The faithful financial support of those in ministry

See 3rd John 1:5-8

1:5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers,

1:6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well,

1:7because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.

1:8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

John had already called Gaius beloved once, in verse 2 of this letter, and he calls him beloved one more time in verse 11. There is no mistaking that John had a clear understanding of God's love for people, and this is why He sent Christ into the world. It's because He loves people. 

John went on in the passage we are looking at to commend Gaius for his faithful support of brethren, and for strangers. Gaius had provided aid to both of these groups. The strangers would be literally those people whom Gaius did not know. 

These traveling ministers, and missionaries had borne witness, or told of Gaius's love before the church where John was. 

Gaius was also encouraged by John to continue his financial support for those in ministry. John called it sending them forth on their journey in a manner worthy of God, and that he would be doing well if he did. 

So, what is the manner worthy of God? It would be to provide what is needed. That's what Paul said in Philippians 4:19 "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" 

So, what Gauis was doing was to provide "all that was needed" 

The reason for this support is because "they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles" It was Paul's practice also to never ask for money from the unsaved to whom he was speaking to. But rather, he would be supported by those whom he had ministered to. The reason he would not take anything from them, is that he did not want to hinder the gospel of Christ, by being seen as doing what he did just for the money, ( as apparently many false prophets and charlatans were doing ) See 1st Cor 9, and 1st Thess 2:9 

Finally, in the passage before us, John says that "we ought to receive such" referencing the traveling ministers and missionaries. And, adds that "we may become fellow workers for the truth"

John was putting his stamp of approval upon these ministers, and encouraging others to share in the work of getting the truth out.  

It's helpful to realize that in the next section of this letter, that John brings up a person who would not receive these ministers. This man, Diotrophes,  was said to be "prating against us with malicious words" This means that he was a man boiling over if you will, and saying hateful things about John and others who were of John's mind, and insinuating many things about them. 

We will look more in detail at him tomorrow. But, what sad person he was. John has much to say about him. 

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

The greatest joy.

See 3rd John 1-4

1:1 THE ELDER, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:

1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

1:3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.

1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

John was an elderly man at this point, not to far from being in heaven with the Lord. What a blessing that is. 

John was also as an older man, a much wiser man then he had been when he was younger. That is what happens to men or women, who continue to walk with Christ, they become more blessed, more wise, more loving, etc, and John would be a classic example of that for all of us who may be headed towards older age. 

John was writing this brief letter to an individual named Gaius, which means Lord, is someone John knew personally, and that'a about all we know of him. Except that his soul was prospering. Which means, that his journey to heaven, was going along well. He was being led by the Lord, and was going along in the easiest way possible, that is, as compared to how hard we can make it. In other words, he was simply following the Lord, and was a blessed man. 

John now talks about joy once again, as he did in his 2nd epistle also. He says several things about it. 

1. He rejoiced greatly. Alot. Not just a little rejoicing, but much rejoicing. It came about when some other christians met up with him, and told him about the truth that was in Gauis, and John notes here in verse 3, that Gaius was also walking in the truth. That means, he was ordering his life according to the Word of God. These facts brought great joy to John. 

2. John had no greater joy. There was nothing else in his life that brought about the same greatness of joy, as this matter did. 

3. The joy is again explained and related to the fact, that "than to hear that my children walk in truth" In other words, those believers whom John calls his children, or those perhaps converted under his ministry, or those whom he had pastored in the past. Knowing how they were living brought him tremendous and great joy. 

John knew that these folks were on target with God's plan for their lives. They were following Jesus, and abiding in Him, and thus the great joy. What more can a person hope for then to know that someone is following the Lord? 

We love you Lord. 

In Jesus name..

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia 

God will reward you.

See 2nd John 2:8-13

This last section of this short letter, starts with an exhortation, or an encouragement, and a warning of sorts, to "look to yourselves etc, "  Normally, the Bible is telling us to look to God, but here, this rather unusual statement is given to us.

Look to yourselves. The idea here, is that of "take care" that you do not lose, or throw away and destroy all that you have worked for thus far in your walk. But, keep on abiding, and believing, that you will receive from the Lord all that He would want to reward you for. He wants you to have a full, and perfect, and complete reward.

So, we are heading for heaven, and in heaven we will appear before Christ to be rewarded for our labors here below. So in saying, "look to yourselves", the Lord is simply dealing with a fact of life, and that is the need to be careful on our way to heaven. It's similar to the thought that is imbedded in a portion of what we call the Lord's prayer. "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil, ( or the evil one ) In other words, the christian is aware of danger from within, and from without. Just as in any area of life, caution and care valuable attributes.


John ends with another explanation of what he mentioned earlier in verse 7, about deceivers.
2nd John 7. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

A deceiver is someone who seduces others away from the truth. It's a quiet steady effort, not an out and out blatant thing. To deceive means, to wander to rove, to mislead, lead others into error, it speaks of an impostor, a corrupter. So, this is a major part of why the readers were to be careful, it's because of the many deceivers . They are transgressors, they do not abide in the teaching of the Bible, and they are without God,

The person who remains in the teaching of Jesus Christ, has both the Father and the Son. Through God's Word we have His Son, and the Son's Father. They are both ours, and with us forever, and we with them forever. Praise God.

The final warning, is to not associate with false teachers. Those who bring this anti-christ doctrine, denying the humanity and the divinity of Jesus Christ, are not to be received into your house, and not to be greeted. If you do, you are sharing in their evil deeds.

What could this mean in practice, in our lives? It does not mean to be rude, or to be unfriendly, or to not be loving, and showing the grace of Christ. But, it clearly means to simply not have anything to do with these folks. That's all. In that culture of John's day, people would be coming into one another's homes, as there were no church buildings, there were no coffee shops etc, etc.
Social contact through being in homes, eating together was a big and normal part of life.

John is saying here, "draw a line of truth" Don't cross that line, and don't allow false deceivers into your world. You don't want to participate in what he calls "their evil deeds"

Indeed, evil, or destructive consequences follow false doctrine. The two go together. The one leads to the other.

Another way to understand the above, is not only not to welcome them, but, not to wish them God's blessing, and not to encourage them in their false teaching, don't hope for their success, and don't encourage them in their work.

John ends his letter with an anticipation of seeing his readers, and blesses them with greetings from others.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

What does it mean, to "walk in truth", and why is it important to God?

"See 2nd John 4-7 below,followed by some devotional commentary by Pastor Bob Grenier

John was not just rejoicing but, rejoicing greatly that he had found ( some of "your children ) walking in truth as we received commandment from the Father. It's clear he was rejoicing, what's not clear if he is making a distinction between all, or just some of her  ladies children. He may be just using the word some in a more loose fashion, just indicting, that he was glad to hear that some were walking etc, etc. Or He may have been really separating out in his mind, based on what he had heard that only ( some ) of her children were walking in the truth. He had come to find this out, not sure how, but it caused him great joy, he was greatly rejoicing.

As an aside, we don't know for sure if the lady and children, are a ref to a church leader the the sheep in that church, or to an actual lady and her own children. ( by the way, in a family with multiple children, some may, and some may not be walking in the truth. I've seen this countless, hundreds and hundreds of times, on a personal level, and on a pastoral level over the last 38 1/2 of full time ministry.

What is clear, is that John was joyful because of what these children were doing. And, that is, they walking in truth, as received commandment from the Father. So, two things here.

1. Walking in truth
2. As we received commandment from the Father

What do these things mean? Truth is the Word of God, truth is Jesus Christ. We can walk in the truth, walk in Christ, Christ is in us, as we walk day by day. We are to continue walking in the truth. We know Him who is true. We are in Him who is true. Even in His Son Jesus Christ, this is the true God.

Now to walk in the truth, simply means, "to order one's life according to the Word of God" That's alll it means, and that's all it will ever mean, and it the most important thing that could ever mean anything to anyone. That your life would be in tune with God's Word, that is, You would receive His Word, You would be a doer of His Word, You continue in His Word, You would take God's wisdom and knowledge about life and apply it to your life, and seek to walk in the ways that God has layed out in His Word.

John add, "we received commandment from the Father. This is a phrase he like to use in his teaching. Always linking the present activity, exhortation to future activity to what God had given us in the past. A continuity of God's word from the time it was given and received, and then continued to be lived out by "doers" p.s It came from "the Father" Wow, God the Father, the Father of Jesus, the one who sent Jesus to rescue us.

From rejoicing to pleading John goes. He tells her, this is not as if I'm writing a new commandment to you, but, it's the one you have had from the beginning. Here it is, in plain and simple terms, unmistakable as to it's meaning. This is what the Father wants us to do.


                                           "It is that we love one another"


John, then describes love for us. It's also simple, "that we walk according to His commandments. And, this is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
So, love is walking in the commandments. Abiding in the Word, being a doer of the Word, is the foundation for loving one another. And as we individually, walk in the word, we sill then have that fruit of love for one one another. No walk, no fruit.


To further explain love, he says, "this is love, that we walk according to His commandments" He is constantly linking our lives, walks, His love, His Word, our being in the Word, the Word being in us, and overarching reality of love. Love being the main thing that the Lord wants us to be doing in our lives, To walk in love, to love one another.

This is what we have heard from the beginning. We should walk in it.

He is going to deal with deceivers in the next few verses. These would be people who did not believe any of what is above, and were teaching a doctrine not from God at all. It has no source in God, and was of no help to anyone when it comes to the matter of love, forgiveness, truth, sins, being born again, redeemed, set apart to God, being a true light in the World. etc, etc, and only to wind up in heaven. None of those things came from any of the false teachers, that John is about to deal with, and warn about, and give practical instruction on what not to do with them.


4: I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.


5: And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.

6: This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

7:For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Besides truth, what other blessings do you have from God?

See 2nd John 3

Three other blessings from the Lord ( in addition to the truth, as already mentioned ) are with us now. They are Grace, Mercy, and Peace.

It's said, that "will be with you" and that they come from God the father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father in truth and love.


