Love one another in truth

Sermon Transcript

Deception; it is one of the greatest obstacles you and I will ever face as we seek to walk the narrow path of faith in Jesus to the very end. Deception from false-teachers; it is probably the greatest danger that many of us don’t even know we’re facing. Deception doesn’t discriminate. It’s a danger common to young and old, wealthy and poor, single and married, new Christians, seasoned believers, and curious skeptics alike. 

 

There are a few reasons why the deception from false-teachers is so dangerous. First, there are so many false-teachers out there. Notice 2 John 1:7 says, “For Many deceivers have gone out into the world.” Just about anyone today can start a podcast or launch a YouTube page and sound like an expert in the Bible and theology. Deception is dangerous because there are so many deceivers. Secondly, deception from false-teachers is dangerous because deceivers don’t announce themselves as such. Notice 2 John 1:8 says “Watch yourselves.” If false-teachers were obvious, then we wouldn’t need to watch ourselves. I can still remember years ago when a false-teacher came to Citylight Church. He was not odd looking, crazy sounding, and he didn’t introduce himself as a deceiver. He was smart, articulate, and, perhaps worst of all, persuasive. He began peddling Bible teaching that stood in contradiction to historic Christian doctrine and acting divisively. He was a deceiver and he was especially dangerous because he wasn’t obvious about it at first. Finally, deception from false-teachers is so dangerous because of the consequences for us if we follow the teaching of deceivers. Notice the very stark warning in 2 John 1:8-9 – “Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God.” If we turn from the sound doctrine of Christ to follow the false-teaching of deceivers, we prove our faith to be false and will suffer eternal consequences. 

 

Being deceived is one of the greatest dangers we face. Thankfully, 2 John was not written to make us angry, defensive, and cause us to freak out in a world full of false-teaching. Rather, 2 John was written to help local churches, like Citylight Church, joyfully glorify God and make the real Jesus non-ignorable in a world full of deceivers. Now, this raises an important question: What does God say through the Apostle John to help local churches like ours thrive in a world full of deceivers? The answer may surprise you. Look with me at 2 John 1:1, 5 – The elder (Apostle John, Beloved Disciple – wrote the Gospel of John, all three letters of John, and Revelation) to the elect lady (probably a local church John knew well but wasn’t the pastor of) and her children (probably the members of the church), whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth…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. The greatest antidote against deception is a local church full of members who love one another in the truth of Christ. And that brings us to the big idea of our passage this morning: Church – Love one another in truth. It’s a command for the whole church to obey together: love one another in truth. Now, 2 John provides three reasons why only a church loving one another in truth will joyfully glorify God in a world full of deceivers. 1. Love thrives in truth 2. Love in truth is more joyful than deception 3. Love in truth is protection against deception

 

LOVES THRIVES IN TRUTH

 

2 John 1:1-3 – The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, [2] because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: [3] Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. Notice the way John greets the church. He says that he loves them in truth. Not only that, John says he’s not the only one who loves this local church. Rather, everyone who knows the truth loves this church “in truth” because the truth resides in followers of Jesus and will be with us forever. In other words, love thrives in truth. Citylight – to be a church that joyfully glorifies God and makes disciples of Jesus in a city and a world full of deceivers, we must love one another in truth because love thrives in truth. Ok – what does that mean?

 

To understand what we mean by “love thrives in truth,” we need to define love and truth. Let’s begin with truth. Remember that 2 John is all about a church thriving in true teaching, rather than being deceived by false teaching. So, in the context of 2 John, “truth” doesn’t mean “honesty.” John is not saying, “love one another in honesty and truth-speaking, rather than in lies,” as important as that is. Rather, he’s saying “love one another in true Christian doctrine, not false-doctrine.” Specifically, John is saying, “love one another in a community where you prize and uphold the truth that God the Son – Jesus Christ –  took on flesh and was born truly human and also truly God to be the only one who can save us from our sins and reconcile us to God the Father forever.” That’s “truth.” What about “love”? The first thing we have to say is that love is not merely actions, but it leads to actions. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul says that if he gives up his body to be burned for someone, but doesn’t love them, then he’s nothing. Therefore, we have to conclude that love isn’t an action, but it leads to actions. Love is when someone is dear to you. Therefore, I conclude that love is an affection of the heart that leads to actions with the hands. Love is an affection of the heart that leads to actions that serve another’s ultimate good and joy in God. 

