QT 2/12/2025 2 John 4-11, Seeing the true Jesus

2 John 4–11 (ESV) —

4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 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. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

 

NOTE: This is quite a warning in verse 9. If a person does not continue in the teaching of Christ, he does not have God. Outwardly, this would seem to support a works-continuation salvation, which is the same as a person who believes his good works save him. Since all the authors have clearly made it known that Jesus did all the work on the cross, we know that the author had a different idea in mind when he wrote verse 9. One thing that can be said about John is that perseverance in the faith is a sign of possession (that the person really knows Jesus and has the Holy Spirit if he continues in truth). The passage seems to suggest that going off the rails is an indication that the person never came to salvation -- maybe their salvation was emotional, but never truly involved their will or intellect. My personal feeling is that true salvation involves all three essential aspects of our being: intellectual, emotional, and volitional; or mind, heart, and will.

 

PONDER:

1. What does my salvation look like? Am I continuing in truth, that is, the word of God? Or, have I substituted other truths for God's truth?
2. Am I persevering in the truth? Do I even care?

 

PRAYER: Father, if we are just going through the motions and don't really know you personally, open our eyes to see (as the writer of Hebrews says) Jesus the author and perfector of our faith.