by Dr. Grant C. Richison
“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
and peace
“Peace” is the internal tranquility that God gives to those who fellowship with Him. Peace brings harmony to the soul. There is no mercy until first God […]
“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
from God the Father
John assures his readers of the source of their grace, mercy and peace. Note the two occurrences of the word “from.” We do not get […]
“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
in truth and love
We experience grace, mercy and peace in the sphere of truth and love. Truth and love are the conditions for grace, mercy and peace. The Christian […]
“I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.”
I rejoiced greatly
John’s joy comes from the fact that the woman’s children, to whom he wrote 2nd John, walked in the truth.
that I have found some of your children
False teachers made inroads into […]
“I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.”
walking in truth,
Fidelity to truth is a core Christian value. John discovered on his travels that the lady’s children of 2nd John lived out their Christianity. They went on with the Lord. Nothing delights the […]
“I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.”
as we received commandment from the Father
Faithfulness to God’s commandment is the foundation of true Christian living. The lady’s children of 2nd John made a close correspondence between how they lived their lives and God’s commandment […]
The thrust of John’s argument is that Christians should be wary with their hospitality. False teachers were roaming the territory, and people committed to truth should not give hospitality to them. Before he sounds a warning about this, he challenges Christians to practice divine love.
John reasons in a circle in verses 5 and 6. […]
“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”
The blessed circular logic of verses 5 and 6 shows how love and the application of truth to experience are vitally tied together.
· Applying God’s principle to experience […]
This is the commandment,
God’s command is a statement of His will. Love for other Christians is doing the will of God. All of God’s commands issue out of love and actions that manifest love. We see love for each other in applying truth to experience. God’s truth opens up the nature of true love. […]
“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”
you should walk in it
A command cannot generate love but love can be commanded. Love manifests itself in responding to God’s will. Love for God is equal to keeping […]
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