Second John
People who love the truth love and appreciate others who love the truth. Truth lovers are a minority today, even among "Christians".
Evangelicalism started to go wrong in 1948. That was the year many of them decided that they did not want to be seen as divisive; they no longer wanted to be alienated from the world and instead of saying things that made the lost uncomfortable they would focus on things that made them feel more comfortable. In other words, starting in 1948 evangelicals began to worship the God of popularity rather then the real Jesus. It started in 1948 and it has been getting worse every year since.
I've seen the rolling eyes of "Christians" when in a Bible study I've talked about the reality of Satan and other uncool topics like sin and hell. Those things are seldom, if ever, mentioned in many evangelical churches, and it's been that way for decades. Too often truth is sacrificed to the God of popularity, popularity with people who disdain holiness.
2. So go ahead liberal churches who derive your theology from pop culture and political correctness, and go ahead neo evangelicals ignore truth that makes people uncomfortable, but you're doing it to your own destruction because it's not going away, and you cannot run from it forever and you will pay for compromising God's holy word.
Go ahead sinful mankind, ignore the truth, reject Christ even though the truth is: all who reject him go to hell. Reject truth, reject Jesus, reject the written word of God, if that's what you want to do, but you are doing it to your own destruction because it is not changing and you must deal with it.
3. Grace, mercy, and peace are yours in Christ because of his death on the cross.
If you are a Christian then God will give you more good than you deserve (that's Grace), God will give you less bad than you deserve (that's mercy), and God will give you comfort on your deathbed knowing that all is well between you and him, and you're ready to go (that's peace).
Grace mercy and peace come from God the father and from the Lord Jesus Christ; God doesn't mention another source because there is none.
4. Notice that truth is not something that man concocts. Truth is not something that man invents because it seems popular, or because it appears to be pragmatic. Truth originates from God; the Bible says in verse 4 that truth has come to us through the commandment of God the father, and it is always, and in every case given to us through the written word of God.
4. It's refreshing to see Christians who take God seriously enough to walk in truth just as he commands. John said: I rejoiced when I heard you were walking in the truth, and I'm with John, I get excited when I hear of a Christian who takes a stand for truth, for the word of God. That stirs me to want to do it more than ever.
Faithfulness to the word of God is contagious among Christians.
5. The commandment is: love one another. That doesn't necessarily mean that Christians must like each other. It's nice when that's the case, but it's not a prerequisite to loving one another. Loving one another means doing what is in the best interest of others regardless of feelings, and even when others may rub you the wrong way.
Someone says: that's hard! True, but when did God ever say that loving others would be easy; when did he ever say doing what is right in general would be easy? He never said that.
6,7. One of the earliest heresies in the church was to deny that Jesus is fully man. few doubted that he was fully God. However Satan wanted to deny his humanness because if Jesus isn't a sinless man then he can't be our substitute on the cross.
A sinless man had to pay for the sins of sinful man, the Bible says the just for the unjust. And so we see that this heresy which questioned the genuine humanness of Jesus was an early attack by the devil who was attempting to discredit the work of Christ on the cross.
8. It is possible for Christians to start out well, earning eternal rewards in addition to salvation, but then lose those rewards as a consequence of supporting false teachers, and engaging in other types of sin without repenting.
9. If one doesn't get the doctrine of Christ right then nothing else matters. If one does good deeds, but doesn't believe in the real Jesus and doesn't receive the real Christ as defined by holy Scripture than they do not have the Father and are therefore lost.
You have liars, heretics, and cultists running around today saying that Jesus is a god, or Jesus is a lesser god then the Father, or Jesus is the arc angel Michael, or a thousand other lies. But the real Jesus, the only Jesus revealed in the Holy Bible is 100% man and 100% eternal God, coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. If one doesn't recognize that then it is impossible for them to receive the real Jesus.
The real Jesus died on the cross and paid for our sins, the real Jesus says he's the only hope for lost sinners, the real Jesus says one must repent and receive him or they will die in their sins. Those who do not receive that Christ are not receiving the real Christ and they are lost because they have received nothing.
10. In other words, don't encourage them in their ministry. Don't give them the idea that what they believe is okay. Remember they are lost and on the way to hell, and so is everyone who buys their false Jesus and their false doctrine. It's not okay to encourage someone like that. It's not okay to give them the idea that what they teach is correct.
11. If we encourage those who promote a false Jesus, or something that contradicts any other fundamental, orthodox teaching of the Bible then we dishonor Christ, and help confirm the false teachers and their followers in their lost condition.
