2 John 1:4-6
Walking in Truth and Love
Read the passage
4I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father has commanded us.
5And now I urge you, dear lady—not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.
6And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The elder is overjoyed to find some of the lady’s children walking in the truth. He recognizes a life that agrees with the Father’s command. He does not tell us the condition of every person addressed; he gives thanks for the obedience he has found.
He then urges the dear lady to love one another. This is no new command. It belongs to the message they have known from the beginning, and familiarity has not made it less necessary.
The elder explains love as walking according to God’s commandments. Love is more than a claim we make about our feelings. It must take account of what God asks us to do. We cannot knowingly disobey Him and call the result love simply because we meant well.
The command also guards against obedience that treats other people coldly. Believers are commanded to walk in love. The Father’s truth calls for conduct that seeks another person’s good, and such conduct gives fellow believers reason to rejoice.
Questions
1 What brought the elder joy?
AnswerHe found some of the children walking in the truth, living in agreement with the command they had received from the Father.
2 Was the command to love a new teaching?
AnswerNo. They had known it from the beginning. The elder urges them to keep practicing what they already know.
3 How does the elder describe love?
AnswerLove means walking according to God’s commandments. What God says should govern the way believers treat one another.
4 What kind of obedience does this passage call for?
AnswerObedience that walks in love. Keeping God’s commands and seeking the good of fellow believers belong together.
What This Means for Us
Notice faithfulness in someone near you and tell them why it encourages you. A quiet act of obedience can be a reason for shared joy.
In your own relationships, ask whether a claim to love agrees with God’s commands. Refuse a lie told to avoid discomfort, and speak the needed truth with care. Familiar commands still need to be practiced.
Prayer
Father, give us joy when others walk in Your truth. Teach us to obey with love and to love according to Your commands. Help us practice what we already know, with patience and care for one another. Amen.