Tiny But Mighty Second John: Lesson 6 - The Deceivers

Read 2 John 7-11.

Focus on 2 John 7.

 

Knowledge

Answer the following questions from the text:

What word connects verses 6 and 7?

Who has gone out into the world?

Whom do these not acknowledge?

What do they not acknowledge about that one?

Those who do not acknowledge this—what are they called? (Two answers)

Understanding & Wisdom

In verses 4-6, John has affirmed to the readers of the need to love one another by walking in the truth of God’s commandments. He ends the sixth verse specifically emphasizing that his reader should continually conduct their lives according to this command. Today we see why the apostle felt it so necessary to reiterate that basic truth: There were false teachers roaming the streets.

Many deceivers

Now there is a paragraph break placed between verses six and seven in many translations. While that makes it easier for our modern eyes to read, paragraph breaks did not exist in the original manuscripts, and there is no break in John’s train of thought between verses six and seven. If anything, it is quite the opposite: The first word in verse seven, for, shows that these two verses are connected. Verse seven doesn’t mark a change of subject but continues John’s train of thought from verse six.

And what does this little conjunction tell us? The word seems to be used in a causative sense here. That is, the word for says that which follows explains the why of what went before. So here it is telling us why it’s important to conduct ourselves according to the commandment: We face the problem of many deceivers having gone out into the world.

Or to put it in the reverse, because there are many deceivers roaming the world, we ought to behave according to that which John outlined for us in verses five and six. Indeed, the implication seems to be that our first—or perhaps even our primary—defense against deceivers lays in obeying those instructions.

Question to ponder: How does loving each other by walking according to God’s commands protect us against spiritual deceivers?

Now who are these people John says we’re to guard against?

First, he calls them “deceivers.” This word is rooted in the physical concept of wandering and leading astray. It was even used in secular Greek for the labyrinth and for how it confused and led people astray geographically. The concept then came to be applied figuratively to seduction and causing someone to be mistaken. (Bauer’s Lexicon, page 821-822; Vine’s Expository Dictionary, page 151; The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged, pages 857-860) This reveals three common attributes of deceivers:

1) These people are intentional. They know exactly what they are doing. It is not a mistake or a coincidence or an accident. They act with the purpose to mislead.

2) These people are attractive. They sound inviting. Their teaching seems right. Their words entice. They make a great first impression and initially appear quite likeable. Attracting a following is not difficult for them.

3) Most importantly, these people are untrustworthy. Like the sirens of Greek mythology, they lure you off course to your destruction. They might sound good, but they teach error. Their ways may be attractive, but they draw you away from walking according to God’s commands. Their ideas may seem reasonable, but they lead you into error. They confuse and obfuscate, fogging the mind so that you walk without a clear sense of direction, which allows them to lead you wherever they want.

Next, John describes these deceivers as having gone out into the world. This is the image of spreading and infiltration, like a cloud of smoke or a contagious virus. These deceivers are not confined to a specific locale. They are not constrained to specific environments. They are not restricted to a set route or precise path. Like spores borne upon the wind, they go wherever and everywhere in search of the perfect conditions to sprout. No one is immune or protected against their visitation. All we can do is to make conditions unfavorable for their taking root. Therefore, we all must be on our guard against them.

Question to ponder: How do we make conditions unfavorable for these deceivers and their teachings, both within our homes and our churches?

John now zeroes in on a specific error being propagated in the first century, mainly that Christ did not come bodily and was not fully human. This idea, part of the Gnostic heresy, came from a secular Greek idea that the spirit was good but matter was evil. However, Jesus was supposed to be sinless. Therefore, they concluded that Jesus couldn’t have truly come in the flesh, since that would taint him with evil. Jesus only appeared to be human. (Swindoll’s Living Insights: 2 John, page 143)

For me, this then provides two sets of applications. First, indirectly, it provides us a basic pattern for false teaching. Second, the passage then directly provides us a core belief about the nature of Christ.

