Turn Away from False Teachers

Transcript

GR 1183
7/16/2000
Turn Away from False Teachers
2 John 9-13
Gil Rugh

We’ll be turning in our Bibles to the book of 2 John. All the way back in the back part of the New Testament, just before the book of Revelation. You have some small letters, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude and Revelation. We’ll be looking at the second letter of John. John the Apostle, who wrote the gospel of John who also wrote the book of Revelation is the author of this little letter. And John has been focusing attention on the issues of truth and love. He has emphasized that true biblical love takes place in the context of God’s truth and is motivated by that truth.

Look at verse one: “The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth…” Truth as in the environment, if you will, in which love functions and operates. … “and not only I, but also all who know the truth.” Love this lady, “because of the truth which abides in us”, verse 2 says, “for the sake of the truth,” which is literally because of the truth, or on account of the truth. So you see, love not only functions in the realm of the truth, it is motivated by that truth and comes because of the truth. This is important because John is dealing in this little epistle with issues relating to the corruption of the truth and the infiltration into the Church, of heretical teachers and their false doctrines. False teachers will infiltrate the church with their heresy, usually presented as just another view of the truth or perhaps as a new and clearer way of understanding what God has said. They usually take the edge off of any disagreements by saying we can differ over these doctrines because love is what is most important.

A clear example of this in a book that I acquired this week and immediately was absorbed into reading, and I’ll have more to say about this book in a future review I want to do with you, probably next Sunday evening. It’s a book published by a man who professes to be an evangelical believer. He is a professor at a Seminary that claims to be an evangelical seminary. He is a pastor of a church that claims to be Evangelical in a denomination that claims to be evangelical. It’s a book that was published in 2000, and its published by and evangelical publishing house. It’s a book entitled, “God of the Possible” and the subtitle is, “A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God”. I’m not going to go into a lot of details on what this view is, I’ll cover some of that when I review the book with you, but just so you understand what I want to read. The open-view of God is a new teaching that is being promoted within the evangelical church that says God does not know all that will take place in the future. It’s not just what we would call classical Arminianism, which said God looked ahead and saw what decisions would be made, so He’s become aware and knows because he’s looked ahead. The open view of God says, God does not know what will take place. Certain have to happen. All the rest is open. For example, they say God does not know what you will do this afternoon. Because you are a totally free person and its not possible to know what you will do until you decide and make the decision. So God can’t know what will happen in the future, because you haven’t made your decision yet. He knows everything the past, he knows everything about the present, but He can’t know what is not knowable. You haven’t made this afternoon’s decisions yet so he doesn’t know those. Now since He knows perfectly the past and perfectly the present He can operate on probabilities. This is most probably what you are going to do, but you understand sometime God has to alter His plans because you didn’t do what probability indicated. He is sometimes frustrated. Imagine that. A God who is frustrated. Certain things He just has to wait and see, and He adjusts His plans. That’s the kind of teaching talked about when I talk about the open-view of God. I see nothing biblical in the view at all. I think it’s outright heresy.

What is of interest to me, not that such a view would exist, it has existed in the liberal realm as processed theology for some time. But it is now being promoted among evangelicals and here is an evangelical professor of an evangelical school, having it published by an evangelical publishing house for believers to learn from. I just want to read you a couple of excerpts from the preface and introduction of the book and you get the flavor of what we are studying in John. Quote, “I began to embrace what is generally called the open view of God. Next to the central doctrines of the Christian faith, the issue of whether the future is exhaustibly or settled or partially open, is relatively unimportant. It certainly not a doctrine Christians should ever divide over. See how it becomes an approach to disarm believers. This is not one of the major doctrines. I find it a very major doctrine. You’re telling me my God does know the future exhaustibly. That He is sometimes frustrated. That He is going to alter the plans. That He really thought that I was going to do this, and I did this, and it made the need for an adjustment in what He does. That’s a totally different God that I have found when I have studied the scriptures. Don’t try to soften it by saying its certainly not a doctrine that Christians should divide over. It’s what they always do. They try to say, this is not one of the major doctrines. So we shouldn’t do battle over.

