5. Set Apart in the Way We Live
Question 1:
What actor’s performance in a movie stands out in your mind?
THE POINT
We grow in Christlikeness as we walk in truth and love.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
As a teenager, my first job was working in a movie theater and video store in my hometown. Through that work, I became familiar with many unforgettable movies and actors’ performances. These included both modern films and actors, as well as movies and performers of yesteryear. I couldn’t articulate why some actors made such an impression on me, but as I learned more about acting, it began to make sense. Method actors are likely to be trained thespians. The original actor, Thespis, performed in ancient Greek amphitheaters. Actors were called hypocrites, a Greek word meaning “one who wears a mask.” These hypocrites shielded their identity to play a role as someone else.
Today, some Christians are actually called hypocrites: mask-wearing fakes. This perception may be unfair and perhaps unfounded, but it’s still believed by many in our culture. As believers, though, we can commit ourselves to becoming authentic disciples who mirror the character of Christ instead. That way when people see us, they see Jesus, and there is no conflicting message in the word we deliver.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
2 John 1-4
1 The elder: To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth — and not only I, but also all who know the truth — 2 because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever. 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, in keeping with a command we have received from the Father.
Second John begins by the author identifying himself as the “Elder.” Church tradition and the standard evangelical dating of Bible books make it clear this was none other than the apostle John, who wrote the letter after being exiled by the Roman Emperor Domitian on the Greek island of Patmos.
The primary purpose of this epistle is to address a destructive teaching that was being circulated. John warned them about divisive ideas being taught among members in their local church. It involved errors about the identity and nature of Jesus Christ (vv. 1,3). The deceptive teaching involved two grave offenses being committed:
- Heresy: False teaching regarding a major Christian doctrine.
- Blasphemy: Teaching or behavior corrupting the name or character of God.
While exposing these matters, John used the occasion to explore foundational themes essential to the Christian life. In doing so, he provides us with tremendous insight into his understanding of the Christian life.
Three key teachings are outlined that will keep us from the type of theological error that could cause us to abandon the faith (vv. 2-4). These same principles undergird the doctrine of sanctification that serves as the cornerstone to Christian discipleship. Together, these principles make us set apart in the way we live.
Question 2:
How can we ensure our lifestyle is consistent
with God’s truth?
The three principles of growing in Christlikeness are abiding in:
- Truth (vv. 1-4),
- Love (vv. 3,5-6), and
- Obedience (vv. 4,6,8-9).
John mentions the first principle, truth, five times in the opening four verses. He specifically discusses the concepts of loving, knowing, remaining, being, and walking in truth. Clearly these things were important. They signaled that truth was an absolute priority for him and for his audience (vv. 1-4).
John begins verse 3 with a three-fold blessing: grace, mercy, and peace. God extends these wonderful spiritual realities into the lives of those who know, believe, love, and honor the truth. And for the most part, the believers there were doing that.
Note that John begins by extending a kind salutation to the group, including his recognition that truth was a priority for them. But his comment clearly reveals his awareness that only “some” of the believers were walking in truth, despite the command they had received from God (v. 4).
We are living in a time when many deny that truth exists at all. Others acknowledge the existence of truth, but deny it is knowable with any certainty. And still others reject any obligation toward truth. In contrast, the Bible commands us as believers to walk in truth. The word “walk” is a synonym meaning “to live.” God expects and commands believers to walk or live and abide in harmony with truth. We are to know the truth and believe the truth, particularly as it is articulated in sacred Scripture—the Holy Bible.
2 John 5-6
5 So now I ask you, dear lady — not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning — that we love one another. 6 This is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love.
Having identified the importance of truth, John turns to the priority of love. Love is a familiar theme to the letter’s recipients (v. 5), who may have been exposed to his first epistle, in which John wrote at length on the subject (1 John).
Jesus’s unconditional love was the cornerstone of John’s teaching. The command to love one another was primarily directed to believers and for believers (2 John 5). While Christians should certainly love unbelievers as those for whom Christ died, the primary instruction here — and at the establishment of the new covenant during the Lord’s Supper — is directed to, for, and between Christians.
While love is a beautiful image of Christian harmony, it should not be misconstrued to mean something other than what God’s Word describes. Our world has radically misunderstood love with ideas and images that are far from biblical.
In his first letter, John taught that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). True love is consistent with the character of God and His Word. Biblical characteristics of love are patience, kindness, gratitude, humility, sacrifice, and protection. Most importantly, love never delights in what God’s Word calls evil. It rejoices in the truth rather than rejecting it (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
Using this Scriptural definition of love, John calls us to be unified in the truth. Christian unity is convictional and based on truth—not regardless of it. This remains true today. The truth of God’s Word, the identity of Christ, and believers’ love for one another are the basis of Christian unity. This dispenses with wishy-washy convictions and sentimentalism disconnected from biblical teachings.
Remember that the purpose of 2 John was to combat false teaching. The heretics had denied the truth about Christ’s identity, undermining His Lordship (2 John 7). As a result, John was calling believers to unite in love around the truth, and to be obedient in rejecting the false teaching and hollow fellowship of those advocating things opposed to Scripture.