A Pattern of False Teaching

Though I’m no expert in this topic, the development of this particular heresy provides a basic template that many false teaching follows. Therefore, while it is not directly found in this verse, I believe it is a worthwhile excursion to take so that we don’t follow the same path. I see three basic elements here:

1) False teaching is syncretistic. That is, it blends together the beliefs of Christianity with secular or cultural beliefs. In this case, the belief that Jesus is the sinless One, completely untainted by anything evil is biblically accurate. However, the belief that matter is evil was a completely secular idea, not rooted in Scripture. Gnosticism joined these two beliefs into one system of theology. So heresy arises when we mix our secular and cultural beliefs with our Christian faith, and this is one reason why false teaching can be so difficult to combat—it is a mixture of truth and lie.

2) False teaching appears logical. The conclusion the Gnostics arrived at is perfectly logical. If it is true that Christ is sinless, and if it is true that matter is evil, then it must be that Christ could not have a material body. The problem with false teaching often doesn’t lie with how they arrive at their conclusion, but with the foundation with which they start. Yet another reason why false teaching can be hard to detect and counter—you must return to the origins. Which leads us to:

3) False teaching has a cracked foundation. This is probably what most significantly sets apart true false teaching from the simple mistakes and the erroneous beliefs that we all have, pastors and Bible teachers included. For we all at time misapply a passage, lack the knowledge or maturity to correctly interpret, and fail to carry something through to a logical conclusion. But these erroneous beliefs don’t deal with foundational assumptions or core beliefs, but generally deal with matters of how should we live, such as keeping the Sabbath or the matter of eternal security.

Now some errors will have more problematic impact on our lives than others. Crooked wallpaper has less impact on a house than a crooked wall. Likewise, for example, your views of rapture probably won’t as impact your life as much as your views on sexuality. But a wrong view doesn’t necessarily equal the false teaching or heresy we’re talking about here.

False teaching, however, messes with the integrity of core beliefs—that is, those beliefs which primarily (though not exclusively) pertain to matters of salvation. This would include things like how we obtain salvation and the death and resurrection of Christ. You mess with these beliefs and everything else we believe is destabilized. In short, the foundation under false teaching is cracked, undermining the entire structure.

Questions to ponder: What are some of the non-negotiable, core beliefs we have as Christians? In light of all this, how do we prevent ourselves from falling into false teaching?

Doctrine of Incarnation

This leads us back to the false teaching being specifically countered here. Although incarnation is not the term John uses here, that is the basic belief being disputed: Did Jesus Christ truly come to earth as a human, not merely as an apparition that appeared human? John says those who deny the Incarnation are deceivers, so John is testifying that Jesus did absolutely take on human flesh, not merely human appearance. He had skin and blood and bones. He had muscles and organs. He had tendons and sinews and vessels. Just like the rest of us.

Why is this so important?

There are many reasons. If He did not have flesh, Scripture lied, and if it lied about this important subject, how could we trust anything else it says? And if He did not have flesh, then He couldn’t have experienced everything we experience as humans and would be unable to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). And if He did not have flesh, then He would not be able to accurately represent us as our mediator before God (1 Timothy 2:5).

But perhaps most of all, if Jesus did not have flesh, then He could not have died on the cross. If He did not die on the cross, He did not shed real blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22). If there is no forgiveness, then we are still dead in our trespasses and doomed for destruction. Therefore, to deny Christ is come in the flesh is to deny our very means of salvation. But Hebrews 2:14 says, “Since the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

Antichrist

Finally, John concludes the seventh verse by reiterating that the one who denies this truth is the deceiver—the one who leads astray. Then he adds this person is also “the antichrist.”

Now because of how we use that term, this statement could be a bit confusing, so allow me to clarify some. In modern Christianity, we often associate the term antichrist with a specific person, a ruler at the end of time who will set up himself as the ultimate opposite—the anti—of Christ.

That is not how the term is being used here. In fact, the term antichrist is only used four times in Scripture: here, in 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, and 1 John 4:3. Interestingly, in none of those passages is the Antichrist of the End the main focus.

