Fellow workers

 

Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.– 3 John 5-8

 

I love the fact that we as believers are followers of Christ. I love that we are family. I love that we have fellowship. And I love that we are called fellow workers with Christ and with each other.

 

Here John speaks of others who are serving the Lord. While we are told to reject false teachers we are told to accept and encourage those who speak the truth. We told to send them on their way with grace and encouragement and our blessing and by doing so we become fellow workers in their ministry.

 

We need to remember that as we all serve God and support each other we are all co-workers in the same ministry. John spoke of itinerant preachers and missionaries and the need to support them on their way. In so doing we become partakers in their work. Paul wrote that their fruit will be laid up to our accounts in heaven.

 

It is our responsibility to care for those who give up jobs and careers to go and serve Him. When we all get to heaven we will share in the rewards.

Faithful service

 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.– 3 John 5-8

 

Paul commended his readers for their great witness of love. We see that they were faithful in serving both the brethren and the stangers in love.

 

Our life is a life of serving, and why would it not be? After all, why did Jesus come? When He came in the flesh as a man, He took on the form of a servant. He came not to be served, but to serve.  He obeyed, even to the point of death.

 

In our flesh most of us would rather be served than to serve. The folks John was writing to were known by their love and service for others. Everyone knew them for their wonderful testimony.

 

I want that kind of testimony for me. I want that kind of testimony for our church. I want people to know that when they come to my house or they come to our church that they are going to be loved. I want my home and our church to be places where we serve others with joy.

 

May we all be able to be servants who serve in love. 

That you may prosper

 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. – 3 John 3-4

 

Paul was blessed with a great many spiritual children. They were all over the Middle East, Asia, and even Europe. His greatest joy was to know that his children walked in the truth.

 

I can kind of understand that. We have had the chance that though the years we have been able to teach and preach to a lot of people. I have students from Christian school that I stay in touch with.

 

I am sad that not all of our children are ‘walking in the truth’ and I am thankful for those who do. I am also grateful to those we have worked with who still today walk in the truth.

 

That is the greatest sadness and the greatest joy. It saddens us when folks we taught turn away, I pray for some of those folks every day.

 

And we rejoice in those who do remain, and we pray for them too. 

That you may prosper

 

To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. – 3 John 1-2

 

3 John has a real personal note to it. It is written to a friend named Gaius, someone that John loved in the truth.

 

John prays for his friend that He would prosper in all things. It’s a blessing to read that Gaius soul was prospering and the John desired to see Gaius' life prosper in general as well.

 

Though the whole idea of prospering by false teachers who proclaim that material wealth is a sign of God’s blessing general prosperity is not against God. Our problem comes from the fact that prosperity only conjures up one meaning

 

Our desire ought to be that as our souls prosper, we can prosper in other areas. We can prosper in love and in friendship and in our churches and in our witness. Our individual ministries can prosper. We can prosper in bearing fruit for God.

 

We want God’s work to prosper. When we seek prosperity lets us seeks God’s kind of prosperity.

Don't let them in

 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. – 2 John 10-11

 

We must be aware of false teacher trying to make their way into the church. We must ever be vigilant of them. We trust of leaders to preach the truth and to point out error, but there comes and point when we must watch out ourselves for false doctrine and its teachers.

 

The body of Christ, his church, must be precious to us. It is to be treasured and protected. As much as we are to love those on the outside we need to love and protect ourselves and this who are the inside.

 

We need to beware that false teachers, as Jude puts it, don’t creep in unawares and wreck of lives and our churches. John says that if we receive them or even greet them we are as guilty as they are.

 

This is big deal, as they say. It is such a big deal that it one of the rare times where we don’t leave much room for niceties. The one group that Jesus constantly condemned was false teachers. False teachers, as those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, will chase great destruction.

 

We can move them. We can pray for them. But we cannot let them in. 

Mind yourself

 

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. – 2 John 7-8

 

It is sad to have to say that we must always be on guard. There are many deceivers out there who will try to destroy our faith and destroy our churches.