Question 3:
Why is the connection between truth and love
so essential in the Christian faith?
2 John 7-9
7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son.
John moves now to another important aspect of being set apart: We are to be grounded in the teachings of Christ and walk in obedience to them. Originally, the deceivers John mentions might have taught things that seemed reasonable, but their instruction wasn’t biblical. It went beyond the teaching of Scripture. Their rejection of the truth about Jesus had failed to meet the threshold of biblical knowledge required for salvation, so they were not to be trusted.
Question 4:
What practices can help us discern truth
from false teaching?
The error of these deceivers surrounded cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith. That’s why John called them “antichrist.” Their primary error was teaching that Jesus was not actually human. This was a heresy that was later called Docetism. Though they agreed that Jesus was divine and even God, they rejected Jesus as God in the flesh. They rejected the related theological concept that Jesus Christ was and is the God-Man, fully God and fully man, with two natures in one divine person. This biblical teaching is known as the “hypostatic union” and is foundational to our faith.
Jesus’s humanity was important for Him to be our sacrifice and to represent us before God as mediator. By rejecting Jesus’s human nature, these deceivers undermined the incarnation (God becoming flesh), which was necessary for Jesus to be the Messiah.
This passage is so relevant to us because we live in a time when some have such a lackadaisical view of truth and shallow knowledge of Scripture that we could see such an error being tolerated. The danger of accommodating false doctrine or not remaining in Christ’s teaching is a constant threat in the lives of believers. If our work is not built on the truth, the impact of the gospel will be stifled in our lives.
Question 5:
Why is it important that our group keep both
truth and love at the center of all we do?
Engage
WALKING WITH GOD
How would you grade yourself concerning John’s three walks? On each scale below, 1 is the lowest and 10 in the highest. Write a prayer asking God to help you grow in Christlikeness.
Walking in truth
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Walking in love
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Walking in obedience
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
My Prayer:
“Where I found Truth, there found I my God, the Truth itself.”
AUGUSTINE
LIVE IT OUT
We grow in Christlikeness as we walk in truth and love. Choose one of the following applications:
Read. Read a selection of Scripture each day this week. Why not start with the letters of the apostle John: 1, 2, and 3 John? These books have a total of seven chapters — just one per day! Then you will grow in truth.
Reinforce. Consciously reinforce your love for others by either word or deed each day this week. Start with something small like a note or compliment. It will make a difference in your life and theirs. Then you will deepen your love.
Reconcile. Identify someone you’ve had difficulty loving unconditionally. Pray for this person daily and ask God for an opportunity to either forgive or seek forgiveness this week. Then you will model obedience.
Second John is another reminder of our sanctification. Being set apart can be summarized in three actions: truth, love, and obedience. Commit to embody each to a watching world.
Teacher Notes:
What is the opposite of Holy?
The Bible says in
Matthew 6:24,
“No one can serve
two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Ancient Greek actors
were called hypocrites, a Greek word meaning “one who wears a mask.” These hypocrites
shielded their identity to play a role as someone else.
Today, some
Christians are called hypocrites: mask-wearing fakes. This perception may be
unfair and perhaps unfounded, but it’s still believed by many in our culture.
Acting in movies
may be harmless. But when nonbelievers perceive that a Christians’ spirituality
is an act, the results can be disastrous.
2 John is a simple read – it’s only 13 verses. John writes to emphasize the basics of following Christ. And that is TRUTH & LOVE – and he also warns against false teachers.
Truth and Love are
frequently discussed in our world, but seldom practiced.
Walk in
Truth
2 John 1-4
The elder: To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth — and not only I, but also all who know the truth — because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, in keeping with a command we have received from the Father.
From politicians to
salesmen, people conveniently ignore or conceal facts and use words to enhance
positions or sell products. Perjury is common, and integrity and credibility
are endangered species. Words, twisted in meaning and torn from context, have
become mere words for ego building. It’s not surprising that we have to “swear”
to tell the truth.
What serves as a
source of truth for people in general?
·
Bible – the world – science – your own truth – moral - Satan
What does
it mean to walk in truth?
Walking in truth
means to bring our lives into conformity with God’s revealed truth. We should
stand firm in the truth of God’s Word, teach the truth plainly, and take it as
the starting point for our moral decisions. Moreover, we should reflect God’s
trustworthiness and faithfulness in our daily lives.
“Let not steadfast
love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on
the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3)
The Bible speaks a
lot about truth. Jesus says He is the truth (John 14:6), Isaiah calls the Lord
“the God of truth” (Isaiah 65:16), and the apostle John rejoices to find
Christians “walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father” (2
John 1:4). So, what is truth, and how can you walk in it?
In the Bible, truth
is closely connected to God. Apart from Him, there is no absolute truth. Jesus’
claim “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me” (John 14:6). People search for “their own truth”. But the Bible
makes clear that there is absolute truth in God. Truth is the reality God has
created and defined. All truth must ultimately be defined in terms of God. This
truth is both doctrinal and moral in scope.
