689 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 2 Part 1 Book 58 - Love and Truth

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 2 * PART 1 * BOOK 58 LOVE AND TRUTH II & III JOHN Then the fourth kingdom that ruled and reigned while Christ of course had His earthly ministry, was the Roman. The president was exactly right. All right, now then guess we can start the little epistle of II John, remembering now that these are written to Jewish believers. Now granted these Jewish epistles are not the place where we build our doctrine for salvation because our Gospel of salvation is not in there. And as I’ve been pointing out this last several programs, you cannot find our Gospel of salvation in these Jewish epistles. All right so now in the second epistle of John, written by the Apostle John, who wrote the gospel account of John, and who was one of the Twelve, who also writes the book of Revelation. This little epistle is just a little short personal letter written evidently to a rather well-to-do lady who was very instrumental in helping John in his ministry. II John 1:1a "The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth;…" II John 1:1a "The elder (speaking of himself) unto the elect lady (a believing Jewish lady, who no doubt was quite well to do) and her children, whom I love in truth (or Jesus Christ;)…" Because if you’re in Truth, you’re in Christ. II John 1:1b-2 II John 1:3 "Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, (and again) in truth and in love." All right now I’m going to be dealing with this word love in just a couple of verses, so we’ll move on down to it. Verse 4. II John 1:4 II John 1:5a Not so far as these Jewish believers are concerned. We’ll look at verses 8, 9 but the word we’re looking for is in verse 10. Philippians 1:8-10a "For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels (or very innermost parts) of Jesus Christ. Now here’s the verse. Well what’s so different? All right, so there’s a difference in terminology again between John writing to these Jewish believers, who are just an extension of Christ’s earthly ministry, an extension of Pentecost in these intervening years. Now back to II John. II John 1:5 Now you have to realize that John is really the apostle who is constantly hammering home the love of God. God is Love. Love is not God. God is Love. Love is not necessarily God. And so here’s where we have to even watch our wording that God is Love. He is Love supreme. And I always like to remind folks and as well as myself, when did this outpouring of the love of God toward the human race begin? Return it. That’s the whole purpose of the human race, is that He could have a created being that He could show His love; He could extend His love and then have every right to expect love returned. It’s not a forced love. We love Him because He first loved us. And so John is probably the strongest writer of Scripture to prove the point that God is Love. Again we’ll compare Scripture. Paul also speaks of the love of Christ. Romans 5:8 "But God (Not man. Not angels, but) God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, (God loves the sinful human race) Christ died for us." "For the love of Christ (see how Paul is pointing that out?) Romans 3:23 Fallen man. Whom did God love? All right, and so it’s constant throughout Scripture how that the love of God is the expression of His very person as the Creator of everything. II John 1:6a "And this is love, (so far as the Jew’s relationship with God was concerned) that we walk after his commandment…." All right, and this is what John is encouraging these Jewish believers to still hang on to. II John 1:6b What is the best definition of love? Remember? God is constantly concerned about what’s best for us. Let’s go back for a moment to Romans chapter 8. Romans 8, let’s just start at verse 5. Romans 8:5 Now verse 6. Romans 8:6a (spiritual death.) Romans 8:6 Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Romans 8:7a enmity against God,…" Romans 8:7b Because they’re enemies. All right, now that’s mankind’s attitude toward God. They don’t want anything to do with Him, but yet His love is always being "commended toward us even yet while we were sinners" and consequently, out of love, "Christ died for us." All right, let’s come back again to II John. II John 1:6 "And this is love, (this is what God is manifesting toward even these Jewish believers) that we walk after His commandments, (which at that time were still resting on the Ten but all the other 613 were part and parcel of it) This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible