PT-5 "Being Loyal to the Truth" (2 John 7-8)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/7/2025 8:31 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  PT-5 “Being Loyal To The Truth”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                           Reference:  2 John 7-8

 

            Message of the verses:  “7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.”

 

            I realize that this is a lot of information on these two verses, and that has always been the way that I like to study the Bible.  The pastor at our church is going through the book of Matthew, and he said that it would take a year to get through it.  In my study of Matthew it took me one week less than five years to get through it, and it took me a little over a year to study Matthew 5-7 which is the Sermon on the Mount.  He will go through it in six weeks.  I am glad that I can study the Bible on my own, and do it the way that I like to do it and then also happy that I can share it as I put it onto my blogs which today when I looked at the two different blogs that I have had a combination of 37 countries where the Spirit of God has sent them to.  Now some of the countries were on both blogs and so the total was over 20 different countries, and that makes me very happy.

 

            I will now complete the last portion from John MacArthur’s commentary on this SD which will end our study of these two verses.

 

            “Like every faithful pastor, John and Paul were concerned that those under their care not lose ground spiritually.  It was that concern that prompted Paul to sharply rebuke the Galatians for dabbling in false doctrine:

 

1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

 

“The church today has a legacy that has been handed down to it, a heritage that must be preserved at all costs.  Men of God throughout history have preached, taught, and defended the true gospel, often at great cost of time, effort, and persecution—even to the point of death.  As his life drew to a close, Paul repeatedly exhorted Timothy to protect the truth that had been handed down to him:  ‘O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you’ (1 Tim. 6:20); ‘Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you’ (2 Tim. 1:13-14); ‘You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them’ (2 Tim. 3:14; cf. 2 Thess. 2:15).

 

            “But those who, influenced by false teachers, slip backwards risk far more than undoing the labor of faithful shepherds.  The tragic consequences of their spiritual regression will include failing to receive a full reward.  The Bible teaches that believers will be rewarded in heaven for their service in this life (e.g., Matt. 5:12; 10:42-42; Luke 6:35; 1 Cor. 3:10-15; 4:3-5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Col. 3:24; Rev. 22:12).  While salvation cannot be lost (cf. John 6:37-40; Rom. 5:1; 8:1, 28-39; Heb. 7:25; 1 Peter 1:4), unfaithful believers may forfeit some of the reward that faithfulness to the truth would have gained them.  John did not want to see that happen to those whom he lived and labored among.  Paul had the same concern in mind when he warned the Colossians, Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind’ (Col. 2:18).

 

            “Believers must be discerning and decisively reject deceiving false teachers, no matter how loudly they clamor for love and tolerance.  Loyalty to the truth, written and incarnate, demands it, and the consequences of not doing so—both now and in eternity—are sufficient reason to be faithful.”

 

            With that we end this section from 2 John 7-8, and Lord willing we will begin to look at “Guarding the Truth” found in 2 John 9-11.

 

5/7/2025 8:58 PM