True Love and Abiding Truth

Transcript

GR1180
6/25/2000
True Love and Abiding Truth
2 John 1-3
Gil Rugh

Well, we are going to study the start of a new book and Lord willing we'll finish it in the next six months. It is the book of 2 John and is all the way in the back of your New Testament. Just a few pages before the book of Revelation, you have the second epistle of John. There are four one-chapter books in the New Testament: the book of Philemon, the book of Jude and the books of 2 and 3 John. Three of those obviously come right together. 2 John, 3 John and the epistle of Jude are placed together in our New Testament. The book of Philemon is a little earlier. The two shortest letters in the New Testament are 2 and 3 John. Third John is the shortest of the New Testament books. It has 219 words in it. Second John is the next shortest book. It has 245 words and I don't have the count on Jude and Philemon but they have a few more words than that.

2 and 3 John are the size of a standard letter in New Testament times. A sheet of papyrus was 8 by 10 and 2 John was the size letter that would have fit on a sheet of papyrus 8 by 10 in size. And you realize with the passing of 2000 years not much has changed in the standard size of our letter sheet because the standard size for us today is 8 ½ by 11 and in New Testament times you used a sheet of papyrus and it was 8 by 10. So we call the books of the New Testament letters but obviously the letter to the Romans for example is of much broader scope than normal letter and it does qualify in many ways as a book or booklet for its size. But with 2 John you get an idea of what a standard letter would have been like.

The author is the apostle John. He wrote the three epistles of John: 1 John, 2 John, 3 John. He wrote the gospel that bears his name, the gospel of John and he was also the human author of the book the revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book of our New Testament. So John has had a traumatic impact on the church of Jesus Christ through his writings: one of the gospels, three of the epistles and major New Testament prophetic writing and the capstone of all prophetic writing in the completion of the revelation of Scripture, the book of Revelation. So a very key figure in biblical writing.

The issues dealt with in this short second epistle of John are the same basic issues that are covered in very much expanded form in the first epistle of John. So if we were going to get a fuller development, we would go back to 1 John. And we'll check into 1 John. Let me read you what one writer said about the context of 1 John and that will give us the context of 2 John, "It is clear from the internal evidence of 1 John that a developing schism within the Christian church led to its writing. The difficulty had already reached a point where some members including teachers had separated themselves from the others and were in the process of setting up their own community. Although the breech was complete, the dissidence continued to keep in touch with the rest of the membership and were actively trying to entice them to join the new group."

Back up to 1 John chapter 2. This is a very serious matter. The division and schism was taking place in the church in John's day and in 1 John chapter 2 verse 19 John writes, "They went out from us." So you note, these had been those who had been professing believers, who had identified as part of the fellowship of believers. "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they are not of us." So there has been a break that has taken place and a group has left the fellowship that the apostle John identified with and declared to be the true Church of Jesus Christ.

Then down in verse 26 of chapter 2 John says, "These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you." That's why in the quote that I read, the author noted that not only had this group broken off and left the fellowship of believers but they were now trying to entice others and to deceive them into following them. The issues are of great seriousness. In fact, in this context John says these false teachers are antichrists. Beginning in verse 18, "Many antichrists have appeared." Trying to warn his readers of the seriousness of the issue. There has been some doctrinal error being promoted. We'll see that in the second epistle of John as he draws his reader’s attention to the issue.

Come back to 2 John. The second epistle of John is about truth and love. That's the dominant theme and emphasis in this short letter. Truth and love. The word "truth" is used five times in the first four verses. The word "love" is used four times in this letter, twice as a verb and twice as a noun. The verb is used in verse one and again in verse 5 and the noun for love is used in verse 3 and again in verse 6 and you see the emphasis and the balance that is needed. In a situation where there is conflict and division, particularly when this conflict and division is among those who profess to be believers, it's very important that we function both in truth and love. We must understand that truth and love are never in conflict, never in opposition to one another. And you never have true love apart from genuine truth. And you do not have genuine truth working in a life where love is not also being manifest. John will make very clear that truth and love are both central in the lives of God's people.

As is traditional in New Testament letters, the first three verses form the introduction of salutation to the letter. And here we follow the standard practice of the time where the writer identifies himself, he identifies his readers and he gives a word of greeting and then he moves into the heart of the letter. And he'll do that beginning with verse 4.

