Skip to content 2 John and 3 John: Abiding in Christ's Doctrine Dec 10 · 16 min ...more
2 John and 3 John: Abiding in Christ's Doctrine
December 10, 2025 · 16 min
Understand John’s teachings on the doctrine of Christ and its importance for believers today.
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Truth and Love: Lessons from 2 John 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Alright. The sun is coming up. Not up yet, but it's coming up. Alright. We're we are about to begin our final stretch0:21 in our 2 year journey through the bible. Today, we're gonna read second and third John, and then tomorrow, we're gonna begin the book of Revelation, our final book in this 2 year journey through the Bible.0:34 John, the third book of John verse 4, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth. These 2 letters, they're personal letters0:46 written by John. These are the 2 shortest books in the bible. Now he wrote these around the same time that he wrote first John, the early nineties. And we see once again John's 2 favorite0:58 themes. We saw him in the fur in first John. We see him here again, and that is truth and love. His instructions on how to live guided by both both truth and love is extremely1:10 relevant to us today because his, his focus his focus here in in large part is how do we deal with those who are peddling something1:22 contrary to the truth? What does love look like when you're defending the truth? Well, we see the application of that here in John's 2 letters. Verse1:33 1 of second John. The elder to the elect lady and her children whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who all those1:45 who have known the truth because of the truth which abides in us and will be in us forever. It is that truth that unites us. We saw this over in in first John. The love of God1:57 within us unites us with fellow followers of Christ. Because of the truth which abide in in abides in us and will be in us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace2:09 will be with you from god the father and from the lord Jesus Christ, the son of the father, in truth and love. There it is. Truth and love. I rejoiced greatly that I have2:21 found some of your children walking in truth as we received commandment from the father. So what what is John what does John mean by this? He is commending them for ordering2:33 their lives according to the word of god, which is truth. He and and as I said, we quoted at the top of this, verse that's almost identical in the next letter. Verse 5, and2:45 now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning, that we love 1 another. This is love2:57 that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. Now don't miss this. John is defining love as Jesus did. Love3:08 is not some kind of freestyle expression. It's not affirming that which is contrary to the word of god. Love's come love comes from and is anchored3:20 in the truth, the word of god. We cannot love as we've been commanded to love apart from the word of god. Look at what Jesus has to say on3:32 this topic. Let's go to John, his gospel chapter 14 verse 15. If you love me, keep my commandments. That's Jesus speaking. Now recall what Jesus said when he was asked3:44 about what's the greatest commandment. Look in Matthew chapter 22 verse 36. Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, you shall love the lord your god3:56 with all your heart and with all your soul and with all of your mind. This is the first and the great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.4:08 On these 2 commandments hang all the law and the prophecy. Our love of god is rooted in our obedience to god. It informs our love for god informs4:20 and empowers us to love other believers. Now let's keep reading because John is going to give us an example, a demonstration of what love anchored in truth looks4:32 like when speaking up against deceit and deception. Verse 7. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming4:44 in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Alright? That which is not for promoting the word of god and promoting Jesus as the son of god, the savior of mankind is4:55 anti. It is antichrist. It is from that spirit. Verse 8, look to yourselves that we do not lose things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.5:07 Whoever transgresses isn't and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have god. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the father and the son. So let's pause here for5:19 just a moment and define what John is writing about when he says the doctrine of Christ. Right? We're talking here he's talking here about the incarnation. Jesus coming in5:31 human flesh as both god and man to redeem mankind. This was being denied by false teachers. The gnostics denied the incarnation. The doctrine of Christ also included the redemptive work of Christ5:43 on the cross and his future return, as well as rejecting and distorting the teachings of Christ of how to live. Verse 10, if anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, right, just what we just talked5:55 about, do not receive him into your house nor greet him. For he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. Wow. John said he he he he said he just6:06 said, don't open the doors of your house or your heart for that matter to those who teach or promote something that is counter to the word of god. Why? Look what he says. If you do this, you're gonna share in their evil6:18 deeds of opposing the truth. You'll be very careful. Where are we giving where are you giving your money? What what kind of ministries are you supporting? What kind of church are you in? Is your is your pastor preaching6:29 the word of god? The ministries, even the what we would call humanitarian ministries doing the gospel work of of helping. Are they promoting the gospel? Like, you know, 1 of the6:41 ministries that I support, our family support, Samaritan's Purse. Why? Because they do it in Jesus' name. They're very clear, and they they they bring Billy Graham ministry chaplains along with them. Look, we6:53 we need to reflect the doctrine of Christ in everything we do as believers, and we need to stand with those organizations. The Family Research Council right here in Washington DC, we do not hide. In fact, we promote the7:05 fact that we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, and the word of God is the standard by which we should measure all that we do, including our public policy. Alright. So how does this7:17 line up? What John is teaching here, how does this line up with loving our enemies? Well, first first, let's understand who John is writing to and what he's talking about. This instruction7:29 is within the church. Okay? As we've, as we've looked at before, I mean, throughout