2 John 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, that as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
Oh Friends, I now understand why the ancients referred to Jesus’ cleansing blood being the agent that washes our sins as white as snow, because there aren’t many prettier sights than the land covered under a soft blanket of fresh snow; everything white, pristine, peaceful and undefiled, like it looked early this morning. Anyone who has the slightest appreciation of nature would surely be touched by it. We lose that virgin sense of beauty though, when we have to step out of our warm, comfortable abodes and tread through the cold, knee deep, foot hugging, slushy stuff. Then it becomes black, mucky and defiled; like everything man touches. And that goes double for relationships; we make such a mess of them, through greed, jealousy, anger, resentment and a host of other petty, often imagined grievances. Oh people, the only thing that’s wrong with our world is people; that’s us. If we’d just cut out the stupid, petty stuff in our lives, the whole world would be so much happier. As Nat Cole said in the song, ‘People, who need people, are the luckiest people in the world.’ And isn’t that the living truth Friends! But there’s only one way to improve our relationships; ‘And this is LOVE, that we walk after his commandments.’ Yes Friends, it starts with and in the heart. And John, the Disciple of LOVE, should know. I call him that cause all his writings seem to have LOVE as their basic theme. And why not, since he was sent as a messenger, to bear witness and testimony to the coming of Jesus, the Prince of Peace and Lord of LOVE? Anyway, in this 2nd Epistle, the LOVE Disciple, (smile) is writing to ‘the elect lady and her children, whom I LOVE in the truth; and not I only, but also they that have known the truth.’ As usual, the supposed scholars can’t decide whether it’s an individual acquaintance of John’s, in which case he’s writing to her and her family, or to a metaphorical lady; a local church and its members. But to whichever, he’s pleased by the spiritual progress ‘the elect lady and her children’ are making in following Christ. However, he feels the need to warn them to beware of certain things, if spiritual progress is to continue. ‘For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.’ (vs.7) And the surest way to reject this blasphemy is to walk after Christ’s commandments, in LOVE. Jesus clearly stated; ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) No ifs, ands and buts about that people! It’s plain and straightforward. ‘But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:5) That’s simple and to the point too. If we obey His rules, then we’ll know that the LOVE of God dwells in us. But the second part is just as important; we can’t only talk the talk, we’ve got to walk it too, like Jesus. Ah my Friends, sadly, the deceivers and antichrist that John wrote about so long ago, are still prevalent today, and are even more sophisticated and wily. They have what seems like very convincing arguments against the gospel, and these days we have to be oh so careful about whom and what we listen to and believe. As both John and Bruh Paul specify, once they start saying or insinuating that Christ didn’t come in the flesh, just run them right outa town, without hesitation, for they are certain deceivers and antichrist agents. Oh Friends, the enemy is all around us, he’s taking no prisoners, it’s a fight to the death, and for us to prevail, we have to preach and practice LOVE. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.’ (1 John 5:3) Hear that last part people? ‘His commandments are not grievous.’ I agree. God’s rules aren’t that difficult, somewhat inconvenient at times yes, but definitely not outrageous. ‘Don’t steal, lie, kill, commit adultery, covet other’s belongings, don’t take His name in vain, LOVE the Lord, LOVE your neighbour and yourself.’ What’s so hard about those eh people? Nothing really. It’s only the enemy and his cohorts that are trying to play mind games with us, and we, being naturally stubborn and disobedient, make it even easier for them. It’s not only possible to have all the trappings the enemy dangles before us, but even more, and better quality too, if we are obedient to God’s will, cause He’s more powerful, reliable and generous than Lucifer. Just look at Solomon. But Friends we’ve got to do it the right way; obeying Jesus’ commands, with LOVE in our hearts and in our walk. ‘Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.’ (1 John 2:24) That’s for certain sure my people! So let’s talk and walk in…Much LOVE!…the word is LOVE…LOVE of God…LOVE of self…and of neighbour…
Oh Friends, I now understand why the ancients referred to Jesus’ cleansing blood being the agent that washes our sins as white as snow, because there aren’t many prettier sights than the land covered under a soft blanket of fresh snow; everything white, pristine, peaceful and undefiled, like it looked early this morning. Anyone who has the slightest appreciation of nature would surely be touched by it. We lose that virgin sense of beauty though, when we have to step out of our warm, comfortable abodes and tread through the cold, knee deep, foot hugging, slushy stuff. Then it becomes black, mucky and defiled; like everything man touches. And that goes double for relationships; we make such a mess of them, through greed, jealousy, anger, resentment and a host of other petty, often imagined grievances. Oh people, the only thing that’s wrong with our world is people; that’s us. If we’d just cut out the stupid, petty stuff in our lives, the whole world would be so much happier. As Nat Cole said in the song, ‘People, who need people, are the luckiest people in the world.’ And isn’t that the living truth Friends! But there’s only one way to improve our relationships; ‘And this is LOVE, that we walk after his commandments.’ Yes Friends, it starts with and in the heart. And John, the Disciple of LOVE, should know. I call him that cause all his writings seem to have LOVE as their basic theme. And why not, since he was sent as a messenger, to bear witness and testimony to the coming of Jesus, the Prince of Peace and Lord of LOVE? Anyway, in this 2nd Epistle, the LOVE Disciple, (smile) is writing to ‘the elect lady and her children, whom I LOVE in the truth; and not I only, but also they that have known the truth.’ As usual, the supposed scholars can’t decide whether it’s an individual acquaintance of John’s, in which case he’s writing to her and her family, or to a metaphorical lady; a local church and its members. But to whichever, he’s pleased by the spiritual progress ‘the elect lady and her children’ are making in following Christ. However, he feels the need to warn them to beware of certain things, if spiritual progress is to continue. ‘For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.’ (vs.7) And the surest way to reject this blasphemy is to walk after Christ’s commandments, in LOVE. Jesus clearly stated; ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) No ifs, ands and buts about that people! It’s plain and straightforward. ‘But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:5) That’s simple and to the point too. If we obey His rules, then we’ll know that the LOVE of God dwells in us. But the second part is just as important; we can’t only talk the talk, we’ve got to walk it too, like Jesus. Ah my Friends, sadly, the deceivers and antichrist that John wrote about so long ago, are still prevalent today, and are even more sophisticated and wily. They have what seems like very convincing arguments against the gospel, and these days we have to be oh so careful about whom and what we listen to and believe. As both John and Bruh Paul specify, once they start saying or insinuating that Christ didn’t come in the flesh, just run them right outa town, without hesitation, for they are certain deceivers and antichrist agents. Oh Friends, the enemy is all around us, he’s taking no prisoners, it’s a fight to the death, and for us to prevail, we have to preach and practice LOVE. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.’ (1 John 5:3) Hear that last part people? ‘His commandments are not grievous.’ I agree. God’s rules aren’t that difficult, somewhat inconvenient at times yes, but definitely not outrageous. ‘Don’t steal, lie, kill, commit adultery, covet other’s belongings, don’t take His name in vain, LOVE the Lord, LOVE your neighbour and yourself.’ What’s so hard about those eh people? Nothing really. It’s only the enemy and his cohorts that are trying to play mind games with us, and we, being naturally stubborn and disobedient, make it even easier for them. It’s not only possible to have all the trappings the enemy dangles before us, but even more, and better quality too, if we are obedient to God’s will, cause He’s more powerful, reliable and generous than Lucifer. Just look at Solomon. But Friends we’ve got to do it the right way; obeying Jesus’ commands, with LOVE in our hearts and in our walk. ‘Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.’ (1 John 2:24) That’s for certain sure my people! So let’s talk and walk in…Much LOVE!…the word is LOVE…LOVE of God…LOVE of self…and of neighbour…
SCRIP-BITS 