. Mercy is the kindness of God. Peace is what binds us together, it is the church body’s well-being, and it is the stability within the body of Christ.
 
The level of love that believers ought to have for each other is a common New Testament theme (John 13:34, 15:12; Ephesians 5:2; 1 Peter 1:22). However, love for one's neighbor is an old order that initially showed up in the third book of Moses (Leviticus 19:18).

• 1 John 2:7-8, Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

 
We can show love in numerous ways: by staying away from bias and segregation, by tolerating individuals, by listening to others, by providing aid to others, by giving and serving others, and by declining to pass judgment on others (John 14:15, 15:10, 15:14; Romans 13:8; 1 John 2:7, 4:7-12). Yet, simply realizing God’s order is not sufficient. We should incorporate it into our lives.

• Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 
Does the church walk in truth? Does the church keep God’s commandments? Is the church “daily walking close to thee?”

• 2 John 1:4, I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

 
John saw the church in harmony, spirit, and in truth. Do we? How many of us have had these thoughts pop into our minds: Her hair looks different; He did not shave, the nerve of him; He is in jeans, her dress is cut too low, or her dress is way too short; why are those grownups wearing shorts to a church service. we are to keep our eyes on Christ.

“I beseech thee.” – This is John saying that we need to pay attention. We need to listen and hear closely. We had this commandment from the beginning. (Leviticus 19:18; John 13:34) It is one thing to say that we love our neighbor, but do we really do it, and do we show it?
 
In John's time, numerous bogus instructors instructed that the matter was abhorrent and that the spirit was good. Along these lines, they contemplated that Jesus could not have been both God and man (1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 2:18, 26). Therefore, John cautioned against this sort of instruction. There are many false teachers who advance a comprehension of Jesus that is not scriptural. This is erroneous teaching that they contort the truth and subvert the establishments of the Christian faith. They might utilize the right words yet change the implications. The manner in which our instructors live today depict much regarding what they hold to be true with respect to Christ.

• 1 John 4:1, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

 
The “full reward” to which John alludes to is not that of salvation but the prizes of faithful servitude (Philippians 3:14, 4:1). All who esteem truth and relentlessly fortify themselves to it win their "full award." The people who live only for themselves and legitimize it by showing bogus principles will lose that prize.

• Matthew 7:21-23, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 
Since the fall of man, Satan has been set on deceiving as many people as possible. He has led countless people astray, pretending to be something that he is not. John was warning that not only would false teachers come from outside the church but could come from inside the church as well. (1 John 4:1)

False teachers twist the truth, they make it sound good, but then they deny the power of the Holy Spirit. Unbelievers are led further away from the Truth by false teachers, and they may refuse God outrightly. We are to examine ourselves (Matthew 7:3). How have we served God? Have we done what we should do?

False teachers say, “look at me, look at me,” when they should be saying “look to Jesus, look to Jesus,” (Matthew 7:21-23). Do we abide in the doctrine of Christ? (John 8:31, 15:7; 1 John 2:23-24) Some refuse to accept the virgin birth, the resurrection, and the ascension. They add to or take away from the scriptures.
 
John trained the believers not to give accommodation to any false teachers. They were to not do anything that would support the blasphemers in their proliferation of lies. Also, assuming that any believers welcomed them in, it would show that they were endorsing what the false teachers said and did (Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Titus 3:10). It might appear to be inconsiderate to dismiss individuals, regardless of whether they are showing sin, yet how much better to be dedicated to God than to simply be polite to individuals. John is not sentencing neighborliness to unbelievers, but instead the supporting of the people who are devoted to contradicting the genuine lessons of God. John adds that an individual who upholds a false teacher in any capacity shares that educators' mischievous work.

False instruction is serious, and we dare not ignore it. It is significant to the point that John composed this letter particularly to caution against it. There are such countless false teachers in our present day that we may be enticed to trifle with them. We ought to understand the perils they present and effectively decline to give apostasies any traction.

• 1 John 3:1, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
• Matthew 6:24, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

 
We are to work to win them to Christ but remain ever vigilant and watchful for the devil’s traps.