He goes on, finally its vitally important that we keep this issue and the multitude of other issues that Christians debate in perspective. Jesus final prayer to the Father for his church is that they may be one as we are one. John 17:22. Believers are called to exhibit a loving unity among each other that reflects nothing less that the eternal perfect love of the Trinity. Here what he’s saying, unity and love should supercede doctrine. We’ve got to understand the prayer Jesus says in John 17 was fulfilled with the establishment of the church according to Ephesians 2. But we can play down our doctrinal differences because these aren’t major. What really matters is unity and love. He goes on, for lovers of truth all theological issues are important, but compared to our common faith in the person of Jesus Christ as the importance of our loving unity in Him, this issue and most other theological issues are peripheral. What really matters is, if you believe in Jesus and that we love one another. Well every protestant Roman Catholic would say yes I believe in Jesus, then what really matters is that we love one another. We’re not going to divide over doctrine. This is more important than most other theological issues, they’re peripheral. The truth is peripheral. Love and unity is preeminent. He goes on, listen to this: I pray, that evangelicalism will come to see more clearly that the love with which believers debate issues is more important to God than the sides we take. It is more important that we demonstrate love to one another, than what we believe about the truth. God is more concerned that we debate in Love than He is to what our theological position is. Where in the Bible do you ever even get an inkling that God really doesn’t care very much that you believe His truth as long as you love one another. That is a lie. But his man is praying that evangelicalism will come to see more clearly that the love with which believers debate issues is more important to God, than the sides we take.

The emphasis in 2 John is that the truth is of utmost importance to God and it must also be of utmost importance to God’s people. You never have biblical love except in the context of the truth. And John said in His first epistle, 1 John 2:21, “no lie if of the truth.” You don’t have biblical love in the context of lies. You have biblical love in the context of the truth. So it does matter what your position is. These are not peripheral issues. What arrogance, what audacity that mere mortal man sits down and decides now, God said a lot of things but you understand only two or three of them are important. What was He trying to do, fill in paper? See if He could say a lot of words? That’s blasphemy. The God of the universe has spoken, but you understand He said a lot of things, only two or three of them really matter, everything else is peripheral and it doesn’t matter what you believe about it. Now men always talked in such a way, but now that this should be infiltrated into the evangelical church. The believers have to sit back and say well we love one another, and we certainly don’t want to be known for doing battles and this is not a major doctrine. My God is ignorant of the future? You know what he says in the book? I can get ahead of myself. The future is not settled for us as believers. We help God create the future. This is an evangelical understanding of the God of the Bible? I’m going to tell you more about the book in a future time. 2 John, look at verse 7. John says, “for many deceivers have gone out into the world”. It’s not knew. Already in the days of the apostles, many deceivers had gone out into the world. In verse 7, John says the particular heresy and error he is dealing with is these deceivers were denying the permanent union of the humanity and the deity of Christ in one person. To with an error and a heresy about the person of Christ. In verse 8 he calls the believers to diligence. Watch yourselves. Be on the alert. It’s a matter of eternal importance and significance, because if believers allow themselves to be deluded and deceivers by these false teachers, it will cost them rewards in eternity. Watch out. The purpose, so that you might receive a full reward.

Back up to 1 Corinthians, chapter 3. We’re not going to go into depth on the matter of rewards, we talked a little bit about it in a previous study, but just to remind you, whatever rewards entail, the scripture is clear. That in addition to our wonderful, marvelous, glorious, eternal salvation in Christ, God has promised rewards. Additional blessings and honors are to bestowed upon His people for their faithfulness and service to Him. In 1 Corinthians chapter 3:10 the Apostle Paul writes, according to the grace of God which was given to me like a wise master builder, I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which was laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each mans work will become evident; for the day will show it. I’m talking about the day when we stand to be judged in His presence, because it is to be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If any mans work which he has built on it remains, we’re talking about believers who are building on the foundation of Christ, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. So we cannot lose our salvation, but the test will be fire. If you’re building with straw, it won’t survive. And there will be rewards on the basis of having faithfully served the Lord and built with durable materials, which pictures our faithful service for Him.

Now whatever this entails we must say God has been clear. There’s coming a day when we as His people will stand before Him. Our works will be judged and put to the test of the fire. And we will be rewarded on the basis of what survives the test. Now I believe that there can be more said about rewards, but one thing we can be sure of. That when we stand in His presence we will be impressed with the value and worth of having faithfully served the Lord. Oh, I didn’t know; you know, you’re saved, you’re going to Heaven. I don’t care if I get any rewards. What an attitude toward the living God! You will, on that day care. I will, on that day care. Oh Lord. if you’d only made it a little clearer. It was clear enough. I have to walk by faith. I cannot fully unfold what will all be entailed in the rewards or loss of rewards, but I can tell you they are of eternal value and significance. And there will be no one on that day who says, “doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care. I’m glad I didn’t make a real effort and pour my life into it. I’m happy just to get here”. We’ll all rejoice just to get there. But we will rejoice in His presence at the rewards He bestows.

