Question

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WALKING IN TRUTH AND LOVE

2 John 1:1-13

Key verse: 1:4

1. Read verses 1-3. Who is the sender, to whom is the letter addressed (1a)? On what basis are they related (1b-2,3b)? What does “the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever” mean? What blessing does John pronounce in his greeting (3)?

2. Read v. 4-6. What gives John great joy (4)? What does it mean to “walk in the truth”? What exhortation did he give “the dear lady” (5-6)? How is love related to the truth? What does it mean to “walk in love”?

3. Read v. 7-9. Who are the deceivers John is concerned about (7,9)? Why should the believers watch out (8)? Why is being deceived such a serious matter?

4. Read v. 10-13. What truth should guide their practice of Christian hospitality (10-11)? Why is it important not to compromise with false teachers?  Why did John stop writing, though he had much more to say (12)? What final greeting did he give (13)?

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Attachment

• 2 Jn 01-13-q.docx

Message

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Walk in the Truth and Love

2 John 1-13

Key Verse: 4 “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”

The second letter of John the Apostle was written not long after he had sent his first letter to the church. In verse 1 John calls himself ‘the elder’, who was the overseer of the church. The recipient of the second letter is ‘the lady and her children’. The lady could be a specific woman in the church or the church itself, and her children could be the believers in the church. In this second letter John repeats God’s command which is to love one another and warns the antichrist. Above all, in this letter John encourages them to walk in the truth and in love. Let’s see what “walk in the truth and in love’ means.

First, walk in the truth. Look at verses 1-2. “The elder, to the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever.” What is the truth which John mentioned here? In chapter 5 of his first letter John mentioned the truth a few times. In 1 John 5:6 he said that the Spirit is the truth. In 5:20 he said that Jesus is the truth. In 5:11 he said that God’s testimony about Jesus is the truth. What is God’s testimony about Jesus? God’s testimony is that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. When we combine all these verses, the truth is God’s promise for our eternal life which is given through faith in his Son Jesus. The short version about the truth is Jesus Christ. Now, we put the name ‘Jesus’ in the place of the word ‘the truth’, “whom I love in Jesus—and not I only, but also all who know Jesus—because of Jesus, who lives in us and will be with us forever.” Amen! Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Going to the Father and being born of God through Jesus is the truth. The message that those who are born of God and children of God overcome this world is also the truth.

Look at verse 3. “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.” This is the typical greeting in the Jewish letter, still John mentioned God’s blessing on those who walk in truth and love. Grace, mercy, and peace come from the Father and the Son Jesus Christ. God sent his Son Jesus as an atoning sacrifice, and we have peace with God through faith in the Son Jesus Christ. Jesus brought the mercy of God to this perishing world. Look at verse 4. “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.” When John wrote this letter, the church was challenged by the influence of the antichrist. Many left the church because of the false teaching. But John was encouraged by those who remained and walked in the truth.

What does ‘walk in the truth’ mean? The word ‘walk’ which is ‘peripateo’ in Greek has several meanings. The Jews uses the word ‘walk’ for ‘live’. So, in 2 Co 5:7 ‘We live by faith, not by sight’ is translated also as ‘We walk by faith, not by sight.” Galatians 5:16 says, ‘Walk by the Spirit’ is also translated as ‘Live by the Spirit’. Indeed, walking is living. ‘Walking’ is the proof of being alive and ability. Those who are alive walk. When Jesus commanded the paralytic who had been for 38 years, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!”, the word ‘peripateo’ is used. (Jn 5:11) Peter commanded a crippled beggar, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” (Acts 3:6) Then the man walked, jumped, and praised God. Likewise, walking is the evidence of God’s healing and the proof of being alive. Therefore, we can rise again and walk in Jesus. All those who lie down can rise again and walk in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

The word ‘walk’ has also two other meanings, ‘live for’ and ‘follow’. So, ‘walk in the truth’ means ‘live for the truth’ and ‘follow the truth’ which is Jesus Christ. Walking in the truth is living for Jesus and following him. Since we know what the truth is, we must live for the truth and follow the truth. When I was younger, I wanted to know the truth and to live for the truth. But no one taught me what the truth is and how to live for the truth. In order to live a meaningful and truthful life, I quit my job and entered to an art school. I studied art expecting that art might lead me to the truth and give me the meaning of life. But nothing answered my questions, and no one satisfied my thirsty soul. But give thanks to God who led me to Jesus Christ! Jesus taught me that my life came from God and is going back to him and that I will be truly happy and satisfied when I live for Jesus Christ who loved me and died for me. Since then, I began to follow Jesus and live for his glory.