It's not easy, it's not comfortable to tell someone that they are wrong, and that if they continue on they themselves along with those they influence are destined for hell. It's not always comfortable to tell someone like that, that they are wrong but if you can back it with Scripture then do it, for Jesus's sake do it; for their sake do it. It is unloving not to do it; they may not appreciate it; they may get angry at you, but it is unloving not to do it.
12,13. Radio, TV, and Internet are great tools to get out the word of God, but nothing can replace face-to-face, in person teaching. Christians are made for fellowship which should always include the word of God.
Fellowship involves two or more Christians communicating the word of God together and it is one of the top three things, along with teaching the Bible, and holy Communion that the early church in the book of Acts focused on.
Third John
1. As I have said in the past: love only exists within the boundaries of truth. Giving someone what they want, what they may plead for is not loving if it contradicts Scripture in any way. It's not loving because in the long run you are doing them harm rather than good.
2. The word of faith people misuse this verse by saying: see God says right here that it's his will for you to always have good health. That's not what this verse is saying. This is simply the writer: John, saying that he prays they will have good health.
The lesson in this verse is: pray for others that they would have good health. The lesson is not: God always want you healthy; sorry but the fact is he doesn't. It's not always God's will for someone to be healed and I can prove that from Scripture.
There are many dangers in twisting this Scripture and making it say that God always wants you healthy. One of the dangers is that people then believe that that is the word of God, and consequently when it doesn't come to pass they say: well I guess the word of God isn't true. No, the word of God is true, but false teachers put words in God's mouth, and then when it doesn't come to pass the devil has a field day saying: you can't believe the word of God; look it didn't come to pass; look it's not true.
3,4. When you love Jesus you love it when others love Jesus. You want Jesus to be honored; you don't care who's doing it, you just want it to be done for Jesus sake.
5. Notice how Paul commends them as those who are faithful, as those who are doing a good job.
Some people refuse to complement or commend others who do well, or try hard. A good part of my life was spent around people like that. I'm not saying we should live for compliments, but the Bible recognizes the importance of encouragement and that's what I'm talking about. Some people refuse to commend others for a job well done, I don't know why and I don't care why all I know is that it is wrong, it is un-biblical.
By the way, Spirit filled Christians can handle commendations, they can handle a pat on the back every now and then, and they can handle someone saying: nice job. Faithful Christians can be praised without becoming prideful because they just pass on the praise they have received to the one who ultimately deserves it and that's Jesus.
5-7. I'll tell you this: good Christians need to support preachers who are faithfully proclaiming God's word; that's a biblical mandate for God's people. Good Christians need to do it because bad Christians won't do it.
But I must add this: two wrongs don't make a right so if Christians do not support a faithful preacher, then a man who is really called by God will support himself and preach anyway.
A true man of God is not going to quit preaching the word of God simply because no one stands with him or supports him.
8. The man of God who loves Jesus, and loves the word enough to pay his own way deserves the admiration and support of others who love Jesus, and care about lost souls.
9. We're introduced to a man named Diotrephes. Diotrephes thought he was a Christian celebrity. He loved attention, he wanted people to notice him. He even shut out the apostles, and the holy word of God fearing that they would take attention off of him.
10. John says: I'll stop Diotrephes! John will stop him because there's no place in the church for celebrities, for would be entertainers who use congregations to draw attention to themselves.
Several years ago in a church I was pastoring there was a man who had previously played in a Christian rock group. He had gotten in trouble with a young girl who saw his band play. This man kept pestering me to let him sing a solo, he said I've changed, I've learned my lesson, but I said no. I said no because he had used his position to attract attention to himself. I explained to him that I had a rule that no one does anything publicly in this church unless they have been coming regularly for at least six months and have behaved themselves. Well he didn't quite last six months; I think he lasted about a month and a half and he was in moral trouble once again.
Like Diotrephes there are many "performers" and would be celebrities lurking in evangelicalism waiting for an opportunity to use Jesus to advance their ungodly self-centered agenda, and they must be called out, and they must be stopped just like John would do with Diotrephes.
11,12. Demetrius had a good report by all men; everyone spoke well of him. Of course the context suggests that the "everyone" consisted of good Christians.
It pleases me to receive a complement from one who loves the word of God, and desires that it be spoken clearly. And I've got to say that over the last three decades those are the only people who like me. Lukewarm, worldly Christians, neo-evangelicals who try to be like the world don't really care for me, and that makes me feel good, because Jesus said woe unto you when all men (even those who don't care about God) speak well of you.
13,14. John hoped to see them soon because he wanted to help them in the Lord. He hoped, but even though it was for a good biblical cause he knew there was no guarantee that it would happen.
We can't always do the good things we want to do for the Lord, so we must do what we can, and trust that God is in control, and that his will, will be done.