Note verse 1 of 1 John. "The elder to the chosen lady and her children." First, he identifies himself as the elder." "presbyterios" is the Greek word. We're familiar with it\Presbyterian, a presbyter. The word is used in a variety of ways in Scripture. It's used of just an older man who by reason of age is worthy of respect and honor and affection. Titus chapter 2 verse 2 uses this word "elder" in that context, the relationship of the older men and the younger men and their relationship together. It's used in both the Old Testament and New Testament of leaders in Israel. For example, in Exodus 3:15 when Moses was sent to be the deliverer of the Israelites from Egypt God told him to gather together the elders of Israel. At that time, evidently, these were the men who were the older men thus the leaders of the families in the nation, the tribes, and formed a leadership group. Moses went and addressed them. At a later time, Numbers 11:16-17 God will instruct Moses to gather the elders and from the elders in Israel appoint 70 men who really will become the leaders of the leaders. They will share with Moses in the leadership responsibility of the nation. Then you come into the New Testament, in the Gospels and the book of Acts, you have leaders in Israel, the leaders in the synagogue and so on identified as elders. So what was natural when the church was established and you have men of Jewish background being used of God to establish the church that the Spirit would direct that they appoint elders as leaders in the church. And this is the word that we are most familiar with in the New Testament. Elders are those who are to provide leadership in the church of Jesus Christ.

Turn back to the book of Acts chapter 14. This is relating events on Paul's first missionary journey. And he went through the various cities in Galatia and preached the Gospel. People believed, churches are formed and then he revisits these churches on a return from that journey and we are told in verse 23 of Acts 14, "And when they had appointed elders for them in every church." And there you see the pattern that is characteristic in the New Testament. Every church as a plurality of elders appointed who will provide leadership for God's people and we have qualifications set down for these men in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and they are referred to in other passages as well.

I take it that as a leader in the church that John identifies himself as the elder in 2 John. Probably also an older man at this time and thus would qualify as an elderly man. There seems to be something of an official as well as a personal connection established when he identifies himself as "the elder writing to the elect lady and her children."

Turn to the book of 1 Peter chapter 5. The apostle Peter was an apostle he began in chapter 1 verse 1 by saying, "Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ." Then in chapter 5 of 1 Peter verse 1 he writes, "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as you fellow-elder." So here he identifies himself as a fellow elder. He could have said I write as an apostle. But here to identify himself more completely with the elders and their responsibility, he declares himself also an elder. And the apostles would have also been elders as they had leadership and oversight responsibility in the churches. All the apostles would have been elders but not all the elders would have been apostles. So here's a way for Peter for more personally identify himself and connect with the leaders that are part of the group that be is writing to. And I believe that is what John is doing in 2 John verse 1. He could have said the apostle to the elect lady but he connects in a more personal way and yet he has the authority of an elder but the personal connection with them that identifies him in more intimate way with these believers that he is writing to.

He writes to the chosen lady and her children. And there is some discussion and it cannot be settled finally about the identity of the chosen lady. One possibility is this is a specific woman and her children that he is writing to. The lady that he knew and other believers knew, a prominent woman of the time. Perhaps the Church met in her home. Her children were somewhat well known and John writes a personal letter to them. His third epistle is written to Gaius, a man, an individual, so that would fit that 2 John could also be written to an individual, a family. Many good commentators hold to that view. The second view is the elect lady and her children is a reference to the church and its members. The church is viewed in the feminine. It is the Bride of Christ. And so John would be writing here to the church as elect of God and the members of the church. This also has many good commentators who lean this way. Almost all writers acknowledge that it is not an issue that can be finally settled. It will not change the interpretation of the letter. So I tilt toward the view that John is writing to a church and the members of the church. The elect lady is a reference to the church chosen by God and the members of that church.

