Sharing God’s Word:
BENEFITS ARE OURS
When yielding
TO GOD’S WORD!
You see, there is no way that you can separate Love from Truth. Love and Truth are tied together! We all know
that there are scattered church groups that are cold and indifferent, with no real care for one another. We scratch
our heads and wonder why that is so? But when we come back to realizing that Truth is important and can never
be replaced by humanistic methods and strategies, then we begin to see that a change can take place in our
attitude through living out the Word of God.
Notice what the Apostle John writes in his epistle, “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; For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in
us, and shall be with us for ever”(2 John 1-2). The word for “love” is not the word that a lover would write to
his loved one! It's not “I luv you.” No, this is the word that John has championed in his first epistle and now
brings it out in this letter: “agapao”, meaning that which the Holy Spirit alone can produce in one's inter most
heart [the heart God looks at]. It is a love that is devoted to do what is necessary to meet the spiritual need of
someone, no matter what it costs him.
The word "in,"in the phrase “whom I love in truth,” en, denotes a fixed position within the sphere of something.
This unique Love that only God can produce in us only occurs when one walks within the sphere of Truth.
If one is not experiencing Truth, practicing Truth, and obeying Truth, then he cannot be in the sphere of the
influence of truth. God's love is only experienced by those who choose to walk in the sphere of God's Truth!
In 2nd John 2, when John says “for the sake of the truth which abides in us. . .” the phrase “for the sake of” is
possibly better understood as “because of.” John puts the definite article before the word “truth,” making it “the
truth”— thus making it totally clear that he is talking about the Truth of God's Word. “Abides” is the Greek
“meno.” It is in the present active and means "to remain." The Truth of God's Word remains in those who choose
to live in its sphere or live under its influence in their lives.
John goes on to say in verse 2, “will be with' us forever:” “With” is “meta;” it means that it is in our midst
it will always accompany us. Now, because the Truth remains in us and will always be with us, there will be
definite results when we choose to walk in it .
Moving down to Verse 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”(2 John 3). We have seen that in the sphere of walking in God's
Truth there is love. But there are three other blessings that we will always have: Grace, mercy and peace!
Grace in the Greek is “charis” the divine enabling power of God that transforms us. Mercy is “eteos,” the
undeserved ability to bear up under the wrong choices that we make.
Peace is “eirene,” the absence of any conflict between God and man. It literally means to“bind together,” and
paints a pricless picture.
When we choose to experience truth by obeying God's Word we will experience His love for us, and through us
for others. Out of this truth and love will flow His grace, His divine enablement to do what He tells us to do; His
mercy, His divine ability to even bear up under our wrong choices; and His peace, His divine assurance that there
is no conflict between Him and us.
The recipients of John's epistle had it down right in their walk with Christ and in His Word. They walked in the
Truth (v. 4).
Stop and think for a moment. Just look at what you are missing in your called walk when we choose not to live
under the influence of Truth! We miss the true love that only Christ can produce in us and through us; we miss
the un-merited pardon that constantly changes our lives from the inside out; we miss the mercy that is always
there when we blow it; and we miss the peace in our midst, knowing that there is nothing between us and God
and nothing between one another. We need to ask ourselves-are we walking in Love and Truth?
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Church Bird Heard:
1 Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift:
that’s why they call it the present.
2 Being a Christian and not being a disciple is like being a fish and
not swimming
3 Discipleship is the true acknowledgment of the Lordship of Jesus
Christ.
4 Discipleship is a compass that points us to our Lord of lords and
King of kings!
5 The last thing one knows is what to put first.
A Little Humor:
Marine Corps exercise regimen for people over 70.
Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, then, with a five-pound
potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your
sides. Hold them there as long as you can but try to at least go a full
minute. Then relax. Each day, you’ll find you can extend your time.
After a couple of weeks, move up to10 pound potato bags. Then try 25 pound bags.
Eventually you will find you can lift -50 pound bags and hold your arms straight out for several minutes.
Once you achieve this level, place a potato in each bag!