So, first of all. "Grace" meaning the unmerited favor of God, the undeserved blessing of God. Translated, favour, thanks, pleasure.

It's that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, grace of speech, good will, loving kindness.

It speaks of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection and kindles them to exercise of the Christian Virtues. Finally, it's used to speak of the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace.

Grace comes to us from God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ.

"someone has said, that grace means, God gives you what you do not deserve"



Secondly, we have mercy. It speaks of kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them.

It also speaks of men towards men: in general providence: the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salavation.

In the mercy of Christ, whereby at His return to judgement, He will bless true Christians with eternal life.

Also, all through Scripture, God's mercies are said to be eternal, plentiful, and new every morning.

"Someone has said also, that mercy is when God does not give you what you deserve"



Thirdly, we have peace. Meaning, one, rest, quietness.
Used to speak of times of national tranquility. When nations are exempt from the rage and havoc of war.
And of peace between individual, when there is harmony and concord.
In Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul, assured of it's salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.

Peace can be multiplied to you through growing in the grace and the knowledge of Christ. Peace is what is given to us when we cast our cares upon God and let Him guide our hearts and minds.
Peace is to be had as much as it can be between people.

Peace is also used to describe the prince of peace, Jesus Christ.


Grace, mercy and peace come from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, and they come in truth and love. Maybe that's just a way to think of the packaging of  grace mercy and peace. They come wrapped up in love and truth. Or you can add to grace, mercy and peace, these two also, love and truth.  The blessings from God are boundless and eternal. They will be with us forever.

Pastor Bob Grenier 

Calvary Chapel Visalia

   

What will happen to the truth?

See 2nd John 1-2

The first thing John says about the truth, is "whom I love in truth" and then secondly, "but also all those who have known the truth"

No one is completely sure if John was writing to a church, or to an individual. But it is clear what he was saying.
He was once again talking about Christian love and Jesus Christ. The truth is of course more then a reference to what is written that is true, but it includes Him who is the true, who is the truth.

John has said earlier in his first epistle, in chapter 5:20, "that we may know Him who is true" So, love and truth, the subjects as John opens this short little letter. It reminds me of what Paul said in Eph 4, about speaking the truth in love. Not just telling the truth of God's Word, or any other truth, but speaking it along with living and showing the love of God. These two are to be married in our lives at all times.

But, back to 2nd John, He says, "whom I love in truth........also all those who have known the truth"
Being in Christ, we are not only in Him who is true, but the Spirit who is truth ( see 1st John 5:6 ) produces in our lives the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The love of God is one of the main ways that we know that we are actually in the truth, in Christ, and born again

In fact, in 1st John 4:15, John says, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" In fact, in Rev 22:15, murderers are among the list of those who will not be in heaven. To hate means, to hate, pursue with hatred, detest, detested.

Paul lists hatred as being part of his old life, not his new life in Christ.

See Tit 3:3* For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

You also see the word malice listed there in Titus 3:3 That word means, ill-will, desire to injure, wickedness, depravity, and wickedness that is not ashamed to break laws, evil and trouble. 

The point is, that to "love in truth", and for those "who have known the truth", they characterize what it is to be a born again Christian. This theme of love, and of loving one another is a constantly repeated point of truth through John's epistles, and his gospel, i.e the Gospel of God. 

John goes on to say in 1:2, "because of the truth, which abides in us and will be with us forever" 

Here he is listing truth as the reason for his love, and that the truth, ( Jesus Christ ) was abiding in them, and would be with them forever. 

So, what will happen to the truth is that the truth will be with us forever. 

Tomorrow, we can move into the next few verses of this wonderful little letter by John, about the greatest subject in the world and universe. 


Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

Knowing you have eternal life, and one other important thing.

1st John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.


There were a number of reasons why John wrote this letter, they are sprinkled through these 5 chapters. Here we have another one. Actually, there are two listed in this one verse. 


He tells us ( It's a blessing to know that while it's John writing and speaking, it's the Lord who had him write this, as He did with all the authors in the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments. ) why he had written these things to his readers.


He identifies them as those who believe in the name of the Son of God, it's so that, they may know that they have eternal life, and that they might continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.  So, these are two reasons for writing this letter.


Personal knowledge of, or assurance of their having eternal life, having Jesus the Son of God as their savior, and that they might continue, or abide in the Lord. 


The word, "Know", that you may know, means, to behold, to perceive, to see, to perceive with the senses, to discern, to discover, to have knowledge and understanding....


So, when a person reads through this short little 5 chapter letter, one of the blessings that the Lord will bring into their lives, is this assurance of having eternal life. 


And, they will be encouraged to continue believing, or continue to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are having trouble in your walk right now, just trying to stay on track with the Lord, that is, following Jesus, then this letter will help you. John's second reason listed above, has to do with continuing to believe. To remain, to abide, to keep on, keeping on looking to Jesus Christ. 


You may want to try reading this letter over a few times, it will only take you about 15 minutes, but well worth the time. Pray and ask the Lord to speak to you through it. 




May You be blessed in your walk with the Lord. 


Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia