The Truth About Love.

2 John 1–2 (NIV),

¹ 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—² because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

So John, "the Apostle whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23) who has transitioned into the emerging role as "The Pastor" is writing to a local church known by God, chosen by God and owned by God -- and its members.  What does John say to them?

1. He says that he loves them in the truth.

2. He says that all who know the truth love them too.

3. He says that he and all those who love the truth, love them because of the truth that lives in them.

4. He says that this truth that lives in them, will live in them forever.

Is John saying that he loves them "truthfully"?  Or is John saying that his love is somehow expressed within the context of truth. The idea seems to be the latter based upon what follows.  Other people who have the truth also love them.  

Truth loves truth. Truth cannot be truth and at the same time embrace un-truth. When two people know the truth, the existential fact is that the truth in them magnetizes them to each other. Birds of a feather flock together.  People of the truth love each other.  This truth is eternal, so the love is everlasting.  Here's an important observation:

The community of love is as encompassing as the truth that is believed and lived. [1]

The perimeter that surrounds true Christians in mutual love is only as big as the truth that is known and believed in that context.

The background that John clearly has in mind is the issue of heretics bothering this local church.   So very likely the Church is constrained by its Savior's admonition to love all people.   But John is saying in this salutation that our love is bounded by true Truth. When people exist outside of that true Truth, it is impossible to express brotherly love.  Note I said "impossible".  Truth cannot embrace un-truth.  Let me give you an example. 

Why should I not embrace with warm affection the members of the Mormon church?  Answer?  They deny Christ.  The deny the eternal, deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, second Person of the Trinity.  Their un-truth does not open a conduit of love to the Truth that exists forever in me.  I love them as men and women that need to be saved.  I do not love them as brothers and sisters in Christ. 

"This emphasis on truth shows that authentic Christian love involves more than emotional sentimentality. The Christian community consists of those who 'know the truth.'" [2]  And not only that, the word "known" (γινώσκω [ghin·oce·ko/] ) "is perfect tense in the original, stressing the certainty of the fact of the knowledge; it does not mean all who have ever known the truth in any way, but rather all who “really know the truth,” that is, real believers." [3]

So really Real believers embrace and live out truly true Truth and their love is inherent and eternal. This flys in the face of contemporary rhetoric among left-wing, placid so-called Christians that we ought to all love one another and be unified.  People who have the Truth are unified.  And any attempt of Truth-knowing Christians to unite in mutual affection with liberal brands of christianity that deny the authority of Scripture, the lordship of Christ, etc.; or any attempts to unite with an idolatrous organization like the Church of Rome; or any attempt to embrace with Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and the like is not just wrong -- it is impossible.  Truth loves truth and can do no other.

Father this passage has inflamed my passion.  I sense an anger -- a righteous outburst against the many cries I hear for love, acceptance, tolerance, unity, community and the like.  I feel sick with all this talk.  There is none of that -- and You have so governed the universe, that there can be none of that apart from Truth.  These twin sisters of love and truth are also joined at the hip.  They are inseparable.  I pray that this passion that explodes in this text of Scripture will result in holy boldness and courage to withstand the placid calls for mushy community that exist in our culture.  But Father, most of all I pray that I will know and be known for love in truth.  I pray that You will not find a duplicitous heart in me. Root out any falsehood in my life, I pray.  Grant me the grace today to walk in truth -- and love, both whom are great friends.  Amen.

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 1. Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:2 John/Exposition of 2 John/I. Introduction (1-3), Book Version: 4.0.2 

2. Believer’s Study Bible. 1991 (W. A. Criswell, P. Patterson, E. R. Clendenen, D. L. Akin, M. Chamberlin, D. K. Patterson & J. Pogue, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (2 Jn 1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2642). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The Sad Outcome of the "Law-approach" to Righteousness!

Galatians 5:19–21 (NIV),

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

This is not Paul's first reference to the flesh.  “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh . . . You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love . . .  So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” (Galatians 3:3; 5:13 and 5:16–17, NIV)  

When the Galatians were trusting in keeping the Law they were living by the flesh.  Instead faith in Christ meant living by the Spirit.  The flesh and the Spirit war against one another.  Law-keeping for salvation is fleshly.  And we read here that fleshly behavior does not produce righteousness.  In fact it produces quite the opposite.  "“Flesh” sometimes refers to the physiological frame of man, as distinguished from the immaterial aspect of man, which is variously called “spirit” or “soul” (cf. Acts 2:17). More frequently the N.T. employs the term to designate the sinful tendencies that exist in man, most of which are related to bodily appetites and ambitions." [1] The interesting thing is that Paul says that these things are "obvious" or "plain".  He uses the word φανερός [fan·er·os/] which means to be plainly recognised or known. [2]

This is the irony: seeking to be justified by the Law actually produces more lawlessness. Paul wrote elsewhere: “But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.” (Romans 7:8–9, NIV). "Not only does the law reveal sin, but it provokes it as well. Law does not cause sin, but sin takes occasion by the commandment." [3]

"Paul doth not recite all the works of the flesh, but useth a certain number for a number uncertain . . . First, he reckoneth up the kinds of lusts, as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, &c . . . All the highest religions, the holiness and most fervent devotions of those which do reject Christ the Mediator, and worship God without his Word and commandment, are [nothing else but plain] idolatry . . . Paul reckoneth witchcraft among the works of the flesh, which notwithstanding, as all men know, is not a work of fleshly lust or lechery, but a kind of idolatry. For witchcraft covenanteth with the devils: superstition or idolatry covenanteth with God, albeit not with the true God, but with a counterfeit God . . . Heresies, that is to say, sects . . . Paul doth not say that to eat and drink be works of the flesh, but to be drunken and to surfeit . . .." [4]

“. . . and the like." Infers again, that this list is representative on exhaustive.   Then Paul goes on to warn:  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:21, NIV).  "This is a very hard and a terrible saying, but yet very necessary against false Christians and careless hypocrites, which brag of the Gospel, of faith and of the Spirit, and yet in all security they perform the works of the flesh." [5]  "The present participle (Gk. prassontes, translated here as “do”) refers to those who “make a practice of doing” such things, as a pattern of life. Their outward conduct indicates their inward spiritual status: that they are not born of God, do not have the Holy Spirit within, and are not God’s true children." [6]

Father, the fact that these sins are obvious does not make this topic any more acceptable. What is not obvious is the deceitful and pervasive culture of my flesh.  My flesh actually loves to be law-abiding. I take such pride in that.  It makes me better than others.  Sadly, looking at these sins actually incites something in me that wants them.  I see that in such reality when I decided I do not want to eat something.  How I long for it even more.  Help me Father, today to apply what I know is true: to kill sin by the Spirit and not the Law.  The Law-approach to righteousness just produces more unrighteousness.  Your grace, through Your Spirit is my only hope.  Grant me the will and the ability to do Your good pleasure today, not by works of the law, but to live by the Spirit.  Amen!

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1.  Believer’s Study Bible. 1991 (W. A. Criswell, P. Patterson, E. R. Clendenen, D. L. Akin, M. Chamberlin, D. K. Patterson & J. Pogue, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Ga 5:13). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

2. Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

3. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2235). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

4. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

5. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 5:21). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. 

6. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2254). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.