People who love the truth love and appreciate others who love the truth. Truth lovers are a minority today, even among "Christians".
Evangelicalism started to go wrong in 1948. That was the year many of them decided that they did not want to be seen as divisive; they no longer wanted to be alienated from the world and instead of saying things that made the lost uncomfortable they would focus on things that made them feel more comfortable. In other words, starting in 1948 evangelicals began to worship the God of popularity rather then the real Jesus. It started in 1948 and it has been getting worse every year since.
I've seen the rolling eyes of "Christians" when in a Bible study I've talked about the reality of Satan and other uncool topics like sin and hell. Those things are seldom, if ever, mentioned in many evangelical churches, and it's been that way for decades. Too often truth is sacrificed to the God of popularity, popularity with people who disdain holiness.
2. So go ahead liberal churches who derive your theology from pop culture and political correctness, and go ahead neo evangelicals ignore truth that makes people uncomfortable, but you're doing it to your own destruction because it's not going away, and you cannot run from it forever and you will pay for compromising God's holy word.
Go ahead sinful mankind, ignore the truth, reject Christ even though the truth is: all who reject him go to hell. Reject truth, reject Jesus, reject the written word of God, if that's what you want to do, but you are doing it to your own destruction because it is not changing and you must deal with it.
3. Grace, mercy, and peace are yours in Christ because of his death on the cross.
If you are a Christian then God will give you more good than you deserve (that's Grace), God will give you less bad than you deserve (that's mercy), and God will give you comfort on your deathbed knowing that all is well between you and him, and you're ready to go (that's peace).
Grace mercy and peace come from God the father and from the Lord Jesus Christ; God doesn't mention another source because there is none.
4. Notice that truth is not something that man concocts. Truth is not something that man invents because it seems popular, or because it appears to be pragmatic. Truth originates from God; the Bible says in verse 4 that truth has come to us through the commandment of God the father, and it is always, and in every case given to us through the written word of God.
4. It's refreshing to see Christians who take God seriously enough to walk in truth just as he commands. John said: I rejoiced when I heard you were walking in the truth, and I'm with John, I get excited when I hear of a Christian who takes a stand for truth, for the word of God. That stirs me to want to do it more than ever.
Faithfulness to the word of God is contagious among Christians.
5. The commandment is: love one another. That doesn't necessarily mean that Christians must like each other. It's nice when that's the case, but it's not a prerequisite to loving one another. Loving one another means doing what is in the best interest of others regardless of feelings, and even when others may rub you the wrong way.
Someone says: that's hard! True, but when did God ever say that loving others would be easy; when did he ever say doing what is right in general would be easy? He never said that.
6,7. One of the earliest heresies in the church was to deny that Jesus is fully man. few doubted that he was fully God. However Satan wanted to deny his humanness because if Jesus isn't a sinless man then he can't be our substitute on the cross.
A sinless man had to pay for the sins of sinful man, the Bible says the just for the unjust. And so we see that this heresy which questioned the genuine humanness of Jesus was an early attack by the devil who was attempting to discredit the work of Christ on the cross.
8. It is possible for Christians to start out well, earning eternal rewards in addition to salvation, but then lose those rewards as a consequence of supporting false teachers, and engaging in other types of sin without repenting.
9. If one doesn't get the doctrine of Christ right then nothing else matters. If one does good deeds, but doesn't believe in the real Jesus and doesn't receive the real Christ as defined by holy Scripture than they do not have the Father and are therefore lost.
You have liars, heretics, and cultists running around today saying that Jesus is a god, or Jesus is a lesser god then the Father, or Jesus is the arc angel Michael, or a thousand other lies. But the real Jesus, the only Jesus revealed in the Holy Bible is 100% man and 100% eternal God, coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. If one doesn't recognize that then it is impossible for them to receive the real Jesus.
The real Jesus died on the cross and paid for our sins, the real Jesus says he's the only hope for lost sinners, the real Jesus says one must repent and receive him or they will die in their sins. Those who do not receive that Christ are not receiving the real Christ and they are lost because they have received nothing.
10. In other words, don't encourage them in their ministry. Don't give them the idea that what they believe is okay. Remember they are lost and on the way to hell, and so is everyone who buys their false Jesus and their false doctrine. It's not okay to encourage someone like that. It's not okay to give them the idea that what they teach is correct.
11. If we encourage those who promote a false Jesus, or something that contradicts any other fundamental, orthodox teaching of the Bible then we dishonor Christ, and help confirm the false teachers and their followers in their lost condition.