Adding to the confusion, Greek and English use the article “the” in different ways. Here, it is easy to read the English the before antichrist as referring to a specific person. However, the Greek the was more likely used categorically. That is, it was pointing out a specific type of person—a category of people—not a specific person. This is why some translations choose to use “an antichrist” instead of “the antichrist.”

All this to say, this false teacher is not merely misleading people. He or she is actually opposing Christ—that is, anti (against) Christ. If they are opposing Christ, they are not of Christ. So though they may claim to be Christians, though they may claim to follow Jesus, the reality is that they are actually His enemy and working against Him. It is this active opposition that frames John’s tough words of verse 8-11, which we will look at in the next lesson.

Question to ponder: Why is important to establish that the group John speaks of as antichrists? 

Make it personal

One truth learned:

One area of conviction:

One way to correct:

Written prayer:

New Christian Fiction: February 2026

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Children’s Middle Grade /Chapter: 
The Cowbird’s Truth by Erin Greneaux -- What happens when the most dangerous enemy turns out to be yourself? Maya and Everly continue their quest to find the missing Virtue Gems, and this time, their greatest challenge may be each other. When the evil Deceptra offers them surprising help, including a powerful stone, the sisters must decide whether they can trust her. (Children’s/Middle Grade, Independently Published)

Apple Butter Adventure by Jennifer E. Tirrell and Lisa M. Pritchard -- Join four preteen cousins as they take their first steps toward becoming the kind of young men and women who can be trusted--brave, responsible, and ready to help--right here in the first book of a brand-new mystery series. (Children’s/Middle Grade, Turtledove Publishing)

The Case of the Midnight Mystery by Becca Wierwille -- In this Christian mystery for kids, a girl and her canine sidekick must figure out why strange things keep happening at wilderness camp—in the middle of the night. (Children’s/Middle Grade, Independently Published)
Contemporary Romance:
Mesmerize by Darlene M. Corbett -- She gave him up but hope to win him back through stories. Set against the backdrop of Las Vegas, Boston, and Dubai, a dazzling romance comes to life. Can a storyteller win back the love of her life through tales sprinkled with faith and love. (Contemporary Romance from WordCrafts Press)

A Texas Easter Blessing by Mindy Obenhaus -- After his marriage fails, single father Ryder Sinclair returns to his hometown with his young son to care for his ailing mother. He’s surprised to run into his teenage crush, Kendall Hunt, whose career as a professional chef has been shaken by scandal. As the two work together to save an Easter event usually hosted by Ryder’s mother, Kendall finds herself longing for this sense of family with Ryder and little Shepard. But when she has a chance to go back to the life she once knew, will she choose the dream she’s spent years chasing…or the new dream that has taken hold of her heart? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Hearts on the Fly by Toni Shiloh -- Jabari Hall has spent his entire life chasing victory on the ice--but one devastating hit leaves him benched, not just from hockey but from the future he thought he had. Now, as he struggles with deteriorating eyesight, his well-meaning teammates set him up on a date, hoping it will cheer him up--only the date they choose is none other than Val Elliott, his ex's sister. Val never expected to be sitting across from Jabari, especially after the way he broke her sister's heart. But when Jabari opens up about his diagnosis, Val's guarded heart softens, and she offers him a listening ear. What begins as a simple friendship quickly turns into something more. (Contemporary Romance from Bethany House [Baker Publishing Group])

  Historical Biblical:

A Deeper Well by Jill Eileen Smith -- In ancient Israel, soon after Nessa is of marriageable age, her father gives her to a wealthy widowed friend, capitalizing on her beauty to bring in the highest bride-price he can find. Nessa is devastated, as she had begged to marry Lavi, who returned her love and saw more in her beyond her appearance. But Nessa's betrothal leads to Lavi's departure, compounding her grief, and she can never forget her forbidden first love. (Historical/Biblical from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])
Historical Romance:
Mail-Order Baroness by Misty M. Beller -- Five sons of an English duke, all raised in the Rocky Mountains…James Balfour, the charming middle son of an English duke, is determined to prove he’s capable of taking leadership of his family’s Montana ranch as the next deadly winter approaches. With the household stretched to its limits, James crafts a clever plan to hire Rose Prescott—his childhood best friend—and to right an old wrong. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Ambush of the Heart by Mary Connealy -- As Owen Riley and his fellow Marshals escort Delaney Bridger, her brother, and an escaped prisoner to Fort Russell, a gang of outlaws ambushes them, bringing death and devastation to their party. With their lives on the line and the outlaws in pursuit, Owen directs the rest of his battered group to seek hiding at a remote ranch. After the attack leaves her brother Boone seriously injured, Delaney helps Owen, nursing Boone and a wounded Marshal back to health while danger looms ever closer. Despite the threat at their heels, romance sparks between Owen and Delaney as they fight for survival on their perilous trek to the fort. Can they overcome the obstacles and find a future together? (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker Publishing Group])

