Obedience & Love Are Inseparable

Transcript

GRM 1009
6/15/2008
Obedience and Love Are Inseparable
II John 4-6
Gil Rugh


We're in the book of II John in your Bibles. Written by the Apostle John, written some sixty years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John the last surviving apostle penned the gospel of John, I, II and III John and the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ as revealed through the Apostle John. The burden in II John is truth and love. And John's burden, and this comes out of the fact that very early in the church's life and ministry division and dissension set in. In his first epistle John referred to the fact that some had split off from the churches established by the apostles, churches that were committed to apostolic truth and teaching. And these teachers had spun off. John said it was because they were never really part of us and their leaving just demonstrated they didn't ever know the Lord and never were committed to His truth.

His concern is, as he says in I John 2, now these teachers are trying to deceive you. So when you have II John penned, short letter, he's addressing some of these same concerns. The church understands the love relationship it must maintain in the context of the truth that God has entrusted to us. It's a letter written to a local church, under the picture of a lady and her children. So the letter began, the elder to the chosen lady and her children. As we noted, it probably refers to a local church and its members, wouldn't change anything in the letter if it's an individual woman and her children. But the context seems clear to point to an individual church with its members.

John says it's a church I love in truth and also everyone else who knows the truth loves them. Verse 2 begins, because of the truth. In other words the motivation for our love for other believers is the impact and ongoing working of God's truth in our lives. And that's inseparably joined to the ministry as we saw of the One who is the Spirit of truth. God's Holy Spirit is the One who reveals God's truth to men. He's the One who takes up residence in our bodies when we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. He applies the work of Christ to us, identifies us with Christ in His death and resurrection, makes us new and now resides within us to direct us and enable us in our new lives in Christ.

This is the truth that will be with us forever. God's truth is unchanging. This was the truth when John received it 2000 years ago, it is the truth today, and it's the Spirit's ministry to continue to teach us the truth and enable us to understand it as His children.

The first three verses form the introduction to the letter and a part of that introduction, there usually is a word of greeting. The greeting here, grace, mercy and peace will be with us, he doesn't say that he prays that they will experience it. He says it will be with us. John writes this, not from the position as an apostle, although he is and is writing the authoritative Word of God, but remember he writes as the elder to the chosen lady and her children, identifying with them as a pastor. And so we'll see this personal relationship that is there. What will be true for them will be true for him, God's grace, His enabling power, His sufficiency for us in all areas of life is our ongoing provision. You understand we are saved by God's grace but we are also kept and enabled by God's grace for every day of our lives as His children. And so that grace will be with us no matter what comes; His mercy which deals with us in our weakness, in our frailty, He knows our frame that we are but dust, His mercy will be with us. His peace. Remember Paul wrote to the Philippians and says the peace of God which goes beyond comprehension will stand guard at your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. That's our privilege. It will be with us and sustain us even in difficult times, in times of trial.

Grace, mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father. One of the issues in the false doctrine that is trying to divide the churches of the time are issues over the Person of Jesus Christ. And so John makes clear that grace, mercy and truth come from both God the Father and God the Son. I John 5:1 says whoever believes Jesus the Christ is born of God. He is the Christ, He is the Messiah. Back in I John 4:2, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. You must recognize the true deity and true humanity of Jesus Christ. And John drives that home here with emphasizing the deity of Christ provided through the work that He accomplished when He became a man and becoming our Redeemer and paying the penalty for our sin.

Grace, mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in truth and love. You know when you come by the grace of God to believe in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross as the full and final payment for your sin, you enter into the relationship of love, you've responded to the love of God. The greatest demonstration of His love was that in while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. When I believed in Jesus Christ as my Savior, when you believed in Him, we entered into a relationship of love with Him where we responded to the love that He has shown us and we begin to love Him because He first loved us, as John wrote in his first epistle. And we enter into a relationship with the One who is truth, and His Word which is truth, the Spirit of God who is the Spirit of truth. So all of God's provision for us, His grace, His mercy and peace, is given to us by God in the context of His truth and His love. Inseparable, truth and love. They bind us together. God's truth and the love which God has produced in us for one another as His children, which is where John is going with this.

Verses 4-11 give us the body of the letter. Verses 1-3 are the introduction to the letter, verses 12-13 are the conclusion to the letter. Verses 4-11 give you the heart of the letter as John writes it. Two parts to it, in verses 4-6 John is going to address the issue of our relationship together spiritually, our spiritual life as God's children, how we live and thus how we relate to one another; then verses 7-11 will deal with the issue of deceivers who are trying to divide the body of Christ and set believer against believer.

That inner harmony, that spiritual life that we are to have as God's people is an essential in God's work in our lives. It manifests our relationship with the living God, it is part of the brilliance of our testimony before the world that we are a people of truth The truth of God is the foundation for us, it is our ministry. Our love relationship that overcomes any differences we have, whether race, nationality and social position and financial status, position, whatever. We are bound together with something deeper and stronger and more permanent, a spiritual relationship established when we were brought into a relationship with God as our Father. That brought us into a relationship with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. John is concerned. If these believers in this local church are not firmly committed to this and don't have a good grasp of it, they will find themselves divided against one another and thus they will give the devil opportunity to work his work.

Back up to II Corinthians 2. The devil's work involves blinding people's hearts and minds so they don't come to believe in Jesus Christ and the glorious gospel concerning Him. When we have believed in Him he doesn't quit working, now he attempts to bring division, disagreement and conflict among the people of God to keep them from functioning in the unity that God has provided and as a testimony for Him. In II Corinthians 2 Paul says in verse 6, sufficient for such a one is the punishment which was inflicted by the majority. Referring to a believer who was disciplined for sin. That person becomes excluded from the life of the local church, from the fellowship of believers. This one has experienced that discipline and now has repented and is seeking to be restored to the fellowship of the church. Paul says the punishment that he has experienced is sufficient, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you reaffirm your love for him. You'll note when we function in the context of truth with our love, there are certain things we must do that are harsh and painful, such as disciplining sinful Christians. But when those Christians deal with their sin, repent of their sin, turn from it, desire to be restored, then we are to reaffirm our love. This is just one example. Why do we reaffirm our love for him? Why is it necessary to restore the relationship now? Verse 11, so that no advantage would be taken of us by satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. You see the devil would like to work to maintain division to cause personal feelings to overrule truth.

In other words here is a person who has committed an offense, sin, and would hurt some people. The Apostle Paul had been adversely affected by this man's actions. Verse 10 he said, to whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for our sakes in the presence of Christ. Don't think you do me a favor. Because what happens when we've been wronged? A person repents and we think, that's not good enough. I mean, it's just not over because he says, I'm sorry, forgive me. And so I may want to carry it on. I don't think he has suffered enough. What love does is pleased to restore the relationship and to function together as believers should function. Aren't you glad in your family relationships when any disagreements have been resolved and the family is restored in fellowship? Of course. We are God's family and so that's what God intends. So you see what the devil wants to do is a failure to manifest love, function in love becomes an occasion for the devil to carry out his scheming in impacting the body.

Come back to II John. So John picks up, first as is the pattern in many New Testament letters, with an expression of appreciation for the spiritual conduct of those being written to. He says in verse 4, I was very glad. Literally, I was made to rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth. To find some of the believers in this congregation, it doesn't mean some aren't, it just means in John's contact, either personally or with those who have brought word to him, he's learned from believers in this local fellowship functioning in the truth, walking in truth. And that caused him great joy. What can cause us greater joy than to have others say, you go to Indian Hills. I work with somebody that goes to Indian Hills and I'm a believer and they're believers. I have to say they have a great testimony, they live the truth of the Word of God. In adversity, in difficulties, in trials, I see them concerned to be biblical.

This is what John says. I praise the Lord for your testimony, that causes me great joy. The Apostle Paul does this—Romans, I Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, the letters to the Thessalonians, Philemon—all at the beginning of the letter Paul expresses his joy, his gratitude for the testimony of those that he is writing to. And that's what John is saying. I was caused to rejoice greatly, I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth. This is what we're talking about, walking in truth, the Word of God being lived out in your life.

