Standing For The Truth

Like Paul’s epistles, the primary focus of the epistles of James, Peter, John and Jude is on developing a strong spiritual life.  II John 1:1-3 stresses the point that truth is eternal.  “The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.  Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

Jesus is the truth, as he states in John 14:6.  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  In John 14:16-17 Jesus promised, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”  The same spirit of truth that empowered Jesus abides with and in those who believe. 

Many cars today have GPS systems in them, but sometimes people get lost because they haven’t learned how to use them, or don’t follow the instructions.  In the same way, every Christian receives the Holy Spirit, but many never learn to let him direct them.  John was thrilled that the Christians he was writing to were following what the Holy spirit taught them, as he says in II John 1:4-7.  “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.  And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.  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.  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.” 

Just as the map and the GPS should indicate the same things, the scriptures and Holy Spirit should give pretty much the same directions.  However, if you just ask people off the street how to get someplace, you risk getting bad instructions, because they may not know.  We need to be careful where we get our directions for living a spiritual life, because some have no clue and others deliberately mislead.  Just as following bad instructions can wind up with us getting lost or stuck in a dangerous situation, following flawed spiritual teaching can put us in spiritual danger. 

II John 1:8-11 tells us to be careful about who we listen to.  “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”  We can lose the rewards we have already earned by just going along with false teachers.    If they do not Take God’s teachings seriously or follow them, they don’t really believe in God as the final authority.  To go along with their practices, or even to tell them God bless you is to in effect to place your approval on their false teachings.  We are supposed to stand for what is right, not to support what is not.