God’s Word is truth
(John 17:17). It is reliable and never changes. Knowing and accepting the truth
about God, about our own sinful hearts, and about God’s salvation plan is of
life importance.
Satan
tries to deceive people: God’s enemy Satan always tries to lure people away
from the truth. He did that with Adam and Eve, when he told them lies about
God’s character and intentions, and so tempted them into disobedience (Genesis
3:4-6). And he is still trying to deceive people. The Bible is full of warnings
of false teachers who are actually serving Satan instead of God (2 John 1:7).
God leaves no room
for “different opinions” or “alternative facts” when it comes to Jesus’
identity and His ministry of salvation. He announces His wrath against “all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress
the truth” (Romans 1:18, see also Revelation 20:10 for God’s final judgment on
Satan as the ultimate deceiver).
Believers are to be
identified as a people of sincere love who are living according to gospel
truth.
John, who wrote the
letter after being exiled by the Roman Emperor on the Greek island of Patmos. The
primary purpose of this epistle is to address a destructive teaching. John
warned them about divisive ideas being taught among members in their local
church. It involved errors about the identity and nature of Jesus Christ. The
deceptive teaching involved two grave offenses being committed:
·
Heresy: False teaching regarding a major Christian doctrine.
·
Blasphemy: Teaching or behavior corrupting the name or character of God.
Three key teachings
are outlined that will keep us from the type of theological error that could
cause us to abandon the faith. These same principles undergird the doctrine of
sanctification that serves as the cornerstone to Christian discipleship.
Together, these principles make us set apart in the way we live.
The three
principles of growing in Christlikeness are abiding in:
1.
Truth (vv. 1-4),
2.
Love (vv. 3,5-6), and
3.
Obedience (vv. 4,6,8-9).
We are living in a
time when many deny that truth exists at all. Others acknowledge the existence
of truth, but deny it is knowable with any certainty. And still others reject
any obligation toward truth. In contrast, the Bible commands us as believers to
walk in truth. The word “walk” is a synonym meaning “to
live.”
God expects and commands believers to walk or live and abide in harmony with
truth. We are to know the truth and believe the truth, particularly as it is
articulated in sacred Scripture — the Holy Bible.
Walk in
Love
2 John 5-6
So now I ask you, dear lady — not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning — that we love one another. This is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love.
How would you
describe this kind of love?
Love is more than
an emotional appeal; it is a commandment from the Lord. Love is active; it is
something we do much more than something we feel. Our obedience to the
commandments of God is our expression of love to Him and will show us how to
live with love toward others.
Jesus’s
unconditional love was the cornerstone of John’s teaching. The command to love
one another was primarily directed to believers and for believers (2 John 5).
While Christians should certainly love unbelievers as those for whom Christ
died, the primary instruction here — and at the establishment of the new
covenant during the Lord’s Supper — is directed to, for, and between
Christians.
Our world has
radically misunderstood love with ideas and images that are far from biblical.
Biblical
characteristics of love are patience, kindness, gratitude, humility, sacrifice,
and protection. Most importantly, love never delights in what God’s Word calls evil. It
rejoices in the truth rather than rejecting it (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
Our world is filled
with its words – popular songs, greeting cards, media counselors, and romantic
novels shower us with notions and dreams of idyllic relationships and feelings.
Real love, however, is scarce – selfless giving, caring, sharing, and even
dying. We yearn to love but see few living examples of real love. Plentiful are
those who grasp, hoard, and watch out for “number one.”
Christ is the
antithesis of society’s prevailing values, that is, falsehood and
self-centeredness – for He is truth and love, in Person.
Walk in
Obedience.
2 John 7-9
Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son.
Those who deny the
humanity or divinity of Jesus are not to be trusted but recognized as the
deceivers and antichrist they truly are. Be careful not to allow false teaching
to take root in your life. The Lord will honor our faithfulness to Him. The way
to the Father is through the Son.
False teachers were
a dangerous problem for the church that John was writing to. His warning
against showing hospitality to false teachers may sound harsh and unloving to
many today. But these people were teaching heresy that could seriously harm
many believers - for eternity.
How do we
keep from being pulled-in to
the
deceptions of the world?
We must be grounded
in the teachings of Christ and walk in obedience to them.
This passage is so
relevant to us because we live in a time when some have such a lackadaisical
view of truth and shallow knowledge of Scripture that we could see such an
error being tolerated.
The danger of
accommodating false doctrine or not remaining in Christ’s teaching is a
constant threat in the lives of believers. If our work is not built on the
truth, the impact of the gospel will be stifled in our lives.
Final Thought
A common criticism
of Christians is that we are hypocritical, judgmental, and unloving. Christians
might disagree with that statement, nonetheless that is the perception by many
outside the church.
Question
How do we
change the perception?
Conclusion
We can begin by
living holy lives set apart to Christ. I’m not talking about a holier-than-thou
attitude, but rather a way of living that is clearly marked by love, truth, and
obedience. When we walk obediently in truth and love, we are walking like
Christ, which brings Him glory. That goal ought to be the desire of every
believer.
We grow in Christlikeness as we walk in truth and love.