Look at III John 4, I have no greater joy than this, than to hear of my children walking in the truth. What does he say in the previous verse? I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, how you are walking in truth. I mean, as an apostle, as an elder, what greater joy. As a pastor, no greater joy than to have others that I meet in other places share that people from your church, they are committed to the truth. When the Lord moves people from our local church to another local church, to have contact there and say, those people are such a blessing. They are committed to the Word of God, they are a delight to teach, they are concerned to be biblical in what they do. What a great blessing that is, and that's what John is saying.

The psalmist, David, wrote in Psalm 86:11, teach me your way, oh Lord, I will walk in your truth. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord in Isaiah 38:3, I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is right in your sight. You know, years ago, and I don't hear it as much anymore, and I'm glad, but people used to say on occasion, we need less doctrine and more practice. We need to have less of the emphasis on doctrine, more of the emphasis on practice. The Bible doesn't see a distinction. The truth is not just something to be learned, it is something to be lived. We don't study the Word of God simply to acquire additional information, we study the Word of God to learn about God and to learn what is required of us as His people. We are to live this truth. This is not just a book of facts. It is truth, but it is truth that is to be lived. Sometimes we study a portion of the Word and we say, I don't know what good that is to me in going to work tomorrow. Well maybe I need to think about it more, as God has revealed Himself and His plans and His purposes for us as His people.

To walk in truth is the same thing as to walk in the light. Back in I John 1:7, but if we walk in the light as He himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, keeps on cleansing us from all sin. Those who are walking in the light are walking in the truth. David said, your Word is a light, a lamp, it guides me in my walking, in my conduct. And that's what we're talking about here.

Back in II John. I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. Back up to I John. We keep going back, John is repeating in this letter concepts that we have in other portions of his writing. I John 3:23. This is His commandment. I find it will be true in II John as well, we go from singular commandment to plural commandments. You can speak about what God says in the singular, encompasses everything He says, or put it in the plural, commandments. This is His commandment, and then it has two—that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as He commanded us. See, believing the truth involves you also in having to obey the commandment to love one another. So His commandment is believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another. And that's what He has commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. That's the one who has a relationship with God, God abides in him and he abides in God. And we know by this that He abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given us. The Spirit is the focal point of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in His indwelling ministry. And He is producing the character of God, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives in that ministry.

So God's commandment is believe in My Son and love one another. Well, that's two commandments. But they are joined together, they cannot be separated. They are distinct actions, and yet they are part and parcel of God's commandment. You believe in My Son, and this is when we talked about the biblical doctrine of sanctification. God's plan of salvation, work of salvation includes justification, it includes sanctification. They are distinct but they cannot be separated. The person who believes in Jesus Christ is made a new creation in Christ and now his life will be lived differently. He will have a love relationship with God and a love relationship with other believers. And if that does not happen, true justification has not occurred, there has been no genuine salvation.

Come back to II John. You'll notice we have an emphasis on commandments and commandment is the key word in verses 4-6, it appears four times in these three verses, commandment or commandments. Some people read this and think of the Mosaic Law, the Ten Commandments. That's not what we're talking about. There were commandments under the Mosaic Law, the Ten Commandments were ten of those commandments under the Mosaic Law. That's not the commandments we're talking about here. The Mosaic Law came to an end with the finished work of Christ on the cross. These are the commandments that are given to God's people in the context of the new covenants established by Christ with His death and resurrection. Some people think that we are antinomian, we are against law—anti-nomos, nomos being the Greek word for law, so we are anti-law. And sometimes as a dispensationalist, I'm accused of being antinomian, that I don't believe Christians have any laws, any commandments. That's not true. I do not believe we live under the Mosaic Law, but we have many commandments from God given to us now under the new covenant that we are required to do and obey. So he's talking about the commandments we have now from Christ as His children. And one of those commandments is to walk in truth and to love one another.

Look at verse 5, now I ask you lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment. Again, addressing a church, I believe. And he comes to an appeal here. Interesting connection. We have commandments from God and I ask you. Now remember he is approaching them as an elder and a pastor in verse 1. And he's identifying himself with them. Verse 4, we have received commandments of what we are to do. And we, at the end of verse 5, are to love one another. So John includes himself here very clearly with them. I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing a new commandment to you. This commandment to love one another is not a new one, and that's what he's talking about, particularly the area of walking in the truth. Walking in the truth involves the ongoing demonstration of love to one another as God's people. This is not a new commandment, it's a commandment that we have heard from the beginning, and we are to walk in it. This is the commandment just as you have heard from the beginning that you should walk in it. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments, verse 6, and we are to walk in it. So I am not writing you a new commandment, it's the commandment that we have heard from the beginning. He'll emphasize both of these verses we're coming to, that the commandment is from the beginning. It's a commandment we are to live in, we are to walk in. It's the one that means we are to love one another.

What is the beginning John is talking about? Well it goes back to the ministry Christ had when He was on earth. Now it's true in the Old Testament there was a command to love your neighbor as yourself. But John is going back to the added emphasis and expansion and meaning that Christ gave when He gave this commandment. So that's the beginning that John is concerned about here.

Come back to John 13. John was here sixty or so years earlier when Jesus gave this instruction on the last night with His disciples. John was that privileged apostle who reclined on the chest of Christ at the last supper. He was here to hear this intimate instruction given by Christ. And in John 13:34, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. You know, Jesus says, this is a new commandment. Wait a minute, we've had this commandment—love your neighbor as yourself. But I'm giving you a new commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Now we're carrying this to a whole new level, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciple if you have love for one another.

Turn over to chapter 15 verse 12, this is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than one lay down his life for his friends. So you see here, I'm talking about a love that goes all the way, the willingness to give your life for those you love. Jesus exemplified that with His death on the cross, taking our place, paying our penalty. Now that's the kind of love, Jesus says, I'm talking about. This is a new commandment, it's a commandment you've had but now I'm taking it to a whole new level. So it's new. You love with a total, complete, self-sacrificing love.
Come over to I John 2. It becomes the identifying mark of the Christian. I John 2:7, beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment which is the word which you have heard, on the other hand I am writing to you a new commandment which is true in Him and in you. So it's old but it's new. We've come to a new level and a new understanding and a new depth of love that God Himself who has stepped from glory, entered the human race so that He might die in our place. And now He says I want you to love like I've loved. Isn't amazing how shallow our love is? I can't take it anymore. You understand this is a love commanded, we're not talking about our emotions, our feelings. We get confused here because we don't want to face the truth. This is a love that can be commanded, it is commanded. It's a new commandment, it's an old commandment, it is the commandment now on a different level to a different depth.

We get confused on this. How often do you have people who are having marriage trouble, they come in and want to say, I just don't love him anymore. I can't help it, I'm not in love with him. We're not talking about emotions, my emotions come and go. We're talking about action here, something that is to be done, behavior. This is not saying I feel like going to the cross for you, I want you to have deep feelings for Me. He's talking about obedience, what you do. Somehow we think it's all right when we don't feel like it anymore to bail out. Think about it. Is that how you teach your kids? We told our kids, you have to do what is right when you feel like it and when you don't. Some of you have young children, do you tell them that? I don't feel like doing that. That's all right, you have to do it anyway. Why? Because it's the right thing to do. I won't ask for a show of hands but how many of you tell your kids, if you feel like it in the morning get up and go to school. It wouldn't be long until nobody would be there, everybody would be sitting on the playground waiting until the end of the day. Well, you don't feel like going to school today? That's all right, get up and get ready, you're going. But then when we get into relationships we say, I don't feel like it anymore. So what? Love them anyway. I can't overcome my feelings. Well, you better. That's what we're talking about here, a commandment to love and the impact of that love. It is given as a commandment.