So you see, back in 2 John, this matter of faithfulness in doctrine, being careful not to be lead astray, by false teachers, is significance beyond this life into eternity; and will be important when we stand in the presence of Christ. Now verses 9-11, John’s going to complete the body of the letter by speaking about the true character of false teachers; men who have departed from the true church. They are ungodly who do not know the Lord and we need to be very careful about any association with them, lest we become partakers of their evil works. Look at verse 9, “anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God”. In verse 8 he warned about their danger of the loss of rewards for a believer if they allow themselves to be deceived or deluded by false teachers. Now he draws a clear contrast between those who truly belong to Christ and those who do not. A person who does not remain faithful to the word of God and the teaching concerning Jesus Christ, is demonstrating that he does not belong to God. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God.

Back up to 1 John, chapter 2:19. Remember verse 19, they went out from us because they were not really of us. For if they have been of us, they would have remained with us, but they went out so that it would be shown they are not of us. Jump down to verse 22, end of verse 21 is what I quoted earlier, no lie if of the truth. Heretics try to blur the distinction like there is no real difference here. It is a major difference. It is a difference between a lie and the truth. Verse 22, who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This is the anti-Christ the one who denies the Father and the Son. You know when you deny Jesus is the Christ, you have denied God the Father. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you will also abide in the Son and in the Father. You know, if the truth remains in you then you remain in the Son and in the Father. Over in 2 John, verse 9 anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching in Christ. You see, the teaching abides in you and you abide in the teaching. Same thing being said in two different ways. Like John does in his gospel, he talks about Christ abiding in us and us abiding in Christ. Saying basically the same thing. It is a mutual abiding. And the truth abides in us and we abide in the truth. And if you do not abide, remain, continue live in the truth and the truth live in you, you don’t belong to God.

Now in verse 9, anyone who goes too far, literally who goes beyond, who goes on ahead. It indicates that this person, at one time, professed to believe the truth. But now sees himself moving beyond the truth. I take it it’s the same kind of people that were talked about in 1 John 2:19, they went out from us because they were really not of us, anyone who goes beyond, who abandons the truth. Now most of these people aren’t going to stand up and say, “I want you to know I’m abandoning the truth of the word of God”. No, what are they doing? They are claiming to have a clearer understanding, a more complete knowledge of the person of Christ. They’re not saying they don’t believe in Christ, they’re saying that they have come to understand that He was not truly and permanently man. I want you to understand in believing this doctrine I am exalting Christ, because I am not detracting from His deity but I’m showing that humanity could not be a permanent part of this one who is glorious God and this kind of teaching comes as something positive. Something that enhances our understanding and enables us to more fully glorify God, when in reality it is a denial of what the Bible says about Christ, what God the Father has said about His Son. SO its not really progress and moving on.

This is a manifestation of being in the presence of spiritual darkness enveloped in darkness. Let me say something here. We ought not to underestimate how much an unbeliever can know about Biblical truth. A man can have a great mind and thoroughly study the scripture and have a great gasp of the facts of the Bible and be able to give that forth and explain it and have never entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. And so we have these men who’ve come on and they’ve been part of the church and professed their faith and perhaps they’ve taught the Word of God. But at some point they abandon the truth. They move beyond the revealed truth of God and they begin to corrupt the Word of God. They become very dangerous because people remember their testimony and say, maybe there is something here, and I’m sure they are genuinely saved. So we have to deal with them as believers and we don’t want there to be any animosity or any division and even though we differ now over certain doctrines, we still have to manifest love. And what we do is keep the door open and this error and heresy continues to be pumped through the door into the church and the corruption spreads.

The example I read as I began, there’s been battle and conflict waged in this denomination now for three years. In fact, in the preface of the book, this author gives thanks to the president of the seminary and the head of the denomination for their understanding and openness and tolerance. There’ve been Godly men who have planted their feet and gone to battle over this issue, but has been an unwillingness. So what’s happened? This heresy has been pumped into the churches, and gets more and more of a hold, more and more confused, more and more damage is done and becomes more and more difficult to deal with. If you do not remain in the truth, then you demonstrate that the truth was never in you and you were never in the truth. Satan’s counterfeits can be masterful…from among our own selves’ men will arise as Paul said Acts chapter 20.

