NOTES AND QUOTES FOR TODAY:
THE TRUTH – III
The Lesson (the outline) from 2nd John
Truth not heeded is more dangerous
than truth not heard !!
Over a period of time the Evangelical church has drifted away in defining the criteria for truth, salvation and many other doctrines of the Bible. At one time the church would use the word “converted” but you rarely hear that now. “ Born again,” has become so used by the world in different applications that it no longer carries the original biblical thought as its root. How often do we hear at the close of a service or sermon, “ anyone interested in knowing what it means to be a Christian talk to me after the service.” The Apostle Paul would turn over in his grave at such a talk. The Christian preaching (the message) is simple enough to bring forth in clarity but for some reason it was never done. The common invitations of yesteryears like “ get saved,” “get right with God, “ be born again” are now replaced by weak terms like, “make decision” for Christ; to “have a relationship with Christ,”; we have heard one preacher say, “give God a chance,” or some other like expressions, that can never do justice to the divine message. This is what is being done every week in just about all the evangelical congregation today!
The following points are given as an outline for the 2nd Epistle of John.
1.Living for the truth:
Verses 1-4 speaks about living in the truth. “The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth: and I only, but also all they have know the truth. For the truth sake which dwelleth in us and shall be with us forever. Grace be with you and pace from Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and in love.” Only the truth can transform the live. When a person gets saved, spiritual truth enters that person in his heart and mind, and he becomes a new creature in Christ. Yes, the truth is not something we just study and believe, but it is something we should live; practice in our daily walk. It is not enough to know the truth, but we must show it in our action, in our conversation. When people are no longer compelled by God’s truth, they can be compelled to believe anything.
2.Loving in the truth:
Verses 5-6 we read, “ And now I beseech thee lady, and as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love that we walk after his commandment. This is the commandment, that as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” One of the fruits of the Spirit love, as in Galatians 5:22 is, love. We read in 1st Peter 1:22, “Seeing ye have purified you souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love one another with a pure heart fervently.” We can not divorce the truth from love. The preaching in our day is, love everybody, hug everybody, make everybody feel right at home. If there is no truth in that love, then it is sure to fail. The love that is not based on the truth becomes a curse.
3.Being Loyal to the truth:
Verses 7-8 reads, “ for many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come into the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-Christ. Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” The apostle John by inspiration of the Holy Spirit admonishes (instructs) believers in verse10 saying, “ if there come unto you , and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God’s speed. For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” The focus of John’s second Epistle has to do with discernment. Many are rejecting God’s truth, and turning their backs from the truth; we live in a day of full blown apostasy. We need to proclaim the truth, and stand firm on it. We need to watch out as a watchman, and raise up the standard. We read in Isaiah 59:19, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” We have a lot of emphasis today about “unity” which is not based on the word of God.
4.Looking for the truth:
Verse 9 reads, “Whosoever transgresses and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son.” here the word , “ transgression” means “going beyond”. That is beyond the truth of the written word. When that happens that person is getting into a dangerous territory.
Learning the truth:
This is the heart of the truth. If the believer is deficient about the truth, then he is carried away with every wind of doctrine tossed to and fro. There will be an open door to misrepresent the truth. He becomes weak to protect the truth; and vulnerable fall of the track! If you loose the truth about, God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, sin, salvation, then you have nothing to live for. We not only teach and preach the truth, but we also contend for the truth in a personal level. “ by the grace of God and His help I will uphold the truth,” must be the conviction of every believer.
We read in Colossians 2:8-10, “Beware any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiment of the world, and not after Christ.. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” Martin Luther said, “ Peace if possible, but truth all all cost!” unfortunately we get it backward in todays world. People seek peace at all cost, but they do not want to ruffle anybody’s feathers! If we sacrifice the truth on the altar of peace it is being a traitor!! The world wants us to confirm to their way of thinking, which is almost always against the word of God. We read in Proverbs 23:23, “ Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom and instruction, and understanding.”
May God Help us!
The Peoples Gospel Hour Staff
How to be Saved …and KNOW it – your most important stop on this site.
Audio Sermons *updated Last Month’s Broadcasts in mp3, Bible Studies.
The Bible reveals two ways which people are following to get into heaven. One way, the true way, is God’s way. God’s way into heaven is the way of peace and truth and righteousness. It is the only way approved of God. This way centers in the Lord Jesus Christ who said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The Bible declares that there is another way. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12).
There are so many popular ways today filled with lost multitudes all over the land, such as the way of morality, the way of respectability, the way of religion, the way of churchianity, the way of baptism, the way of christening, the way of confirmation, the way of penance, the way of confession, the way of “doing the best I can”, the way of self, the way of education, the way of philosophy, the way of false isms and cults that crowd the street. Little wonder then when we speak to people about the way of salvation, that so many have asked, “How can I know which is the true way? There are so many different ideas and so many religions.”
But there is ONE difference between God’s way of salvation and man’s way, and that difference is found in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. You will notice that man leaves Christ out of the center of his way. You will discover that the modern false cults and isms demote Christ to a mere man and add something to what He has already done for your salvation and mine. We become children of God through a supernatural birth. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Jesus also said, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:7)
“May the Lord bless you, and make you a blessing!” – The PGH Staff.
!