Watch Out for Deceivers

2 John 1:4-6 ESV

“I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.” 

It doesn’t seem clear who this lady was, or if she was a literal woman or if she represented a church fellowship. She could have been both, for back then the church did meet in people’s homes, and so this could have been the church that met in this particular lady’s house. But that is not something we have to resolve. What is clear is that the woman or the church was of God, she was loved by God and by the apostle John, who was an elder in the church, and she was loved by all who knew and who practiced the truth.

[See 2 John:1-3]

Now, for those who know and who practice the truth of the gospel of Christ, we are those who are walking in holiness and in righteousness, in obedience to the Lord, and who are not walking in sin. Sin is not our practice, but righteousness and godliness are our practice. That does not make us perfect people, but we are those whose lives are dedicated to the Lord Jesus and to walking in his ways and in his truth and for whom sin is no longer our practice, but righteousness and obedience to God are our practice.

[see Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-24; 1 John 1,2,&3]

So, when John said that he rejoiced greatly to find that some of her children were walking in the truth, these could have been her biological children and/or they could have been her spiritual offspring, or the spiritual offspring of this particular church gathering that met in a home or in this woman’s home. But apparently not all of her children were walking in the truth, so it suggests that some of them were not. So they could have been those who professed faith in Christ but who were not living the faith they professed.

But as a woman of God who has four children of her own and three children-in-law and fourteen grandchildren, and one grandchild-in-law, I can attest to the fact that there is no greater joy than to know that your children and your grandchildren are walking in the truth, if indeed they are. That should be the hope of every Christian parent to know that their children are walking in the truth of God’s word and that they are not just giving lip service only to the Lord. And it should be the same for the church body to rejoice in knowing that some who profess faith in Christ are actually living that faith.

So, John began his letter to this lady/church with an encouraging remark regarding those of her children who were walking in the truth. But then he moved on to exhort her that we are to love one another. And then he explained that to love with this (agape) love means that we walk (in conduct, in practice) according to our Lord’s commandments (New Covenant). For the meaning of this word “love” has to do with us preferring what God prefers, which is obedience to his commands.

2 John 1:7-8 ESV

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.”

Now the deceivers today are not confined only to those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. For many of the deceivers in the gatherings of what is called “church” here in America are “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who put on a show of righteousness and of faith in Jesus Christ, but who deny him by how they live, in practice. So they may outwardly profess Christ as Lord and as Savior and outwardly they may agree with the Scriptures on who Jesus is and was, but they will deceive the people with lies by taking the Scriptures out of context and twisting them.

For those who are “antichrist” don’t have to deny the Christ (the Messiah) as having come in the flesh with their lips at all, but they are those who deny him by their sinful practices and by their lies they tell the people. So what they do is that they alter the character of God/Christ, and they alter and dilute the gospel of our salvation, and they alter and manipulate the meaning of “church”, and all this is to serve the purpose of drawing the people away from pure devotion to Christ so they will follow man instead.

And so they teach the people that God does not require repentance, obedience, and walks of holiness and righteousness, or they make them optional and not required for salvation. And they teach that we can just make a profession of faith in Christ Jesus and now all our sins are forgiven, and heaven is guaranteed us when we die, and that nothing can take that away from us, regardless of how we live. And so we have many professers of faith in Christ who are still walking in sin, still making sin their practice, and who are not walking in the truth of God’s Holy Word (his gospel).

2 John 1:9-11 ESV

“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

So, we need to take this seriously. For what did Jesus teach? He taught that if we are to come after him that we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him in practice. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we die with him to sin that we might now live to him and to his righteousness, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, then we have eternal life (Luke 9:23-26; cf. Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 John 1,2,&3).

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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