Walking in the truth has a goal and direction. No one walks without direction or destination. We live for Jesus and follow him wherever he leads us. This is the purpose of our lives and the living hope for our future. Some of us here struggle to walk in the truth. They work hard to serve God and support their family. Their struggle sometimes goes beyond their ability. But they endure the cross and overcome the world because they know what they are doing and where they are going. They have life direction and reason for suffering. They know that present sufferings are not worth compared to the future glory. (Ro 8:28) We pray for raising spiritual leaders for the future and for the next generation. It was the main prayer topic for the North America Staff Conference 2024. For the Missouri Valley Regional Easter Bible Conference we pray for messengers from our second gens and young leaders. Some may think that their children are still young, but they walk in the truth now and they grew enough to serve the word of God. Some are better than their parents. Look at verse 4 again. “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walk in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.” So, we must pray for our children to walk in the truth by living for Jesus and following him as Bible teachers, messengers, praise band, prayer servants, and so on. Amen!

Second, walk in love. Look at verses 5-6. “And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” What is the command which John gave the church in his first letter? In 1 John 3:23 he said, “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” God’s command is to believe in Jesus and to love one another. He repeats in verses 5 and 6, “I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his command... his command is that we walk in love.” Thus far we have studied “walk in the truth.” What does “walk in love” mean? The word ‘walk’ in Greek has one more meaning which is ‘occupied with’. God’s command is that we must be occupied with his love. Walk in love means obey his command and love others. Love is not a theory, but an obedience. It does not need to be explained. Just love as Jesus loves you. Remember how Jesus loved you! While you were wandering in darkness of sin like a lost sheep, Jesus found you and saved you. Jesus led you to the path of righteousness to live a new life. Above all Jesus died for your sins and opened the way for you to enter the kingdom of God. We cannot count how blessed we are since we become children of God! Now as Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, so also we must wash others’ feet. Washing other’s feet means forgiving other’s sin and praying for them. We are too proud to forgive others. We are too selfish to find our own weak points. We tend to forget favors which we received from others and to hold grudge in our hearts if they hurt us. We must repent of our selfishness and bitterness. John asks us to walk in love, to remain in Jesus’ love, to be filled with the love of God so that we may keep his command. Amen!

When we studied 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, we learned Macedonian church’s generous offering for Jerusalem church. When the Macedonians heard that the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem Church were suffering in the famine, they offered beyond their ability in the midst of their extreme poverty. The Macedonians had compassion on God’s people who suffered more than themselves. The Macedonian walked in love. One of Dr. Samuel Lee’s spiritual legacy, the co-founder of UBF ministry, is ‘giving spirit-five loaves and two fish’. Jesus commanded his disciples to give something to the poor. In 1960 Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. But UBF family in Korea collected relief offering for the refuge from Typhoon in Bangladesh. Some students sold their blood to join the relief fund. UBF, which had started in the city of Kwang Ju Korea, began to expand the ministry to other cities. Daejeon UBF which just had started needed a room door. At that time, a room door was expensive in Korea, and Daejeon UBF was not able to purchase a door. So, Kwang Ju UBF took one of their room doors and gave it Daejeon UBF. Through all these examples, we learn what ‘walk in love’ means.

Third, continue in the teaching of Christ. In verses 7-11 John again warns the church against the deceiver and teaches them how to deal with the antichrist. Look at verses 7-11. “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.” Men are forgetful animals. We easily forget what we studied or learned. The Bible knowledge is the same. We often forget what we learned from the Bible study. We don’t remember even the title of the last Sunday message. Therefore, we must continue to remain in God’s word. John said that those who continue in the teaching of Jesus Christ will not lose God’s reward. The words ‘walk’ and ‘continue’ have the common factor, which is continuity. Those who walk never stop. Those who walk never sit down in complacency. Those who walk continue to go forward to the final goal. This is the reason why John and Paul encouraged the church to continue to teach the word of God. “Preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season.” (2 Ti 4:2)

Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditate on his law day and night...” The blessed man does not stop walking or sit down with other lazy people but continue to walk. He meditates on the word of God day and night. The psalmist says that he is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. (Ps 1;3) People who have no word of God are easily deceived by the antichrist. We must be on our guard with full armor of God. The word of God is the spirit of sword to defeat Satan’s deceit. (Eph 6:17) We must be as shrewd as snake and as holy as dove. So, when the antichrist visits us and knocks our door, we must send them away nicely. John warns us not to take them into our house or welcome them. If we welcome them, we may share their wickedness. (11)

In conclusion we must pray for our children to walk in the truth and walk in love. Before we ask them to do so, we must show them a good example. They never listen to us until we show our example. So, we must repent of our laziness and hypocrisy, and show them a good example of how to walk in the truth and in love. Amen! Let us read verse 4 again.

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Attachment

• 2 Jn01-13-message-5th draft.docx