John writes a quick note to counsel a friend. Today we would probably put it in an email. It is so short I found it helpful to read it twice. To start, John sounds like a broken record… love = obedience. Having read his gospel and first letter, I have heard this refrain more than a few times.
Having reminded his friend of the foundation and without hesitation, John moves on. Pay attention to your input, make sure your faith-input is solid, consistent with what you have been taught, in my language, make sure it is biblical.
Verses 7-11: Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
If people change or distort the truth, beware, do not even let them in your house.
Back in that day, the issue was traveling preachers. Today we open the door into our lives through the things we read in print or on the computer/internet. We open the door into our lives through the things we see and hear on TV or download to our PDA. We have to be vigilant to guard the faith-information we take in. A little distortion here, another one there, and before we know it, we are outside the boundary of the Christian faith and in danger of loosing what we have worked for.
As I muse over this, the whisper of God is saying to me, “Stay in the Word, learn the content of the Word, stick to the content of the Word, build your life and faith-foundations on the Word, and measure what advice others give you by the Word.”
A quote by Martin Luther comes to mind. When asked to recant the faith he was teaching and believing, Luther said to the effect, ‘Unless I am convinced by Scripture and solid reason I will believe no other thing.’
Father, hem my life in by Your Word. Jesus, protect my life with Your Word. Holy Spirit, bring to my mind the full teaching of the Word, that I might not stray from You in my believing or my living… amen.
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