Undercover Wish by Danielle Grandinetti -- CHICAGO, Ill., 1892—Stunt reporter Ali Di Stasio will risk anything to expose the truth and protect her fellow orphans, including rummaging through trash bins and putting herself in the crosshairs of the dangerous elite. After living on the streets, she knows every corner of her city, which means she can stay one step ahead of the cops, the powerful men who’d love to silence her before she can reveal their secrets, and the occasional wealthy bachelor wandering through her alleyways, lost and in danger of being mugged. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

To Find Where She Belongs by Robin Lee Hatcher -- Guilt followed her across an ocean. Grace called her home. Desperate to leave Hooke Manor, Keely Boyle does what she feels she must in order to flee England for America, hoping to make a new life with the help of a man who befriended her years before. But when she arrives at Eden’s Gate, a large cattle ranch in the shadows of the Tetons, it is William Overstreet who offers her a fresh start. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Risky Business by Kimberly Keagan -- An American heiress. A British barrister with a need for speed. The London social season that changes everything. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

The Caregiver at Wounded Knee by Debby Lee -- Rose Rushing Water, an Oglala Sioux trained back East in nursing, is torn between two brothers--one who seeks to appease the government and one who fights to cling to the old ways at all costs. Tribal policeman Nathaniel Gray Cloud struggles to keep peace on the reservation and support his sister, who is also desperate to hold on to family traditions. Can Rose and Nathaniel find a peace that comes only from God, or will they lose their families and their lives as tensions reach a boiling point at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Texas Reclaimed by Sherry Shindelar -- Cora Scott is determined to hold onto her family's Texas ranch and provide a stable home for her young half-brother, Charlie, despite the mounting challenges of post-Civil War frontier life. But when a scheming creditor threatens to seize their land, she must accept help from Ben McKenzie, a former Yankee soldier sent by her late brother. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)

Mists Over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin -- In World War II, Dr. Ivy Picot risks her life to treat men who have escaped from the German forced labor camps in her native Jersey. But when Dutch engineer Gerrit van der Zee sneaks maps of fortifications off the island, it could cost them both everything they love. (Historical Romance from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])

Mining for Love by Candice Sue Patterson -- Petite, fierce, and respected by the men who work for her, Daisy Connelly rules her rare watermelon tourmaline mine in Newry, Maine, with an iron will. When profits begin to vanish and the local sheriff refuses to intervene, Daisy realizes someone is stealing from her—and that remaining an unmarried woman may make her an easy target. So she does the unthinkable. Daisy proposes a marriage of convenience to private investigator Samson Gray, hoping a sudden husband will draw the culprit into the open. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Romantic Suspense:
Deadly Rodeo Threat by Sami A. Abrams -- A trail of missing women...leads him right into a killer’s trap. When his twin sister disappears, Navy SEAL Logan Russell’s search for her leads him deep into the woods, where he finds her best friend in the clutches of a masked assailant. Sheriff Isabelle Sinclair is determined to solve Lisa’s mysterious disappearance the night of her last rodeo—and someone will do anything to keep her from digging too deep (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense [Harlequin])

Deadly Currents by Elizabeth Goddard -- Investigative journalist Cressida arrives in Hidden Bay after a worldwide journey to finish her late father's manuscript on shipwrecks. As she tries to discover the story behind the "ghost ship" Specter's Bounty, her only lead is a name her father left behind--Evelyn Monroe. As Cressida uncovers more about the ship, she quickly realizes that her research has placed her in the crosshairs of dangerous forces. (Romantic Suspense from Revell [Baker Publishing Group])

Asher by Melanie D. Snitker -- Nova Sheridan’s world is shattered when a corporate conference becomes a hunting ground. With two of her colleagues murdered and a mysterious package left in her care, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer. Unsure of who to trust, Nova turns to her old college friend, Asher Durham, a seasoned security specialist. As they navigate a web of deception and danger, Nova and Asher must rely on their wits and each other to survive. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

A Royal Request by Paige Edwards -- A forged signature. A splintering romance. And a stalker who won’t quit until death do they part. Anabelle thought the flowers were from her boyfriend... She was wrong. (Romantic Suspense from Balquidder Books)

  Speculative Fiction/Fantasy:
The Restitching of Camille DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin -- When Emlyn DuLaine accidentally bridges multiple storyworlds, she must untangle their collapsing realities—and rescue her long-lost sister Camille from a storybook trap—before a plan seventeen years in the making shatters the universe for good. (Speculative/Fantasy from Enclave Publishing [Oasis Family Media]) 

Book Recommendation: The Chaos Grid Duology

 Reading fiction through the eyes of faith: 

The Chaos Grid / The Crier Stone (The Chaos Grid Duology) by Lyndsey Lewellen

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction/Dystopian

The Story: The teen tries to escape from a saving a city she despises.

Content Notes: A fair amount of violence, but no gory descriptions. A light clean & sweet romance. Drug use. A few supernatural elements, mostly attributed to God's intervention. 

Why I loved this duology: The fresh look at the Jonah story in a way that makes Jonah very relatable. The world is complex and engaging. The fantastical creatures and the porting game are extremely imagination. The plot is fast paced and very engaging.

Pair with Jonah (Chapters 1-2 for Chaos Grid; Chapters 3-4 for Crier Stone).

Ponder God's mercy upon the undeserving--and how undeserving we are of God's mercy.

Pray for God to deal with any area of bitterness and anger in your heart toward others and to replace it with willing, whole-hearted obedience of Him.

Tiny But Mighty Second John: Lesson 5 - Love One Another

Read 2 John 1:4-6.

Focus on 2 John 1:5-6.

 

Knowledge

Answer the following questions from the text:

v. 5 Of whom does John make a request?

What does he ask of her?

What is this request not?

Rather, how long have we had this?

v. 6 What is love?

Therefore, what is the commandment? (Combine info from v. 5-6)

When was the command heard?  

Why was the command given?

 

Understanding & Wisdom

In verse four, John expresses his joy that some of the lady’s children are walking in truth. Such behavior is in accordance with the Father’s commandment, and therefore gladdens the old apostle’s heart. But not all of the lady’s children are living in this way, and perhaps that concern is what prompts John’s request in verse 5.

John’s Request

First, John says he is making a request of the lady. There are many words John could have used here, but the one he chose implies familiarity and equality, that he does not see the lady as either superior or inferior to himself, as he easily could have.

Second, John insists that what he is writing is nothing new. This doesn’t refer primarily to time (there’s another Greek word for that), but more significantly, this newness is different in nature or quality from the “old.” This is important because during this period, a group of false teachers (possibly the Gnostics) were justifying their teaching in part by claiming that it was “new and improved,” and therefore superior to previous teaching.

Rather, John insists what he is asking for is the same as has been properly taught from the beginning. Many see this as a reference to Jesus’ words in John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” While this teaching may have been circulated verbally, the gospel of John, according to many scholars, would not have been written by this time, and so it may or may not have been known to the readers. 

So the Upper Room discourse may have been in John’s mind, but I wonder if his mind didn’t go even further back. After all, he was Jewish, schooled in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). He would have known that the command for God’s people to love each other had existed from the very beginning of God setting aside a people for Himself, and that the very first commands God gave the new nation of Israel included “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)

For God has not changed His expectations for His people. He expected them to love each other when He first set Israel apart at Mt. Sinai, and that did not change with the advent of Jesus or the rise of the church. Indeed, what made Jesus’ command new in John 13 was not the command itself, but the depth of our understanding of the command’s meaning because we have Jesus’ example to follow.

Therefore, John says his request is rooted in a command that existed from the beginning, rebutting a common element of false teachers, that they claim their teaching isn’t false; it’s merely new, progressive, more enlightened.

This problem didn’t end with the first century but carried on through to us in the 21^st century. The most obvious manifestation of this is the “new revelation” that creates cults. But even in our regular churches this attitude can infiltrate in other, more insidious ways, so we must always be on the guard against this.

Question to ponder: What are some of the ways that our churches end up ditching the old for the new, theologically speaking?

Finally, we reach the commandment and John’s request: That we love one another.

The love commanded here is the agape love that we discussed earlier. This love is specifically said to be expressed for “one another.” Again, love for each other has always been God’s intention for His people, in both the Old and the New Testament. It was always one of the major ways His people were to be distinguished from all other people. As Jesus noted, this love for God’s people was one of the dominate ways people will know we are His disciples (John 13:35). So while we are to love the non-Christian, it is not our love for the outsider that sets us apart. It is how we love other Christians that sets us apart, that marks us as Christ’s followers.   

Question to Ponder: Why is it our love for other Christians, not non-Christian, that sets us apart?

Love & Commands

John must have also known that some—perhaps even those children who were not walking in truth—would claim that they were loving each other as commanded. The problem, however, was that they were apparently loving as they wanted to love.

So how are we to love each other? This is often a point of great contention, and this command to love each other has been used as justification for many actions—and the argument against many others.

In the midst of these debates, we often forget it’s not up to us to define love. We don’t get to choose how to apply this command. That’s God’s job, and He hasn’t left us in the dark about His expectations. He doesn’t leave it to us determine what it means. Rather, He has clearly made known exactly what He means when He commanded, “Love one another.” Which brings us to verse 6, where John wastes no time clearly and precisely defining love: It is walking—that is, conducting our lives—according to God’s commands. No more. No less.

So true love cannot exist apart from obedience to God’s commandments. A life characterized by disobedience cannot be loving. Agape love cannot coexist with a lifestyle of sin.

Positively, this means we have been given precise instructions on how to love one another. For yes, the two greatest commandments sum up the Law and the Prophets. What we forget is that Jesus’ statement about the greatest commands goes two ways.

For the two greatest commandments don’t eradicate the other commandments found in the Law and the Prophets, leaving us to define how we do/express those two things. The greatest commandments summarize all the others. Everything in the Law and the Prophets exist as an explanation of how we’re to love God with our whole self and how we love our neighbor as ourselves. For every command in Scripture explains either 1) how to love God or 2) how to love people. Which means all commands are important, and to ignore them is to fail to love.

Question to ponder: What are some of the commands which are expressions of loving one another? 

This means obedience is not one expression of love among many. It is not merely one aspect or attribute of love. We’re told here that obedience is love. You cannot separate love and obedience. Therefore, our ability to love is directly tied to our willingness to obey. This is why God can command us to love, since obedience is an act of the will.

This applies equally to us as a collective church as it does to us individually. A church conducting itself in defiance of God’s commandments cannot love each other as we have been commanded. And if it is not loving in this way, it will lose its distinctiveness as God’s people.

This connection between love and obedience is also why we saw with verse one that agape love cannot exist apart from Truth. Love is to obey God’s command. God’s commandments are found in Truth alone.

So are you unsure how we are to love one another? Many people must be, for I once received a catalogue, whose cover advertised a book entitled, Loving People Who Are Hard To Love. I don’t know what answers the book provides to that question, but John provides the basic answer here. We don’t have to drum up feelings of compassion or warmth, pity or affection. We don’t have to like how a person is living or even the person himself. We don’t have to please them or make them like us or cause them to feel good about themselves. Rather, God has left us a complete instruction manual explaining exactly how to we are to love each other. All we have to do is obey what God has already written. And at least for me, that is immensely relieving when dealing with difficult people.

So sometimes people ask if we must love everyone. Let me ask this in return: Are we obligated to obey God’s commands? Are we obligated to obey those commands no matter with whom we’re dealing? Then yes, we must love everybody in this way.

Questions to ponder: In view of all this, what is loving one another not? If we are truly loving our fellow-Christian according to God’s commands on a consistent basis, and this is what makes us distinct, what should characterize our fellowship?

Finally, John ends verse six by reiterating again what he has already said:

• It is a command, not a suggestion or a recommendation or something God merely desires of us. It something we are obligated to obey.
• This command is not new, but what we’ve had from the beginning—God has not changed His rules mid-stream.
• The purpose of the command is not that we might analyze it or consider its benefits, but that we might live in it—that is, this command forms the boundaries within which we are to live, work and dwell, day in and day out.

So to summarize John’s point in verses 5-6, the commandment is we are to love one another by living according to God’s commands. This is what was taught by Moses at Mt. Sinai to the people of Israel. This is what Jesus taught His disciples while He walked the earth. This is what the apostles taught the early church. Therefore, this should define all our behavior, how we conduct ourselves on a consistent basis.

Book Recommendation: Secrets in the Attic

Secrets in the Attic (Mysteries, Mischief & Marshmallows #2) by C.C. Warrens

Genre: Midgrade mystery

The Story: Two kids try to banish the “ghosts” from a neighbor’s attic.

Content Notes: Light violence (dealing with bullies) and questions raised (though addressed) about ghosts

Why I loved this book: This book has all the vibes of the old Boxcar Children series, which I adored as a kid. There’s a mystery without getting overly scary. There’s heart and humor and quirky characters. There are also some good discussions of hard topics (grief, friendship/marriage, ghosts) at age-appropriate levels.

Pair with Deuteronomy 22:1-4.

Ponder the value of doing the little thing in front of you.

Pray for ideas of how to help a neighbor.

Tiny But Mighty Second John: Lesson 4 - Walking in Truth

Read: Second John 1:4-6

Focus: Second John 1:4

 

Knowledge

Answer the following questions from the text:

Whom was John glad over?

Why was John glad?

What have we received?

From whom?

Understanding & Wisdom

With the salutation of verse 1-3 complete, John now moves into the body of his letter, where the core of his instruction is contained. Here is the heart of his message and why he felt compelled to write. Starting with verse 4-6, John affirms what is right and encourages the lady and her children to continue along that path.

A Spiritual Divide

So in verse 4 John expresses his great delight to discover that some of the lady’s children were walking in truth, a statement that reveals four important truths.

1. Godly environments don’t guarantee godly offspring.

Here we read that John is glad to hear some of the lady’s children are walking in truth. So what does it mean some were “walking in truth”? 

Walking is a word that is defined more specifically as “to wander about to and fro.” Therefore, this word came to mean figuratively one’s conduct—the overall comportment, activity, and behavior of one’s life. Some of the lady’s children were conducting themselves, overall, “in truth”—that is, their behavior belonged to the realm of truth. So their conduct was done with open integrity, one which is rooted in the Truth of God, as the reference to the commandment of God in the following phrase indicates.

Therefore, John is glad because some of the lady’s children were conducting themselves with the integrity that springs from God’s Truth. However, implicit in that statement is that some of the lady’s children weren’t walking in truth.

This tells us that environment is not wholly responsible for the spiritual outcome of a child. Whether this refers to a family or a church, the principle is the same. Multiple kids can be raised in a godly home, and some may walk in truth while others don’t. A church can do everything “right” to foster spiritual growth, yet some members will rebel and refuse to do what is right. While a godly environment increases the odds of children walking in truth, it by no means guarantees it. 

Question to ponder: What are some of the erroneous assumptions we make about the connection between godliness and environment?

Reputation Known

2. Our conduct will become known.

John most likely lived miles away from his readers, for otherwise he would have simply visited the lady and spoken directly to her about his concerns. John also lived in a world where travel and communication tended to be slow and unreliable. It wasn’t like he could hop onto Facebook and see the posts of the lady’s children. He couldn’t do a Google search and discover an article in an obscure newspaper about their behavior. He wouldn’t get a telephone call or text update from a friend who bumped into the lady’s children.