Let’s go on in verse 9,” the one who abides in the teaching he has both the Father and the Son. Your faithful to the teaching to the doctrine about Christ and from Christ then you demonstrate that you belong to God, you have the Father and the Son. Look back in 1 John 5:9, if we receive the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater. For the testimony of God is this: that He has testified concerning His son the one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Then you see the truth of God has taken up residence in the life of this one. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar. You see the line is drawn, no lie is of the truth. You cannot claim to believe in God and honor God and serve God and at the same time make God out to be a liar. And that’s what’s happened when you deny what God has said. Well, you know God doesn’t care which side of the issue we are on theologically as long as we love one another. You’re telling me that God does not care that people declare Him to be a liar? What kind of mish-mash is this? The church ought not to be deluded by this. The one who believes in the Son has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given. Concerning the testimony is this: That God has given us eternal life. This life is in His son. He who has the Son has the life He who does not have the son of God does not have the life. God’s testimony on that subject, you don’t believe that - you are declaring God to be liar. So you see how God handled what He has revealed concerning Himself and His Son.

Want you to note as you come back to 2 John, verse 9. It is faithfulness to the doctrine that assures the relationship with the Father and the Son. What it says, he who abides in the teaching, the one who abides in the teaching. The Greek word for teaching. The Greek word for teaching is often translated doctrine, in some of our English translations. Doctrine is simply teaching. I say this is because some people say that what matters is our relationship with Christ, not our doctrinal differences. But you note here what God says the standard is, if you remain in the doctrine, if you continue in the truth, then you have the Son and the Father. Will continue in the Son, what they believe is not going to divide us. But you understand, the scripture just turns it around and we find that people are constantly turning around from what God says and doing the opposite. Here God says, continuing in the teaching, demonstrates you have the Son. We say, look, what you believe about doctrine is not important to us as long as you have a relationship to Christ. What does that mean? I mean it’s a meaningless statement. Because you don’t know you are in the Son unless you continue remaining in the teaching, in the doctrine, the truth that God has revealed.

You read very much, you read people trying to disassociate biblical truth and a relationship with Christ and try to talk about it as though a relationship with Christ is the crucial thing. It’s what this man I quoted from said, oh we have our faith in Christ, demonstrate love to one another. God doesn’t care what side of the theological issue we come down on. Wait a minute, what do you mean faith in Christ, you’re talking about being in Christ, that’s manifested by being in the truth and remaining there, look at verse 10: “if anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into his house, do not give him a greeting.”

In light of the seriousness of these issues, it follows believers are to have nothing to do with false teachers. You note, the “if” here, if anyone comes to you. And the grammatical construction here assumes that this is going on. Here is how you are to handle what is taking place, as these false teachers come, your former friends, those who at one time have been part of the church have abandoned the doctrinal truth and that’s what we are talking about, you don’t associate with him in any way. Now, here’s another area where we reverse things, the scripture makes clear, there is to be a division doctrinally, here you have nothing to do with a person who has abandon true biblical doctrine. The evangelical church today is very careful not to divide over doctrine. But a church is torn apart by its personal differences. You split the church over personal opinions, personal idea and personal conflicts. That’s where love is to overrule, we’ve just turned it around, instead of being willing to battle and die and divide over doctrine. Oh no, we’ve given up on that but we’ll tear the evangelical church apart over personal issues, but not over doctrine. We keep turning things around just the opposite of what God says the emphasis ought to be, what the focus and behavior must be. If anyone comes to you and they are and they will, and does not bring this teaching, the truth that is being presented to you, do not receive him into your house. Well, we’ve been friends for years, do not receive him into your house; furthermore, do not give him a greeting. Do we make it clear? You and I have nothing in common. You and I do not share together in any way in service for the Lord Jesus Christ. I want nothing to do with you or your teaching.

This doesn’t mean we won’t associate with unbelievers. Remember in 1 Corinthians 5 when Paul wrote about a sinning Christian? And he said, look when I wrote to you not to associate with sinning people I didn’t mean unbelievers, because then you would have to leave the world. I’m talking bout Christians. At least those who profess to be believers. He’s talking about those here, who profess to be believers. Who profess to be teaching truth, but are heretics, the false teachers are the focus here. We are to have nothing to do with them. And in verse 10, there are 2 present imperatives, 2 commands given in the present tense. This is to be our ongoing response. Do not receive him into your house, do not give him a greeting. He doesn’t say, here is one way you might handle it. Here is God saying, here is what you must do: don’t have him into your house, don’t give him a greeting. And do nothing to encourage him or help him. It doesn’t mean if I passed a false teacher on the street, I wouldn’t say hello, I might; depends on the person and the situation.