This is serious business. Look at verse 10, the one who loves his brother abides in the light. Verse 11, the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, knows not where he is going. He's completely in darkness. That's the identifying mark of a believer. God's salvation totally changes a person. The Spirit of God residing in that person produces God's love. Now I am bound and obligated to obey God and love fellow believers. If you don't you've never come into the light, you live in the darkness, you are an unregenerate hell-bound person. That's what the Bible says, that's what John is talking about here. These are serious matters. John says those who have left the fellowship and are trying to lure believers out, they were never part of us. Because if they had been part of us they wouldn't have left. We're talking about here those who have turned against biblical truth, who are not functioning in love. They are revealing their character. These are serious matters for all of us as believers, understanding this issue of love that binds us together. We have professing Christians and their rate of divorce is the same as those who don't profess to be Christians. We know the love of God and God produces His love in us. We may end up dealing with unregenerate people who just got tired of playing the game and trying to live at a standard that they couldn't keep. __________ in the church. John's concern, this will result in division. It's just like marriages divide, churches divide. We need to understand we are united by truth in a love relationship with one another.

I John 3:11, this is the message which you have heard from the beginning that we should love one another. We read verse 23, this is the commandment that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another. Do you believe that the commandment to believe in Jesus Christ is an option? On what basis do we say the commandment to love one another is an option? It is a binding requirement. Verse 24, the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in Him. I John 4:21, this commandment we have from Him that the one who loves God should love his brother also. Now we have a connection here. You believe in Christ, you love your brother. If you love God you love your brother. It's a binding relationship that God has established for us.

One writer wrote, love can be commanded insofar as it's not simply an emotion but the obedient response of a believer which belongs to the sphere of selfless action. You know the world deals with love as though it's an overwhelming passion that you don't have anything to do with. You know you're just struck down by it, like getting hit by lightning. But you know what? The world falls in love and out of love, in love and out of love, in love and out of love. I realize he/she wasn't right for me and the spark was gone, I didn't love him/her anymore. What does that have to do with anything? But then the world can't function like God has prepared us to function as His children. We are the children of God empowered and enabled by the living God to do what is not natural to fallen humanity. But it becomes natural when fallen humanity has experienced the redemption that is in Christ.

II John 6, this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. You cannot separate love from obedience to the truth. That's why those who think we're just going to focus on the essentials of the Word. Truth is truth and so our commitment to truth and obedience to the truth, that is love. Love is obedience, doing what is right, obeying the truth of God.

Now we have to go back to John 14:15. You can see how John in his epistles has just picked up what he recorded in his gospel from that last night of Jesus' time with His disciples. John 14:15, if you love Me, you will keep my commandments. Verse 21, he who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. Verse 23, if anyone love Me, he will keep My word. Verse 24, he who does not love Me does not keep My words. You see love for Christ and obedience to Christ's word, to His commands, to the truth of God are inseparable. You can't say I know I'm a Christian and I've trusted Christ, I'm just not living for Him. Oh really. Now how do you know if you belong to Christ if you are not living for Him?

Come back to I John 2:3. This is a verse you ought to have fixed in your mind as a believer when you have to talk to someone going through these times. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who has says I have come to know Him and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. Same thing that Christ says about the devil in John 8. He's a liar and a liar from the beginning, there is no truth in Him. These are children of the devil. But they say they have come to know Christ. Well they're simply lying. How can you say that? You don't see their heart. Well by this we know we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. So I'll ask a person. I know I've trusted Christ, I know I'm going to heaven, I'm just not living for Him. Well let's look at I John 2:3, by this we know we've come to know Him if we keep His commandments. How do you know you know Him? You don't keep His commandments, do you? No. Yet you say you know Him. Yes. Well then you ought to read the next verse. The one who says I have come to know Him and does not keep His commandments is a liar. You're judging my heart. No I'm not, I'm just reading to you what the judge of human hearts has said. Right?