There are several reasons why I would tilt that way. At the end of verse 1 John says, "All who know the truth love this lady and her children." That is more probable when the context of a church having a broader identity and recognition, so that might indicate more towards a church. Verse 4 he says, "I was very glad to find of your children walking in truth." Again, that would seem to be more a way that you would write concerning a church than you would an individual. He's written to this lady and her children and now to write that some of her children are walking in the truth clearly indicates that some are not. Again, it might be an unusual way of writing in a personal situation a letter that will become public. So that would perhaps indicate a church. He uses the word "you" in the plural. Now in English we identify whether the "you" should be plural or singular by the context. It would help if we could have "you" and "youens" and "youens" is plural and "you" is singular. But in English that's not considered good grammar and acceptable English so we have you and usually qualify then by the context or added words whether we mean it plural or singular. In Greek you have singular and plural. So they have the you and the youens and you don't have to guess. He uses the plural "you" in verse 4, verse 8, verse 10, verse 12 which again would seem to indicate more a church than just a particular lady. Although if you included her children, that would be acceptable there as well.

In 1 Peter 5:13 Peter writes that "the elect one which is at Babylon greet you." And the "elect one" there is a feminine form and most have taken that to refer to the church at Babylon sends its greetings. If that would be the case, that would fit very closely. So this is just some of the reasons why I tilted toward the view that this is the church and I'll be making references like that. But you understand that it possible this is written to an individual. It won't change the interpretation of anything in the letter.

The lady is identified as chosen. That's true of a church. It's true of individuals. The word is the word "elect." "Eclesta." You can even hear it, the elect. So the biblical doctrine of election, the sovereign work of God in choosing some from among fallen sinful humanity to come to salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Just one passage on this. Ephesians 1:4 Paul writes and says, "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." And there is a statement of when this choosing took place, this election. It was before the foundation of the world. The emphasis clearly set forth in Scripture that God is sovereign over all creation. He is sovereign over all that takes place in His creation. And He is sovereign in selecting and choosing some from among the fallen creation, fallen human beings, to experience salvation in Jesus Christ. And He did that before Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.

Now that I've raised that issue, we are going to drop it and move on. But before we totally leave it I want you to go to the gospel of John chapter 15. Understanding and submitting to the biblical truth of the absolute sovereignty of God is an essential part, as I understand it, of true genuine salvation. That doesn't mean we understand in the sense that comprehend all that is entailed in that. I am not God. I do not have an infinite mind, but I do respond in faith to the truth that is revealed in Scripture and believe it even though the fullness of understanding may not be possible in this life.

In John 15, and I've selected this because John is the author of the gospel of John also. Verse 16 John records the words of Christ when he said, "You did not chose Me, but I chose you." You see the sovereign work of Christ is selecting these disciples. Down in verse 19 of John 15, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own, but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Remember this verse because we are going to be talking about love and truth in 2 John. And love and truth are inseparably joined together in those who have been chosen by God. And those chosen by God function in the realm of truth and love others chosen by God. Those not chosen by God hate those who are chosen by God. Do not love them. So what Jesus says in verse 19 gets great attention by John particularly in his first letter. So we will see the issue in the short epistle of 2 John as well.

Come back to 2 John now, please. In 2 John verse 1 John continues, "The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth." Whom I myself love in truth. Again, in our language we give emphasis to a word as I just did there. Whom I love in truth. In writing we will sometimes set it off in bold print or underline it. Well, that has happened in the Greek text here. The "I" is emphatic. It is included in the verb - I love. But to give emphasis to it the word "I" is put into the text additionally so it brings emphasis to the "I." And John draws attention to the fact that I personally love your children and truth. And he may be drawing a contrast to the false teachers that he's going to deal with down in verse 7 when he says, "Many deceivers have gone out into the world" and so on. When I'm dealing with false teachers and false doctrine, the issues always get blurred between the doctrine and the person and personality. We've seen this repeatedly in Paul wherein promoting and defending sound doctrine it also made him the subject of personal attacks by his opponents. And that may well have been the case with John. In the promoting and defending and teaching of sound doctrine some have questioned his love. As Paul had to defend to the Corinthians how much he loved them and how genuine his interest in them was.

So John may be drawing a distinction here. I myself personally do love you in truth. Contrast to others who are luring you astray. The word "love" here is the familiar Greek word "agape," the noun or "agapao," the verb. The love which is self-sacrificing and self-giving, the love which is the fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians 5:22 the fruit of the Spirit is love and so on. It's that supernatural natural love that comes from God, produced in our heart by the Spirit of God in the context here.

