Category: 2 John Devotionals

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2 John Devotionals

The mark of a true disciple

Holding a Bible

This is love: that we walk according to his commands…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 (6, 9).

As you read John’s letters, you can see that he spent a lot of time reflecting on Jesus’ words because a lot of what John writes is based on Jesus’ words.

And what John writes in this letter reflects what Jesus taught about loving him and truly being his disciple. What did Jesus say?

If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32).

The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him…If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him (John 14:21, 23).

What is the mark of a disciple of Jesus? What shows that we truly love him?

We trust him enough to obey him.

In doing so, we find freedom. But more importantly, our fellowship with God deepens. He reveals more of himself to us, and we understand more deeply his love and goodness toward us.

I can honestly say that I’ve tasted these things in my life, and I have found that God is good. And because of that, I want more of him.

How about you? As you have followed Jesus’ words, have you come to taste the love and goodness of God in your life?

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2 John Devotionals

Walking in love and truth: A prayer

Walking in love and truth

Holy Spirit, let me walk each day in you.

You are the truth. (1 John 5:6)

This world has thrown away God’s truth. Many people have now established their own “truth.”

But Holy Spirit, let me remain in Christ’s truth, Christ’s teaching.

Lead me into all truth, reminding me each day of all that Christ has taught me. (John 14:26, 16:13-15)

And help me to obey that truth, living a life pleasing to the Father.

Especially help me to walk in love each day. Love toward God. And love towards those around me.

I thank you that you remain in me and will be with me forever. (John 14:16-17)

In this troubled world, I will not be troubled because you are with me. (John 14:26-27, John 16:5-7)

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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2 John Devotionals

Bending God’s truth

Truth vs. Love

I’m not sure, but this may be my last blog article of the year.

And as we end this year, and look into the next, it’s good to remember the truths John sets forth here. Namely. each day we are to walk in truth and love.

Too often, Christians nowadays stress love, but in the name of love, they start bending the truth, especially concerning the truth about righteousness. They go beyond what Jesus and the apostles teach, saying things like “Well, Jesus and his apostles may have taught this or that, but this is the ‘trajectory’ his teaching was going in.”

But by going down that supposed “trajectory,” they stop abiding in truth and actually end up nullifying it.

Yes, we should love sinners. But love does not mean bending God’s truth and telling them what is evil is good.

So let us not simply live in “love.” But let us have a love based in truth.

Through Jesus came grace and truth (John 1:14, 17). Let both of these things flow through our lives each day.

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2 John Devotionals

Two indispensable things

Walk in love and truthWalk in love and truth

As  I read this passage, I find two indispensable things that must be part of a true Christian’s life: truth, and love.

John says,

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. (3)

If we are ever to know the grace, mercy, and peace that comes from God, we need to know both the truth of God, and the love of God.

Some people say they love God and others, but at the same time, they reject the very truth that the God they claim to follow teaches.

They reject the idea, for example, that Jesus was truly God. They reject that salvation only comes through Jesus and his work on the cross.

But John tells us,

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. (9)

You simply cannot reject what Jesus taught about himself, salvation, morality, and what true life is and still say that you have God in your life.

But truth devoid of love is an empty thing as well. You can have all the right doctrines, and believe all the right things, but as Paul said, if you have not love, you are nothing. (I Corinthians 13:1-3)

And so John urges us not just to walk in truth (4), but in love (6).

How about you? Are you walking in truth, but not love? Are you walking in love, but not truth?

Or are you, as God’s children, walking in both?