When Polycarp the early church father, would learn from John confronted Marcion the Heretic, Marcion said to me, so you recognize me, Polycarp? Polycarp’s response was, I recognize you, you son of the Devil. Not much for making friends and influencing people. But no one doubted. Here we are almost 2000 years, we know Polycarp had nothing to do with Marcion. So, very simply, we won’t be involved in any way.

I just scratch my head. I see people who claim to be believers and they say where they are going to church, what do you mean? You’re a believer, yes. You trust in Jesus Christ and you are going there? A family that attended Indian Hills several years ago were at a restaurant, I said, where are you going to church now? They told me they are going to a liberal church in town. What? Well, you could tell they are starting to get squeamish,’ well our kids wanted too…they had friends there.’ Oh…what do you do when your kids want to climb up to the top of the Empire State building and want to jump off with a friend? Do you do it too? I don’t now how much clearer the scripture can be.

You note verse 11, “the one who gives him a greeting, participates in his evil deeds”. Any encouragement, any help, any identification with these false teachers with them associates you with them in their diabolical ministry. You become a participant, the word means to fellowship, koinonia, koinoneto, that Greek word that was popular several years ago, a Greek word to for fellowship, to share in common. You become a “fellowshipper” with them.

Back up to 1 Corinthians 10:20. Paul talking about idol worship and so on here. He says in verse 20, 1 Corinthians 10, ‘No but I say that the things which the gentiles sacrifice in their worship, they sacrifice to demons and not to God”. You see what is involved in false worship? It is the worship of demons, not the worship of God. And I do not want you to become sharers in demons. He’s writing to these believers in the church at Corinth. The word sharers there, koinonia, koinoneto, fellowshippers, in demons. This is a serious matter. Your going to join together with these friends, you become a participant in the activity. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We’re not stronger than Him are we? A graphic picture here.

What do you think my wife would think: put my arm around another woman, oh, it’s nothing here, just friends? I better tell you there will be an issue to be resolved and my recovery will probably be long. What do you mean it’s nothing? And here we have the Lord saying, what do you mean fellowshipping with demons? As though this is an incidental thing, no big deal. Fellowshipping in the deeds of false teachers who are calling me a liar. And you think you associate with them because your friendship with them is more important than the truth I’ve given to you.

We were talking recently with one of the staff, one of the things you have to learn if your going to go into the ministry for sure, and that is ministry must supersede friendship. Let’s understand, God has to be the priority. His truth supercedes all. Why are you here? I take it because its His truth. Because all your friends go here. Maybe none of them do. What’s that got to do with truth? Fellowshipping with demons because my friends do. Fellowship in their evil deeds because you know, at one time they were part of our fellowship and they were faithful to the truth. I don’t know what’s happening to them but over time and as a result of our friendship…I become identified with these men promoting heresy, error. Shared with you before, one time I was on a television program here, locally. And the discussion moderated it. And they had me as the conservative and they had a liberal unbelieving pastor there. Before the program was over, it seemed like this other man wanted to constantly point out, I want to make one thing clear before going off the air, that so-and-so and I have nothing in common. We are mortal enemies, we do not believe the same thing, we do not preach the same thing and I would not want to give any idea that we are in any way joined together. This is not a game. Not something that God does not take seriously. Your trying to provoke God to jealousy? You think you are stronger than Him? Serious matter for the church.

Come back to 2 John. Some find this teaching is too severe for this day. In John’s day the Apostles, they were fighters. Those were tough days, but we shouldn’t try to implement this today. Let me read you from a modern day commentator on this passage. We have to remember the situation. There was a time when it was touch and go whether the Christian faith would be destroyed by the speculations of pseudo-philosophic heretics. Its very existence was in peril. The church dared not even seem to compromise with this destructive corrosion of the faith. This, as one has pointed out, is an emergency regulation. An emergency regulation to make bad law. We may recognize the necessity of this way of action in the situation in which John and his people found themselves, without in the least holding that we must treat mistaken thinkers in the same way. In other words, I can understand why John had to be so firm. But that doesn’t mean that I have to think we should treat heretics in the same way today. Another way, what? Let’s just write it off.