God spoke through Jeremiah and said, I the Lord search the heart, I try the motives. If you don't keep My word you don't belong to Me, if you don't keep my word and you say you belong to Me you're just a liar. These are strong words. This is love that we walk according to His commandments. I John 3:10, by this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious. Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God. That's the same thing as walking in the truth, obeying God, practicing righteousness. Nor the one who does not love His brother. John keeps selecting that one out as the one he wants to focus on, the love we are to have for one another.

We could go on down, verse 16, we know love by this that He laid down His life for us. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Verse 18, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth. This constant emphasis on loving one another. God's love for us, our love for Him, our love for others. This is what God has done for us.

Come back to II John. This is the commandment, the middle of verse 6, that just as you have heard from the beginning you should walk in it. To walk in truth is to walk in love, to walk in love is to walk in the truth. There is no separating love and truth. You know love covers a multitude of sins. You know what happens when you love someone? You overlook their flaws. Isn't that what happens? You fall in love, whatever that is, you enter into a love relationship, you're struck by lightning. You see your kids who are marriageable age, all of a sudden they are swooning, they are walking on clouds, they've found somebody they love. And you see them developing a relationship, but you're on the outside. And you see some of the weaknesses and flaws in that person and your concern is, I wonder how it's going to work out. You sometimes talk to your child and say, are you looking at this realistically as though you did when you were going to get married. We'd all be single if we did it that way. What happens? You love someone and you're going to enter into that relationship, you don't care. The flaws, you're looking beyond, you don't see those. People outside say, I wonder what they saw in them? What did she ever see in him? What a dork, what a jerk. Why would she marry him, why would he marry her? You know what? In that love relationship those things don't matter. You know what happens after we get married? They begin to matter and all of a sudden we're saying, they've changed. No they didn't change. You know who changed? I'm looking at different things. The things that I overlooked before I look at now. Love overlooks those things.

That's what John is concerned about, we understand here we have a love relationship. It's in the truth so we're not just blind here. But it's truth that binds us together. We're committed to the same truth, so it doesn't matter, the other flaws, the other things. We overlook those.

I shared with you before. It's been several years ago, I take it I've driven the person to distraction so much they're probably gone. But Pastor Eddy told me this person stopped him in the hall a few years ago and said, I just want you to know I can't stand Gil Rugh. And Eddy said, why do you come? I come because the truth is taught here. That's beautiful, I hope you are still here. I overlook the things I don't like about the jerk because of truth. And that's what we do. You know we say, some people just get on my nerves. So what? I love them. I don't know why you love them. I love them because they're part of my family. You know we are bound together in a love relationship. God's truth has gripped our hearts and minds and we have placed our faith in the Savior who loved us and died for us, and He has produced a depth of love in my life and they are part of that family and I love them. You begin to focus on what you don't like about these fellow believers, pretty soon it will drive you to distraction. Pretty soon I just can't stand it.

So that's what John is concerned about. He understands we are commanded to love one another, have that commitment to one another. He's concerned, once you drive a wedge in that then you begin to drive a wedge into the truth. And now you are dividing a body, you've split their love, you've split their commitment to truth. I can't walk in the truth if I'm not willing to overlook the flaws, the failures, even the sins. Doesn't mean sin doesn't have to be dealt with. They weren't kind to me, they don't talk to me, I don't think they ever treat me right. Well they'll have to learn, but I still have to learn, too, to love them in spite of their weaknesses, in spite of their failure, in spite of what they are not.