 

Let’s piece this all together. For Citylight Church to glorify God and make disciples in a world full of deceivers, we pour our love into a church community that stands in the truth of the gospel because love thrives in the truth. Think about a greenhouse where plants grow for a moment. Why do horticulturists often build greenhouses for various plants to grow in? Simply, because many plants can grow for longer and thrive better in the controlled elements of a greenhouse. Greenhouses are where plants grow best. In a similar way, a church committed to the truth of the gospel, the truth of historic Christian doctrine, is where disciples of Jesus who love one another grow best. The truth is the greenhouse where love grows. Love thrives in truth. One practical implication that we can glean from the reality that love thrives in truth like a plant in a greenhouse is this: As Christians we never have to pit doctrine and love against one another. We never have to sacrifice one for the other. Instead we can prize both as precious because love thrives in truth. Can I ask you an honest question? Are you prioritizing one of these over the other? Are you all about books, doctrine, learning, and truth, but you don’t have much time for Citygroup, sacrificing your time for other church members, rich Christian friendships, mutual discipleship, and generous hospitality? On the other hand, are you all about life together and long-suffering love, but you treat doctrine and theology as an impractical afterthought? Prioritizing one over the other hurts both. If you’re more drawn toward doctrine, commit your time to a Citygroup and begin practically loving others, without giving up your love for truth. If you’re drawn toward relationships, begin reading God’s word or a rich theology book with a few other people without sacrificing doing practical good to them. What is your next step in helping Citylight be a church that loves one another in truth because love thrives in truth? The second reason we love one another in truth because

 

LOVE IN TRUTH IS MORE JOYFUL THAN DECEPTION

 

2 John 1:4 – I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children (members of the church he’s writing to) walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. Apparently, the Apostle John recently ran into some members from the church that he was writing to. John expresses his overwhelming joy that he found those church members walking in the truth; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God come in the flesh – truly human and also truly God – that he lived without sin, died for sinners, and rose again on the third day to eternally forgive and save all who repent and believe in Him. What John experienced when he found these men and women walking in the truth overwhelmed him with joy. In his words, “he rejoiced greatly.” Church – love one another in truth because life together in the greenhouse of doctrinal truth is so much more joyful than seeing one another fall into deception.

 

As part of our time away over the last few weeks, I officiated a wedding in Colorado for a former member of Citylight Church named Tyler Goglio. Some of you may remember him. One of the neat things about the wedding is that it was like a mini-reunion of people who used to be members of Citylight Church, but have moved to other parts of the country. I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me to see many of them still walking in the truth of the gospel and loving others in the context of a healthy church. Andrea and I were full to the brim with joy to see our spiritual children still walking in the truth. And while it was wonderful having the time away with my family, we love coming back to Citylight because there is nothing more joyful for us as a family than to be part of a church full of people walking in the truth. This is what life is all about: the joy of life together in the truth of Christ. Alternatively, there are few things sadder for me than when a church member here at Citylight becomes deceived, ceases to walk in the truth, and shows their faith to be in vain. Citylight – keep loving one another in truth because truth is more joyful than deception.

 

Friends – there is nothing like pouring your life into a church where the truth of the gospel makes us close, vulnerable, humble, encouraging, and a blast to be with, to the glory of God. When the gospel frees a people to stop protecting themselves and start loving one another openly and honoring one another with zeal, it’s such a happy thing. And, as John Piper says, “Such a happy community will not be easily deceived by the thin pleasures of sin.” Love one another in truth because love in the truth is more joyful than deception. Finally, love one another in truth because…

 

LOVE IN TRUTH IS PROTECTION AGAINST DECEPTION

  

I want you to notice the little word “for” that connects 2 John 1:6 to 2 John 1:7. There is a lot in that little word. 2 John 1:6-7 – 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. John is saying, “I want you to love one another in the truth with such joy and intentionality and sacrifice because there are a lot of deceivers out there.” In other words, your greatest protection against deception is pouring your life into an imperfect local church that loves one another in truth. Love in truth is protection against deception – especially the false-teaching that Jesus Christ didn’t come in the flesh as truly human and also truly God to save us from our sins. 