The danger facing the church today is every bit as real as it was in Johns day. The doctrine of demons is the doctrine of demons. The truth is God is the truth of God. The lies of men are the lies of men. What the spirit of God said through John is the truth of John. The man who writes this, William Barclay was himself an unregenerate man who’s written commentaries covering the whole New Testament. Probably the preeminent Greek scholar of his day, died an unregenerate man as far as I know. His own testimony, I have his autobiography, he was a universalist. He believed all would be saved and did not believe in the deity of Christ. You could have a lot of facts that you’ve gathered about the Bible and have never entered into an understanding of truth and so you cavalierly dismiss what you choose not to accept.

That clearly concludes the body of the letter in verses 12 and 13. John writes a conclusion. He says in verse 12, I’ve limited the extent of my letter in anticipation of coming personally. Then our joy will be full. So he looks forward to it, he really believes these believers are responsive to truth. And he wants to flush out what he has said but he wants to do it in person. Very difficult in writing. To say everything exactly and then try to get in a way that people who read it will understand it in the proper When you’re together you interact they see your expressions, you can respond to their reception and so on. So he looks forward to when he can be present with them. End of verse 13 he gives a word of greeting from the church where he is presently located.

As we conclude, I want to take you back to where we started. In the beginning of this study I referred to a book recently published, promoting what is called the Open View of God. At the conclusion of the preface of that book the author says this, the last sentence of the preface, “to all I offer this humble perspective for your consideration in love.” Having read into the book I’m greatly offended by that statement. In fact, I got out my pencil and wrote beside it, Romans 16:18. Turn to Romans chapter 16. You see Paul says basically the same thing we have just covered in 2 John verses 9-11. Romans chapter 16, look at verse 17, put it maybe in the context, verse 16, “greet one another with a holy kiss”. All the churches in Christ greet you. The manifestation in display of love among true believers. Verse 17. “Now I urge you brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissension and hindrances, occasions for stumbling. Contrary to the teaching which you learned and turn away from them. You have nothing to do with them. You don’t have them in your home, you don’t give them a greeting. You observe their teaching contrary to the truth of the word of God. The Apostolic and prophetic doctrine. You keep an eye on those kind of men. How do you keep an eye on them? They’re talking about watching all the pagan religious people in the Roman empire? No. Whose Word are we concerned about? Those who infiltrate the church at Rome. That’s what he’s had to deal with in the letter to the Romans. Those who trying to infiltrate their false doctrine into the church. For such men are slaves not of our Lord, Christ, but of their own appetites. And by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. That’s the statement that came to my mind the closing words of the preface to that book when he said to all I offer this humble perspective, for your consideration in love. To break down the barriers, to make us more receptive. This is a humble perspective. I found it to be an ultimately arrogant perspective. And I offer it in love. By their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

We just remind you of what John has said. Foundational. 1 John 2: 21, no lie is of the truth. We must remember that those who abandon the truth are lost. 2 John 9. Go beyond and do not remain, abide in the teaching if you don’t’ have God. We must not in any way compromise with false teachers and so become partakers of evil deeds. The line is drawn. We are not good friends. If you are promoting false doctrine. We cannot maintain a friendship if you do not remain true to the word of God. We must not in any way, compromise with false teachers because in so doing we become fellowshippers, partakers, of their evil works. That’s 2 John 10 & 11.

But in all this we are not minimizing love, we are maximizing it. Because according to verse 1 of 2 John, we must love in truth. And because of the truth we will love one another so we are not saying we want to emphasis truth and minimize love. We are saying we must focus on truth and out of truth our love will grow and multiply and be magnified. The love and the truth go together. We are founded in truth. We will be bound together in love.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for your great grace. Thank you for the wonder of the revelation of yourself. Lord, we acknowledge your grace and salvation. The grace and mercy that has opened our blinded eyes to see and believe the glorious truth of the gospel. Lord, we exalt and praise you that by your grace the truth abides in us and we abide in the truth. That is a permanent and unending and eternal relationship with truth because of your grace. And out of that truth we are bound together in a relationship of love. May we personally and as a church take these truths to heart. May are lives in behavior and conduct be shaped by them. May the testimony of this church be that it is unshakably committed to the truth. And it stands as a pillar and support of the truth. And they are a people who greatly love one another. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.