 

The first ones that we need to look after are ourselves. Why? Because is we don’t look out for ourselves, we can’t look out for others. It is kind of like the oxygen masks on a plane when they tell us that in case of an emergency we put on our own masks and then tend to our children or others who may need our help.

A common saying here among friends when departing is ‘mind yourself.’  It’s just a reminder to watch out for yourself and take good care of yourself.

 

We have a spiritual as well as a physical responsibility to do that. We must be ready to help others when they struggle, but we can’t do that unless we are minding ourselves first.

Love walk

 

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. - 2 John 6

 

There are plenty of descriptions about how God’s people are supposed to walk. Not least among them is this simple instruction to walk in love.

 

We can’t get away from them

 

People see our walk. We are often known by our own peculiar step or gait. I can tell my walking friends from far off by their walk.

 

Like that people ought to know us by our walks. My walk should be so full of love that everyone knows that I belong to Christ. A love walk removes any excuse for anger or bitterness of fighting or general ugliness. When people think of my walk their first thought needs to be that I am a man of love and that my love extends to all those around me.

 

Love ought to control how I work and play and treat my family and do my job and behave in public and what kind of citizen and neighbour I am in this current world.

 

It’s a daily question for us, how was my love walk today?

Getting through the day

 

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. – 2 John 2

 

Grace, mercy, and peace.

 

Wouldn’t life be lovely is those three words truly described our lives. They are all gifts from God given in truth and love.

 

How we long to live in God’s grace, by His mercy, and with peace in our hearts. It is a troublesome world. We all desire to live a quiet and peaceable life resting in God’s grace but so many things get in our way that the troubles of the world can overwhelm us.

 

God’s great grace abides in us in times of trouble. It anchors us to the Rock. By His day by day mercies we get through each day, they are new every morning. Jesus left a peace with us that cannot ever be taken away. We rest in His truth and we walk in His love.

 

This is the only way we an get through this old world, but the great thing is that we have a faithful God with a constant supply for us. We can rest in His grace and His mercy and His peace and His truth and in His love.

 

We need a daily dose of that every day,

Abiding truth

The Elder,

To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: - 2 John 1-2

 

John begins this second epistle, or mini-book, by calling himself the elder and addresses it to ‘the elect lady and her children. He tells these people that he loves then in truth, that they know the truth, and because they have a mutually abiding truth.

 

It’s the ‘truth that abides in us’ that grabs my attention here and I think the key words here are at the very end – ‘and will be with us forever.

 

I love this notion. Once God gives us the truth He does not take it back. It is with forever in every circumstance and in every situation. After all Jesus is the truth and He is never going to leave us.

 

Real truth gives us an anchor to cling on to. It gives us stability in a world that says there is no truth. Yet we have it and we need to fear ever leaving the truth that is in us.

 

As His truth abides in us, we need to constantly abide in Him.

Keep yourselves from idols

 

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

 

Here is a simple little sentence to finish the epistle. Little children, keep yourself for idols.

 

What does it mean for us to keep ourselves from idols?  Most of us do not have a god shelf in our sitting rooms. What are our idols then? How does this apply to us.

Though we may not have any idols that doesn’t mean that we don’t have our own kinds of idols. Our idols may not be stone statues. Our idols may be intangibles like popularity or fame of prestige. Our idols could be simply stuff. Our idols could be made of metals and plastics and screens and circuit board and electronics. Sometimes our idols can even me otherwise good things like families or children or friends.

 

But it is certain that we do have them.

Our idols are anything that get in between us and God. They can be intangibles like power and pride and prestige. They can be people or popularity. They can be homes and possessions and stuff in general. They can be entertainment or sports or gams or leisure activities. They can even be good things like family and friends. When any of these things become more of our focus than God they become our idols.

 

We can’t afford to be distracted by idols they on a god shelf or on our hearts or in our sitting rooms. We can tell if they are idols or not by how much time and attention we pay to them. Whichever gets our focus becomes our God.