It's not easy, it's not comfortable to tell someone that they are wrong, and that if they continue on they themselves along with those they influence are destined for hell. It's not always comfortable to tell someone like that, that they are wrong but if you can back it with Scripture then do it, for Jesus's sake do it; for their sake do it. It is unloving not to do it; they may not appreciate it; they may get angry at you, but it is unloving not to do it.
12,13. Radio, TV, and Internet are great tools to get out the word of God, but nothing can replace face-to-face, in person teaching. Christians are made for fellowship which should always include the word of God.
Fellowship involves two or more Christians communicating the word of God together and it is one of the top three things, along with teaching the Bible, and holy Communion that the early church in the book of Acts focused on.
Third John
1. As I have said in the past: love only exists within the boundaries of truth. Giving someone what they want, what they may plead for is not loving if it contradicts Scripture in any way. It's not loving because in the long run you are doing them harm rather than good.
2. The word of faith people misuse this verse by saying: see God says right here that it's his will for you to always have good health. That's not what this verse is saying. This is simply the writer: John, saying that he prays they will have good health.
The lesson in this verse is: pray for others that they would have good health. The lesson is not: God always want you healthy; sorry but the fact is he doesn't. It's not always God's will for someone to be healed and I can prove that from Scripture.
There are many dangers in twisting this Scripture and making it say that God always wants you healthy. One of the dangers is that people then believe that that is the word of God, and consequently when it doesn't come to pass they say: well I guess the word of God isn't true. No, the word of God is true, but false teachers put words in God's mouth, and then when it doesn't come to pass the devil has a field day saying: you can't believe the word of God; look it didn't come to pass; look it's not true.
3,4. When you love Jesus you love it when others love Jesus. You want Jesus to be honored; you don't care who's doing it, you just want it to be done for Jesus sake.
5. Notice how Paul commends them as those who are faithful, as those who are doing a good job.
Some people refuse to complement or commend others who do well, or try hard. A good part of my life was spent around people like that. I'm not saying we should live for compliments, but the Bible recognizes the importance of encouragement and that's what I'm talking about. Some people refuse to commend others for a job well done, I don't know why and I don't care why all I know is that it is wrong, it is un-biblical.
By the way, Spirit filled Christians can handle commendations, they can handle a pat on the back every now and then, and they can handle someone saying: nice job. Faithful Christians can be praised without becoming prideful because they just pass on the praise they have received to the one who ultimately deserves it and that's Jesus.
5-7. I'll tell you this: good Christians need to support preachers who are faithfully proclaiming God's word; that's a biblical mandate for God's people. Good Christians need to do it because bad Christians won't do it.
But I must add this: two wrongs don't make a right so if Christians do not support a faithful preacher, then a man who is really called by God will support himself and preach anyway.
A true man of God is not going to quit preaching the word of God simply because no one stands with him or supports him.
8. The man of God who loves Jesus, and loves the word enough to pay his own way deserves the admiration and support of others who love Jesus, and care about lost souls.
9. We're introduced to a man named Diotrephes. Diotrephes thought he was a Christian celebrity. He loved attention, he wanted people to notice him. He even shut out the apostles, and the holy word of God fearing that they would take attention off of him.
10. John says: I'll stop Diotrephes! John will stop him because there's no place in the church for celebrities, for would be entertainers who use congregations to draw attention to themselves.
Several years ago in a church I was pastoring there was a man who had previously played in a Christian rock group. He had gotten in trouble with a young girl who saw his band play. This man kept pestering me to let him sing a solo, he said I've changed, I've learned my lesson, but I said no. I said no because he had used his position to attract attention to himself. I explained to him that I had a rule that no one does anything publicly in this church unless they have been coming regularly for at least six months and have behaved themselves. Well he didn't quite last six months; I think he lasted about a month and a half and he was in moral trouble once again.
Like Diotrephes there are many "performers" and would be celebrities lurking in evangelicalism waiting for an opportunity to use Jesus to advance their ungodly self-centered agenda, and they must be called out, and they must be stopped just like John would do with Diotrephes.
11,12. Demetrius had a good report by all men; everyone spoke well of him. Of course the context suggests that the "everyone" consisted of good Christians.
It pleases me to receive a complement from one who loves the word of God, and desires that it be spoken clearly. And I've got to say that over the last three decades those are the only people who like me. Lukewarm, worldly Christians, neo-evangelicals who try to be like the world don't really care for me, and that makes me feel good, because Jesus said woe unto you when all men (even those who don't care about God) speak well of you.
13,14. John hoped to see them soon because he wanted to help them in the Lord. He hoped, but even though it was for a good biblical cause he knew there was no guarantee that it would happen.
We can't always do the good things we want to do for the Lord, so we must do what we can, and trust that God is in control, and that his will, will be done.