Thoughts on 2nd John
2JN 1:1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2JN 1:2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
2JN 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
In the Bible Love and Truth are connected. If you really love someone, then you want what is best for them. And what is best is the truth. Letting someone go on living in error is not what is best for them. If they believe in the heresy of a works salvation, then one day they will wake up in the flames of hell. Letting them go there un-opposed is not love. Love in the Bible is also connected with action, with doing. If you love someone, then you are going to tell them the truth of God’s Word. When telling the truth, some will forget that in the Bible truth is connected with love. We need to tell the truth with compassion. We need to tell the truth out of a concern for them. Love and Truth should NEVER stand alone.
2JN 1:2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
God is truth. Our God cannot lie. It is more than God chooses to tell the truth; God is actually truth. Truth is a part of His character. We have one God who is a trinity. One God manifested to us in 3 persons. God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. These 3 are one. And when a person gets saved God the Holy Spirit comes and indwells the believer. So His truth actually indwells us. And shall be with us forever. You cannot lose your salvation and once the Holy Spirit comes and indwells you He will never leave you. And when you die we know to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For the saved person there is nothing in between dying and being with the Lord. So once you get saved God is with you forever.
2JN 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
2JN 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
2JN 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
Jesus said if ye love me keep my commandments. There is an attachment between love and obedience. Jesus also taught that all of the law and prophets have to do with two great commandments; love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
This commandment to love was not new. And it is God’s will for His children that they walk in His truth and it is His will that we love one another.
And we are to love God. And verse 6 teaches that how you show love to God is by walking after His commandments and His commandment is to love. It is impossible to really love God and at the same time not love one another.
2JN 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Jesus Christ always existed. Jesus was involved in the creation. Mary did not create Jesus she was just how Jesus left the glories of Heaven and became 100 percent God and 100 percent man at the same time. With God nothing is impossible. Jesus was fully God and fully man at the same time. This is what made Jesus a suitable substitute for us on the cross. It was the only way to satisfy God’s justice and pay for our sin. The death of the just for the unjust.
When verse 7 says who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh it is talking about Jesus leaving Heaven and becoming man.
Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phil 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phil 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phil 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Those that deny the deity of Jesus is a deceiver and an antichrist. The word antichrist is not talking about the antichrist that will come in the tribulation. Here antichrist is talking about anyone who is anti or against Christ.
This is one of the true marks of a false teacher. They will deny that Jesus is God. And there numbers are vast. John says that there were many such deceivers in his day. And it has been that way ever since. When I look out at the state of “Christianity” as a whole meaning looking at every preacher and teacher who name the name of Christianity I actually see more deceivers than I do real believers.
As a believer of Jesus you should stay far away from teachers who deny the deity of Jesus.
2JN 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
The Bible does teach a reward system in heaven. This is above salvation. You will not even get to heaven unless you are born again. The rewards are not dependent upon being saved. Everyone who is saved goes to heaven, but not everyone who goes to heaven is going to get a full reward.
Getting to heaven is based on grace. It is a free gift and all you have to do is receive it thru faith in Jesus.
Rewards are based on how you live your life after you are saved. Rewards are based on what you do for Christ. If your works are gold, silver, and precious stones you will get reward. On the other hand if your works are hay, wood, and stubble, then they will not count.
Some will say that I don’t care about rewards. They will say I am going to heaven and that is all that I care about. This often results in them not living for Christ the way they should and not doing good works for Him. This is a bad attitude for several reasons. First you should love Christ enough to work for Him regardless of rewards. Second I think they will change their minds when they get to heaven and see others getting rewards and they don’t get any or very little. But it will be too late to earn rewards then. And just think about it. These heavenly rewards are eternal rewards. Not caring about heavenly rewards is being short sited; only looking at the here and now. This is not what the Bible tells us to do.
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
2JN 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
There are false teachers all around, and if anyone comes along and does not bring the right doctrine, then you are not to let him into your house, and you are not to wish them success with their efforts. They are leading men to hell and you are not to have any part in it whatsoever, and you are not to give them any encouragement at all. This goes for anyone. It does not matter if they are a stranger or if they are family. The Bible tells us to take a very strong stance on this. Now what doctrine is being talked about here? Obviously it must be something very serious. Not something like was Saul saved. If you disagree with me on that, I will still wish you God speed. Well we don’t have to wonder because verse 9 tells us what is being talked about here.
2JN 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, 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.
The doctrine being talked about is the doctrine of Christ. It is the people who do not bring the doctrine of Christ that we are not to let into our homes. What is the doctrine of Christ? It is simply who Christ is and what He has done. Jesus existed from the very beginning. Jesus left the glories of heaven and became man. Jesus is God manifested to us in the flesh. This is often referred to as the deity of Christ. He lived a sinless life and went to the cross to pay for our sins. He made the only payment that could be made. Works cannot save. Christ plus works cannot save. It is Christ and Christ alone that saves.
So who does not bring the doctrine of Christ. The Jehovah Witnesses do not for they do not believe in the deity of Christ. The Mormons don’t. They believe that Jesus was a man first and that he was the brother of Lucifer. The Catholics don’t because they believe in a works salvation. And on the list goes.
2JN 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Instead of saying I don’t agree with you but have a wonderful day, they need to be told that God commands that they are not to be allowed in our home and that we are not to wish them well in their efforts. Tell them that they are leading men to hell. Tell them that they are doing what the Bible clearly calls evil deeds.
And then pray that God will use it to bring conviction to their hearts and that the scales will be taken from their eyes. Pray that they will get saved.
If you encourage them then you are a partaker of his evil deeds. Your encouragement will speed him on his way to influence more people with his false teaching. And if you encourage his evil deeds then in some way you will lose rewards in Heaven. You will not lose your salvation but you will not get the full reward that you would have.
See more lessons from 1st 2nd 3rd John