the New Testament, as Paul, and John were repeatedly addressing the false teaching in the church, and this7:41 was just decades after the founding of the church. I mean, if think about this. If this were a problem 30, 50 years after the birth of the church, it's even a bigger problem 2000 years later. So should7:52 we, should we just nod and smile at the false teachers because as Christians we should avoid conflict? I tell you, I mean, I I don't like conflict. No. Most8:04 don't believe that, but I don't like conflict. And here's here's the reality. Alright? We should not go looking for confrontation. I believe there are some in the body of Christ that are looking for a8:16 confrontation. I think that's just as wrong as ignoring false teaching. We should not walk around with what I call a Jesus chip on our shoulder waiting for someone to knock it off so we can get into a8:28 fight. We we don't need to go looking for a confrontation, but into the day in which we live, where we even have some of the churches who are professed8:40 followers of Christ are not just tolerant of the deceit of our culture, but they're promoting it. Right? So if we're living according to the truth, we don't have to go looking for conflict. It's gonna find8:51 us, and we have to confront it according to what John is saying here, what the word of god says. Now this letter, as we as we move on here, it's it's slightly different here in,9:04 is John actually names those who resisted the truth and spoke lies. Diotrephes was 1 of the false teachers that spoke evil of John9:17 and and refused to allow those trained and discipled by John to share in the church that Diotrephes oversaw. Alright? So this is in as we move into the9:29 third letter to the elder, the elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as yourFaithful Witness: Insights from 3 John 9:40 soul prospers. When spiritual things are in order, it's easier for the other things of life and to fall into place. But notice that I pray that you prosper in all things and be in health just as your9:52 soul prospers. For I rejoice greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children10:04 walk in truth. So Gaius was apparently a close friend and spiritual son of John, had been impacted by John's ministry. And nothing is as gratifying as seeing those that you have discipled10:17 walking in the truth of God's word. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for the strangers who have born witness of your10:28 love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of god, you will do well because they went forth for his name's sake taking nothing10:40 from the Gentiles. Now just just to note here, why did they go forth? For his name's sake. It's it's a it's to be about Jesus. Our ministry, our work, our lives are to be10:52 about Jesus. Verse 8, we therefore ought to receive such that we may become fellow workers for the truth. Now notice this, John had just warned in his second letter, we're now in the11:04 third letter. He said that he warned that by facilitating or tolerating false teachers, you would share in their evil. Here, he encourages Gaia by assisting11:16 those promoting the gospel truth that we'll share in their work by helping them and by aiding them. Alright? Verse 1, I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes,11:28 who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds. Alright. He's gonna call him out, which he does,11:40 pratting against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren and forbids those who wish to putting them out of the church. So even those11:52 that are associated with John, his disciples that had a word to share, wouldn't let him share it. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil. Alright? He's talking about Diotrephes as being evil. Do not12:04 share what is evil but what is good. He who does good is of god, but he who does evil has not seen god. Where's the love in these12:15 words? Well, here it is. Love is speaking the truth because it is the truth that has the power to make us free if we will12:27 receive the truth. Demetrius has a good testimony, verse 12, from all and from the truth itself, and we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony12:39 is true. I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink, but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet12:51 you. Greet the friends by name. Father, we thank you for your word, and and I pray father that as as John was exhorting the believers there13:03 to walk in the truth in love, to to love in truth. Lord, I pray that in this day in which we live, that we would love13:14 you, we would obey you, and we would love those who follow you, and that we would be united by the truth. Lord, I pray that we would not have a spirit of13:26 conflict, but Lord, when confronted with deceit and lies and deception that have made their way into the church and the teachings of of many.13:38 Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit would, would lead us to hold up the standard of truth, the doctrine of Christ. So father guide us and direct us, continue to lead us on this journey,13:50 and, Lord may we do so for your name's sake. For we pray this in Jesus name, amen. Alright. Let me remind you, we're about to end this journey, and Lord willing we're gonna14:02 start again next month with another journey through the word of god beginning in the book of Genesis. And I wanna encourage you, to, to to to go ahead and14:14 sign up. I I wanna invite you to join us on this journey again. So text the word bible to 6 7 7 4 2. That's bible to 6 7 7 4 2. You'll get a link, and, you can go14:26 ahead and sign up so we know you're going to be with us, and we can also share with you some resources. Now we come to the end of this journey. We're gonna have, you know, for those that would like it, we'll have a14:35 certificate that you can download. Having completed this journey, we'll have some resources for the next journey. And also on that site is a a share button where you can14:47 share this with friends because we like to see others join us on this journey just based upon the the feedback we've gotten from the the hundreds of people that have written in, is that this has been an14:59 impactful journey for for many, for families, for couples, and, we wanna we wanna continue to spread the power of the truth of god's word. So I I do ask you15:11 to to join us and to be prayerfully considering who you might invite to join us on this next journey. Alright. Until next time. Keep standing on the word.15:23 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you15:35 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Truth and Love: Lessons from 2 John9:30 Faithful Witness: Insights from 3 John
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