Let me read you what a couple of writers have said about this love just to refresh our minds. One says, "Agape is undefeatable good will. It is the attitude toward others which no matter they do we'll never feel bitterness and we'll always seek their highest good. Christian love will also seek the highest good of others and will accept all the difficulties, all the problems and all the toil which that search involves." Another writes, "It contains such thoughts as caring for other people, showing loyalty to them and seeking their good. In contrast of other words which are more expressive of seeking one's own enjoyment in the object of love or of mutual attractiveness and affection. Christian love is first and foremost giving love." And so John declares here his unshakable personal love for them, desire for their well-being, their good and he is committed to that.

This love takes place in the context of truth whom I love in truth. There's no definite article before the word "truth" as you note. We have it translated that way here. "In truth." But I think in the context here he's talking about "the truth." And the context settles those matters. Later on in the verse he talks about all who know the truth. Verse 2 he talks about "for the sake of the truth." What he's talking about here, I love in the truth. This sphere in which my love operates is the sphere of truth, the truth concerning Christ, the truth as it has been revealed by God. Down in verse 7 when he deals with the false teachers he'll say they do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. So they may be declaring a love, a great love, for these believers but it's not genuine because it's not love in truth. Because the truth is being sacrificed. And this is of such great importance at all times but especially it comes to the fore when there is conflict and division. We have a counsel here. We need to be more loving. Meaning what? Of course we need to be more loving. We need to have more emphasis on the truth. Of course we need more emphasis on the truth. We have never arrived at perfection. But you understand you never solve any problems with love by compromising truth because true genuine God-given love only functions in the realm of truth. So the more the truth is emphasized, the more the truth is magnified, the more the truth is proclaimed, the more the work of God in producing His love in a life should be taking place. John says I love you in truth and that truth controls and shapes and guarantees our love.

It goes on to show and demonstrate or declare that he is not alone in this love. Not only I but also all who know the truth. John is not alone in his love for the church and its members. It is a love shared by all who have known or come to know the truth. That word "to know" is a verb in the perfect tense. Remember the perfect tense is something that takes place in the past but its effects or results continue into the present. So all who have come into the knowledge of the truth love this church, these believers. They entered into a knowledge of the truth when they believed in Jesus Christ. They continue in that knowledge of the truth as an ongoing characteristic of a believer. A believer is one who knows the truth.

It doesn't mean we have exhaustive knowledge. But if you don't know the truth, if you haven't come into a knowledge of the truth, then you are not a child of God. You have never been born into God's family. Now what you note here is that the truth is not just a set of facts to be learned. It is facts. There is objective, historical truth recorded here. These are facts but this truth enters into a life, becomes part of the life and is lived out in our conduct and behavior so that all who have come into a knowledge of the truth, what? Love this lady and her children even as John does. And so it is not as though well we have truth and we have love. Some churches are strong on truth; some churches are strong on love. There are no kinds of churches like that. Because love only functions in the context of truth and those who know the truth love with the love of God. So we sometimes create these artificial ways of thinking in our mind which result in an undermining of the Word of God and the purity of the Church of Jesus Christ. We get the idea look, we've emphasized doctrine enough, we've emphasized teaching enough, we've emphasized truth enough. We have to put more emphasize on love. You know how you put more emphasis on love? Preach the truth because love functions in the context of the truth and all who know the truth love. What happens? As we are taught the truth, as it becomes part of my life and I submit myself to the truth, the love of God pours out of my life to the truth and His members.

Back up to 1 John chapter 4. As I mentioned John deals with some of these concepts he touches here in more detail in 1 John. I just picked out this one section. It's extensive enough and let me just read from it and you will get the force of it. Verse 7 of 1 John 4, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." So you see knowing the truth and knowing God become synonymous and those who know God partake of the character of God. God is light. In Him is no darkness at all John began. So here, if I don't love the people of God but I declare that I know God, I'm not telling the truth.