Yet despite the distance and unreliability, John still heard about what was going on. He heard about the good that the lady’s children were doing. He heard about the bad. The conduct of both became known, so much so that John, as far away as he was, heard of their doings.

This shows that how we conduct ourselves will become known to those around us. Our consistent pattern of behavior can’t be hidden long-term. Our lives will bear visible fruit, and that fruit will reveal to others what kind of tree we are, just as Jesus warned. (Matthew 7:16-20)      

Rejoice in Good

3. We ought to rejoice over those who are doing right.

When John heard about how the lady’s children were doing, he doesn’t jump in and chide those who did wrong. Nor does he lament their failure to walk in truth; he doesn’t let that override his joy nor does he overlook the good.  Rather, he deliberately focuses on those who are doing right and declares his joy over the ones who are walking in the truth.

Sometimes, when we see the divide between those walking in truth and those who are not, the latter consumes our attention. We weep over their disobedience. We grieve their distance from God. We continually pray for their return. We ponder how we ought to confront them (or if we should), and we vacillate over what we should or shouldn’t say to them.

While these are normal and even good responses, John’s response shows us that we shouldn’t neglect affirming and rejoicing over the good in the midst of that.

Question to ponder: How can we remember those who are walking in the truth—especially when we’re also dealing with those who aren’t?

Mandatory Truth

4. Walking in truth is not optional.

While our behavior or conduct does not determine our eternal destiny, this does not make our obedience and integrity optional. We don’t get to pick and choose how we want to live. We aren’t free to determine our lifestyle. Look at how John puts it at the end of verse 4: These children were walking in truth according to the Father’s command.

A command implies a standard, an expectation, a requirement, an obligation. It is something we are to do, something we are obey and follow, regardless, whether we want to or not, whether we like it or not. There is no choice involved, just as a soldier, given a command, are to follow any order given to them—even if it should cost them their lives. So a command tells us what we are to do, no ifs, ands, or buts. And since this command comes from God the Father, it comes with the highest authority which will not be and can never be revoked, reversed, rescinded, or overridden.

So walking in truth isn’t a nice bonus or a good suggestion or a strong recommendation. It is not just something God desires us to follow because it will benefit us or even glorify Him. It is a command. God expects, requires, demands us to do this. Yes, we’re saved by grace, but that doesn’t nullify God’s commands. Having Christ’s imputed righteousness doesn’t change the requirement for me to live righteously.

Rather, we remain obligated by the Father Himself to walk in truth and in the Truth, to conduct ourselves with integrity and behave according to God’s Truth. Now, failing to do so will not lose us our salvation. But it will come with negative consequences, painful reprimands, and potentially devastating punishment.   

Question to ponder: What do we do that reveals we’re treating walking in truth as optional rather than as the absolute command it is?

Some Anticipated Reads of 2026

So many books, so little time—yet I can’t help get excited for some of the books arriving this year. Here are ten books I’m eagerly anticipating the release of, in no particular order:

A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham (contemporary rom-com)

Deadly Currents (Hidden Bay #3) by Elizabeth Goddard (contemporary romantic suspense)

Of Dawn and Embers (Fireborn #3) by Gillian Adams (YA epic fantasy)

The Restitching of Camille Dulaine (The Rivenlea Sphere #2) by Lindsay A. Frankling (YA fantasy)

Firebreak (Firebird Interlude #1) by Kathy Tyers (adult science fiction)

Crossbones (A Holly novel) by C.C. Warrens (adult suspense)

The Bachelor Spy (Freddie & Grace Mysteries #5) by Pepper Basham (adult historical mystery)

The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep (adult historical romantic suspense)

A Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets & Guile by Angela Bell (adult whimsical historical romance)

Perplexity (The Sceptre & the Stylus #2) by Chawna Schroeder (YA fantasy)

What books are you looking forward to seeing this year? Leave a comment and let me know! Because you might just introduce me to my favorite book of the year.