Indeed, the warning to keep ourselves from idols is just as important as it ever has been.

An understanding

 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. - 1 John 5:20-21

 

If the whole world indeed in under the sway of the wicked one how do any of us come to know Christ as Saviour? How do we go from being under the sway of the wicked one to being of God? If we are under the sway of the wicked how do we possibly understand our need?

 

We can’t. Not on our own at least. But we have because God gives man a spirit of understanding as His Holy Spirit draws them to salvation. The word of God is clear that unless the spirit of God draws men they won’t turn to Him. When we seek Him He gives us a spirit of understanding.

 

The problem is not the fact that God gives understanding. God gives children all the need to be saved and He praises their simple faith and says that is the kind of faith that we need to have.

 

When God draws us He gives us the ability to grasp the truth. Without that we would be hopeless and helpless. Salvation is all of Him. 

Under the sway of the wicked one

 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. – 1 John 5.19

 

The whole world around us under the sway of the wicked one.

 

We are of God and the whole world is under the control of the wicked one. That’s pretty profound. That explains a lot.

 

That tells us why things are so amazingly wacky. It tells is why we don’t get the world and they don’t get us. We are indeed, in a sense, on two different planets. We are never going to be able to go back to our old life and without Christ they cannot join us.

 

That’s why we can’t be too harsh on the people around us. They are caught in his trap and held under his sway. They do what they do because that’s all they can do. Without Christ that’s all they are going to be able to do. We don’t war against them. 

According to His will

 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. – 1 John 5.14-15

 

We can read a lot about prayer. A lot of folks have the impression that if we want something bad enough and our faith is strong enough and we ask long enough when with enough fervency God is bound to do what we want.

 

That’s not his it works though. We don’t transform God’s will to ours. Why would we want to really? Who knows more? Who knows what is best?

 

When we pray we should always desire the will of God because we are trapped in time and space. We see this point in time and we see where we are right now and that is it.

God on the other hand sees the whole picture. He knows what is best not only for me right now and right here, but for everyone of all time. His will is what is best for us. He knows all of the ramifications.

 

So we pray for our needs and desires. We pray for others. We pray for healing and protection and we rejoice when we are in accord with His will. 

That you might know

 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. – 1 John 5.11-13

 

On the 12^th of February 1974 I was in the library basement at Widener College in Chester, Pennsylvania, the US.

 

I was there for a Bible study because I had found an invitation on the ground and picked it up to throw it in the bin. When I picked it up I saw that it was a notice to a Bible study in the basement of the college library.

 

A professor was leading a Bible study from 1 John 4. As I sat there I looked across the page and my eyes fell on this verse. I realized straight away that I did not know. I hadn’t really thought much about it, but as I sat there I knew that I didn’t know.

 

So I prayed. I believed but I did not know. So I believed in my heart and confessed with my mouth and I knew. I knew then and I know now that I have life in His name.

 

It is wonderful to remember the day that I met grace. As a result of that day and this promise I know one thing. I know that I have eternity in store and I know that in the meantime I have life in Him.

 

Thank God for knowledge like that. 

These three are one

 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. – 1 John 5.6-8

 

The Trinity is one of those great unknowns of scripture. It is impossible to really figure it out. How can three be one?

 

And yet there it is. The Trinity is clearly seen from the literal beginning.

 

Why is God a Triune God? As God surely He could do all that He does without three natures.

 

Of course, but I’m think there are a coup!e of reasons.

 

I think it is easier for us to understand God and the way He selflessness can see Him as a loving, heavenly Father, and as the Son of God who came to live and die for us, and as the indwelling Spirit living in us and being our comforter.

 

But I also see that God is a God in fellowship. He has fellowship with Himself. He created us for fellowship. We made us social beings to fellowship with each other.

 

The great Three in One. I think He is who He is to help us be what He wants us to be.  