"By this the love of God was manifested in us that God has sent His only begotten Son." So you see love is an acting love here. God acted for our good. He sent His Son to be our Savior. "In this is love," verse 10, "not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." We'll say more of the Spirit in a moment. Down in verse 16, "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." You see, when you become the child of God (1 John 3 developed this) you partake of the character of God and you manifest that character in your life. You can't turn that around and say love is God because God is more than love. God is holy. God is righteous and so on but God is love. This is one of His attributes, His unchanging characteristics. And so those who know God, those who abide in God, those who have a relationship with God manifest the character of God. They love.

Verse 19, "We love because He first loved us. If someone says I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." So that takes us back to what Jesus said in John 15. The world hates us because He choose us out of the world. But now we are a in a relationship of love in a new world, so to speak, in a new realm with God and the people of God and so we love one another. That love takes place in the context of truth back in 2 John. I love you in truth and all who know the truth love you John says.

Look at verse 2, "For the sake of truth which abides in us and will be with us forever." There's some redundancy in John but there is an added point here. "For the sake of" is literally "because of" or "on account of." So it connects back to I love. John said in verse 1, "Whom I love in truth." Not only do I love you but all who know the truth love you. Verse 2, "Because of the truth." So the truth is not only the sphere in which our love operates but it is the motivation or cause of our love. I love you because of the truth. Those who know the truth love you because of the truth which abides in us. So this love is produced, comes out of the fact that the truth of God abides in us.

John Stout, the English commentator writes, "We do not love each other because we are temperamentally compatible or because we are naturally drawn to one another but because of the truth which we share. The truth. Because of the truth we love one another. And you note this, "For the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever." That's why our love has a stability, a permanence to it because that love comes out of the working of the truth within us and that truth works in us permanently. It dwells in us forever. So I don't love you because we have an agreement. We both like to do the same things. We have similar interests. We have balancing personalities. We . . . Fill in the blank. The world forms its relationships on that level. The world has bonds of love based upon certain compatibility or mutual interests or likes and dislikes. Believers love is found in something totally different. We love one another because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever. But we have a permanent enduring relationship of love. That's the strategy of divisions and schisms because of denial of truth. This truth is not just facts that we all have agreed to but in salvation these facts that we come to believe are internalized and dwell within us and truth is just not objective facts that we have accented to, it has become life-changing so that now this truth shapes all that I am and all that I do. It determines who and what I love.

Turn back to John's gospel chapter 14. John again writes concerning what Christ said on His last nights with His disciples. This covers John chapter 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. And in John chapter 14 Jesus spoke concerning the Holy Spirit. Note what he says concerning the Holy Spirit and notice how the Holy Spirit is identified. John 14:16, "I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever." Now note verse 17, "That is the Spirit of truth." The Holy Spirit is identified as the Spirit of truth. Note what he says as the verse goes on. "Whom the world cannot receive, because it cannot see Him or know Him, but you know Him," knowledge? "Because He abides with you, and will be in you." Now we love because of the truth which abides in us forever. And the Spirit of truth abides in us. And that inseparable connection has been the work of the Spirit of God to draw us to salvation in Christ. When we believed by God's grace in this Savior, the Spirit of God took up residence in our lives and this Spirit is the Spirit of truth. And that truth of God became internalized into our lives by the One who is the author of truth, the Holy Spirit. This is the truth of God. In John 17 verse 17 Jesus prayed to His Father, "Sanctify them in the truth. Your Word is truth." And who brought the Word of God to hearts and minds of man and had it recorded in the Holy Scripture? Well, Peter wrote, "Holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." He is the Spirit of truth and no person can understand the truth of God apart from the explaining work of the Spirit in the heart and mind of the person, 1 Corinthians 2:2. The natural man, the man apart from the Spirit of God, cannot know the things of God. So you see what we have here. We have the truth of God internalized in the life of the believer by the Spirit of God. So the Spirit of truth dwells in the believer as does the truth of God. And what is the fruit of the Spirit? Love. Well, what do we have? The Spirit of truth working His work in our lives with the truth of God producing the character of God including the love of God in our hearts and lives. You cannot break this out and parcel it out. To be a believer in Jesus Christ means you have come to know the truth. Now there's a process there. We never now exhaustively all there is to know about God, but we are those who know and understand truth by virtue of the fact the Spirit of truth works in us and through us. And in that working the truth into our lives and out of our lives, the character of God is produced in our behavior and we love the children of God.

You are in John's gospel still. Look at chapter 15 verse 26, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father." The Spirit of truth. Look at John 16:13, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes He will guide you into all the truth." That is the identification of the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of truth and the truth abides in you. The truth in the form of the revealed Word of God, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, in the Person of the second person of the Godhead, the Son who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." They abide in us.

As you come back to 2 John, you can stop at 1 John chapter 4. First John 4:6, "We are from God; he who knows God listens to us." And we see that word "know" appears in a number of these passages. "He who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." So whether the Holy Spirit is really working in your life or is another spirit demonstrated by how you respond to the truth, by how you respond to apostolic doctrine. John says those who don't listen to us, they don't know God. They don't have the Spirit of truth working in them. They have a Spirit of error.

In chapter 5 of 1 John, the last part of verse 6 the last statement, "It is the Spirit who testifies because the Spirit is the truth." So you see the working of the Spirit in the life is inseparably joined to the working of the truth in the life. That's why with the decline of the church, what do you see happening? Less and less emphasis on the truth of the Word of God. More emphasis on other things; on worship experience, whatever that may be. And in so doing we prevent the Spirit of God from doing His work because He's the Spirit of truth and He always works in the context of the truth. So if there is not enough love in the church, you know what's lacking? Truth. And you know what brings the response when the truth is taught? My submission to the truth. You can't make me a man of love. That is a result of my response to the truth, submission to truth and thus the Spirit of God of producing the character of God in my life. Do you think there's not enough love? Say, O God, soften my heart to the truth, produce more of Your character in me. I can't change you but by God's grace I can allow Him to change me so that His truth permeates my life and dominates me so that I love in spite of what you do. I love because of the truth. I don't love because your loveable. And you remember this about me. You don't love me because I'm lovable even though I am. You love me because of the truth. We love one another because of truth. That's what the truth does in our lives.

Back in 2 John. Tie this together and wrap it up. We are ready for the greeting. "Grace, mercy and peace will be with us." And we've seen grace, mercy and peace in number other passages. God's ongoing grace here to provide for us. His mercy, undeserved but provided to sustain and enable and keep us. His peace. Now in every other place where it's used it's expressed as a prayer or a wish. I pray that God's grace and peace be with you. Or may the grace and peace of God be with you. But here it is given as an assurance. The grace, mercy and peace of God will be with. That's a promise. Those who know the truth and thus love in the truth are assured of the ongoing provision of God's love mercy, grace and peace. From God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. The deity of Christ clearly settled. The grace, mercy and peace come not only from God the Father but from Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no question that He is God and He is the Son of the Father. Unique way of expressing it here. He's driving home a point because one of the major doctrinal errors being promoted was that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God in flesh. And he'll deal with that down in verse 7. There are many deceivers who do not acknowledge Christ as coming in the flesh so here his greeting he draws attention to the grace, mercy and peace come both the Father and the Son of the Father, the One who walked this earth in the flesh.

"In truth and love." You note here grace, mercy and truth in truth and love." These blessings of God's ongoing grace, mercy and peace come also in the context of love and truth. In love and truth.

Let me read you what one writer said as we close, "Love and truth are themselves not passing sediments, nor are they dependent on depths of emotional feeling or the strength of personal commitment that some believers might or might not possess. Love and truth originate in God. Like Him they endure without changing and their splendor never fades."

Love and truth must characterize us if we have come to know the truth. Must characterize us as a church, elect of God. Must characterize us as individuals, those who belong to the church by the electing grace and mercy of God. Must be those who have an unshakable, unchangeable love. It means my feelings don't fluctuate. It means my commitment to serve you as believers, to do all I can to be an instrument of God's grace in helping you to grow and mature in Christ. It must be an unchanging commitment. It must be based upon the unchanging eternal truth of God that has taken up residence within us, present there in the power of the indwelling Spirit of truth who translates that truth into a transformed life and transformed way of living. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for grace upon grace, the grace of our salvation that has so changed us and made us new. All of our affections and all our desires are different than they once were. Thank you that Your truth abides in us and will be with us forever and because of that eternal unchanging internal truth, we love one another. And Lord, may that love be a personal conviction and a consuming passion. In Christ's name, amen.