 

Denying the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh is probably not the primary deceptive false-teaching that Christians face today. It has been said that in the first 1,000 years of the church, the primary false-teaching surrounded the doctrine of God; issues like the Trinity and the true humanity and true divinity of Christ. It has also been said that in the second 1,000 years of the church, the primary false-teaching surrounded the doctrine of salvation; how sinful people are made right with a holy God. The Protestant reformation reestablished the biblical truth that sinful humans are saved and made right with God by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, apart from works. False-teaching about God and salvation are active today, but we now live in the third 1,000 years of the church and I believe it has been rightly said that most false-teaching in these days surrounds the doctrine of man. There are countless deceptive false-teachers who are now, in the name of Christianity, seeking to redefine what men and women are and redefine human marriage as something other than a lifelong union between one man and one woman. Let me be clear: Redefining marriage is as deceptive and deadly a false-teaching as redefining the nature of Christ because the marriage between one man and one woman exists to reflect the relationship between Jesus Christ and his bride, the church. The greatest protection against all deceptive false-teaching – past and present – is life together in a church that loves one another in the truth of Christ. Love in truth as protection against deception leads John to two final pieces of practical instruction. 

 

First, watch out for each other. 2 John 1:8 – Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Watch out for each other. Positively, this means that we should pour a lot of time into our relationships with one another in the church. We should study God’s word together, prayer together, enjoy life together, have fun together, and read rich doctrinal books together. Negatively, we should ask each other honest questions when we are concerned that a fellow church member is being deceived by false-teaching. Since the primary false-teaching today surrounds the doctrine of humanity, if you notice a fellow church member reading books or posting quotes by so-called Christian teachers that deny the categories of male and female, define same-sex attraction as good, or redefine marriage as being anything other than a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, ask them some honest questions. If asking those honest questions reveals that someone who claims to love Christ is being pulled away by anti-Christian teaching, we need to gently, but firmly point out the deceptive teaching and invite them to repent of being influenced by it. And if that doesn’t work, then you’ll need to courageously involve others in the church to help draw the person back from deception. This can be so scary to do. It does risk that you’ll seem unloving, but it’s worth it. It’s what love in truth does. Are you helping our church be a community that watches out for one another?

 

Second piece of practical instruction: Do not extend Christian fellowship and hospitality to false-teachers or false-Christians. 2 John 1:10-11 – 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. The Holy Spirit, through John, is not forbidding you to invite a Jehovah’s Witness into your home when they show up at your door so that you can correct their false-teaching and, Lord-willing, win them to Christ. Similarly, the Spirit is not forbidding you from going to coffee with someone who has been excommunicated from our church for not walking in the truth if your purpose is to call them to repent and believe in Christ again. However, the Spirit is forbidding having the kind of friendship with a false-teacher or false-Christian that makes them think you have any other purpose but lovingly winning them to the truth of Christ. The Spirit is forbidding giving even the slightest bit of aid in their false-teaching endeavors through your professional skills or financial support. The Spirit is forbidding giving a false-Christian or teacher any indication that you might agree with them or think their deception isn’t dangerous. Love one another in truth because love in truth is protection against deception and deceivers. 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Now, let’s get back to the greenhouse. I have an honest confession to make: I have absolutely no interest in gardening and I would never spend my time or money building one of these urban greenhouses. I’m trying to raise children, not flowers. Having said that, one of my favorite memories from the gloomy season that was the COVID-19 pandemic was going to Longwood Gardens with my family. I’m not a plant guy, but those massive greenhouses with their perfectly manicured gardens and gorgeous flowers blew me away. It was gorgeous and captivating, even to someone like me. That’s you, Citylight Church. You’re a beautifully community of love sustained in the greenhouse of the one true gospel. So, keep giving your life, your time, your energy, and your priorities to loving one another in truth because truth thrives in love, love in truth is more joyful than deception, and love in truth is protection against deception.