Overcoming the world

 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? – 1 John 5.3-5

 

There was an old song that the enslaved people of the American south used to sing. Under the oppression of their enslavers they would do all they could to get through. Many of these people were people of great faith who were trusting God to deliver them from their chains. They sang a song called ‘We Shall Overcome' which became a theme song for so many oppressed people through the years.

 

We today are under oppression.  We are oppressed by the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world seems terribly strong. Some days it seems like, between the world, the flesh, and the devil it seems like the situation is impossible.

 

All those who are of God overcome the world. We already have overcome because we already have the final victory through Jesus Christ. We have accepted that victory by faith and it is that victory that allows us overcome the daily struggles of this world.

 

Not only will we over some someday, we have already over one the world. All we have to now is to be faithful until we see that victory manifested.

 

We have overcome. Let’s walk in victory. 

He who says

 

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. – 1 John 4.20-21

 

If anyone says that he loves God but hates His brother he is a liar.

 

This is a powerful statement that reminds me of the words of James when he wrote that we praise God with our mouths and at the same time curse our brethren. He says – these things ought not so to be.

 

If God loves us and God loves us and the love He loves us with cost Him His life and we are all in the same family how can we not love each other? 

 

God is love. He loved us. We didn’t deserve His love and yet He loved us. No one could possibly offend us like we offended God, and yet He still loved us. 

 

It is really sad that this even has to be said about our family members in the faith. Jesus gave His life for my brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all going to heaven to live for eternity. We are equally saved. We all have a common goal and a common purpose.

 

We can’t afford to let hatred creep in. It we claim to love God and still hate one another we lie. We can’t do both. Love is in both of us so we should love each other

Because He first loved us

We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4.19

 

We can only love God because He first loved us. That only makes sense how can we possibly love God without Him loving us.

 

He loved us first and He loved us enough to send Jesus to die on the cross for us. He loved us before the foundation of the world and He planned to save us because He loved us. He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that if we believe in Him we can have eternal life.

 

The phrase ‘He first loved us’ may be one of the greatest expressions in all of scripture.  Because of sin we were and enmity with God – we were His enemies. We were dead in our trespasses and our sin. We were in a well deserved helpless state that we could do nothing about. We could not muster up some kind of love for God. Our sin kept us blind to God. We were hopeless and helpless.

 

But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that we, by believing we might have eternal life.

 

Now a relationship is restored. Now we can love the One who loved us. Now we can obey to love Him and love others.

 

Because He loved us we ought to love each other.

No fear in love

 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4.18

 

God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. We read that back in 2 Timothy. Fear and love are not compatible. You can’t have both in the same place.

 

There is a Majesty Music song that says ‘how can I fear, Jesus is near, He ever watches over me. Worries all cease, He gives me peace.’

 

If we truly accept that God loves us we are going to know that He knows what is best for us. If He loves us we trust Him because we rely on His love and we are not going to be afraid.

 

I guess it could be said that if I walk in fear I really don’t believe God loves me. At least that’s what it indicates.

 

Fear is not of God. It is especially not of God’s love. How indeed can I fear?  

Us in Him and He in us

 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.  – 1 John 4.15,16

 

I love this – I really do. When we are saved something happens. Jesus lives in us and we live in Him.

 

What a perfect symbiotic relationship. In our symbiotic relationship one part is obviously the benefactor. I am alive in Christ and He is alive in me. I receive all the blessings and benefits of the relationship.

 

What makes this all happen?

 

It’s the love of God. The love of God unites Him with us and us with each other He is in me and I am in Him and we are one the spirit in love. With that common love why is it that so often we can’t seem to get along?

 

In addition to that we have the amazing truth that as Christian we abide in Christ, and Christ abides in us. Think about that. God lives in us and we live in God. Not just with each other, but abiding in each other. How is that even possible? It's certainly not anything we can do.

 

It is all by the grace of God and because of His love.

 

I can face whatever comes my way, but not because of me, but because of what God has done for me.