One more passage, back up to I Peter. You understand this is why God saved us, this is part and parcel of God's work of salvation. I like to draw the circle of salvation and put in that, faith in Christ results in salvation which results in sanctification. That's all part of the salvation package. Maybe you should put faith in Christ results in justification which leads to sanctification. That's all a part of that picture, that package of salvation. In I Peter 1, Peter has talked about the wonder of God's grace in salvation. Verse 18, knowing that you are not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold from your futile way of life, inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. That's what it took to save me, to save you, that's the love that Christ had for us. He got nothing out of it. He didn't die for us because He saw we were so precious, that wouldn't be pure grace. He had no need for us, there was no benefit for Him in dying for us. It was a totally selfless act, He died for those who were of no value to Him, no worth to Him. He died for them out of pure love, a totally selfless act. Down in verse 22, since you have in obedience to the truth, that's the beginning point. You obey the truth. God commands all everywhere to repent. In obedience to the truth you purify your souls for a sincere love of the brethren. Interesting way to put it. You know he could have said you purified your souls so you wouldn't have to go to hell. That's not what the Spirit of God said here. God's intention in saving you as He records it here was that you would have a pure genuine love for other believers. He's building a family, bringing children into His family. The word for love here is not the word agapao that we've been talking about in I John. It's the word philadelphia, phileo love, the word for brotherly love, family love. It's not inferior, it's a different love, it's a love that _______ have a mutuality about it, like our family relationships. There is a give and a take in our love as we appreciate the love shown to us and we show to others. Interesting here, he uses both words for love. You've purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren. In light of that, fervently love. There's our word agapao, that self-sacrificing love. They are inseparable in that family relationship and family love established by God. We are to have that total self-sacrificing love, have it passionately and fervently. Fervently and passionately love one another from the heart. Don't just put on a show because I'm at church. This is something that is to come from my heart, and if I don't I say, Lord, forgive my stubborn heart. Your Spirit is to take hold of me and every recess of my life. Thank you for bringing them into my life. Lord, you've loved me, the unlovely, I must love them. It's sad, people walk out and have all kinds of criticism about the believer sitting next to them. All they saw were flaws, instead of seeing the wonder of Christ's work, that He brought them, that they were sitting there. Isn't it amazing that that wretched hell-deserving, hell-bound sinner has been taken hold of by the grace of God. Now he is sitting next to you in a church service where we're looking into the truth of God. Thank you for such grace, I would have never saved that bum. But He did, and He saved the bum sitting next to that bum. Keep it in mind. I mean, that's what we were and I fail to look at them as God says they now are.

For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is through the living and enduring Word of God. All flesh is like grass, all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, the flower falls off but the Word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the Word which was preached to you. You see, it's inseparable from the truth. You heard the truth, you believed the truth, it's the eternal truth that caused you to be born again. You were born again, your soul was purified so that you would love the brethren and now have that passionate fervent love for these brethren. That's why if the Lord moves you to another place, moves you from this local church to another one, it is a wrenching experience. It should be, it's like I'm leaving the family. Just like when your children have to move someplace else and you hate to see them go, it's a painful experience. It may be necessary, it may be the plan of God, but it's painful. This is my family. He may move me to another part of His family but that takes an adjustment. And that kind of commitment, we're bound together in a love relationship in the truth of God, that's what John is being passionate about here as he moves in the next section of this letter to talk about the deceivers who would divide believers against believers and thus split the truth and reveal that they are not dealing honestly with the truth that God has revealed.

What we do is we hold up the mirror of the Word of God to see ourselves. Is this really true of me? Am I one walking in obedience to the truth of God? Walking in a love relationship with God's people? Allowing Him to produce His love in me even toward those I find unlovely? We're talking about love for believers, but you understand Christ commanded us to love our enemies and do good to those who evilly use us. Is this how I am among the body here, is John's concern. Is this the love I have really? I'm passionate for these people, I would give my life for them because God has purified my soul for that purpose. He has brought me into this fellowship and I count it an honor and a privilege and a blessing from God to share this portion of His family entrusted with the truth that we share together. If not, I have to back up and say, Lord, I need to be born again by the living and abiding Word that you've given, believing in the truth.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, that your salvation is a life-changing salvation. It rescues us form hell, it prepares us for eternity, but Lord it provides for us for every aspect of every area, every situation of our daily lives. We are privileged to walk in truth, to have your Spirit take your truth and mold and shape us from the inside out to bring us into conformity with the image of your glory. Lord, may the truth that we've considered grip our hearts and minds. May we look at ourselves individually and personally in the mirror of your Word to see if indeed we are walking in truth. Indeed, we are fervently loving one another from the heart. May we not take this for granted, Lord, may we take it to heart and deal with it seriously that you might be honored. We pray in Christ's name, amen.