Today’s blog article features the difference between telling the truth and deception.
An Internet article explains what is the obvious difference between the two.
“The key difference between telling the truth and being deceptive lies in the intention behind the communication.
“While truth-telling is about being honest and transparent, deception involves intentionally misleading or withholding information for personal gain or other purposes.”
Walking in the Truth
John praised the church in his second letter and commended the way they walked in the truth.
I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father (2 John 4).
Followers of Jesus walk in the truth when their lives are aligned with Jesus’ attitudes and actions.
For centuries, lovers of God have practiced Lectio Divina to immerse themselves in Jesus’ way of life.
The phrase “lectio divina” means “divine reading” in Latin, and the practice involves four basic steps:
(1) Reading: The first step involves selecting a passage from the Bible and reading it slowly and carefully, allowing the words to sink in and resonate with the reader.
I am currently reading Isaiah and Matthew in this manner. Like numerous spiritual leaders, I make it a habit to read a portion of one of the Gospels daily.
(2) Meditation: The second step involves reflecting on the passage and allowing it to speak to the reader’s heart and mind.
(3) Prayer: The third step involves responding to the passage through prayer, whether by offering thanks, seeking forgiveness, or asking for guidance.
(4) Contemplation: The fourth and final step involves simply resting in the presence of God, allowing the words and insights gained through the first three steps to deepen our relationship with God.
I integrate prayer and contemplation by internalizing my worries for my loved ones, the church, and the global community.
Then, I engage in a spiritual connection with God, directing my attention to the Bible verse I have just read.
Walking in Love
It should not surprise us that John followed his mention of truth with the command to love.
Truth and love are two sides of the same coin, and they work together to create healthy, meaningful relationships with God and other people.
But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment but one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another.
And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it (2 John 5-6).
Feelings of love can come and go, true love requires intentional and consistent effort to show care, kindness, and respect towards God and other people.
If we actively strive to live a Jesus-kind-of-life, we can assure ourselves that we are following the teachings of Jesus and John.
The Opposite of Truth
The New Testament letters were written to counter false and deceptive teachers, who arose due to various factors.
(1) Self-preservation: The early church suffered persecution, poverty, and oppression.
The prevailing culture’s opposition to Christianity increased throughout the first century.
False teaching attempted to make peace with society at the expense of commitment to Christ, making it deceptive.
(2) Financial gain: Paul contended with false teachers in Corinth who were quite willing to receive patronage from wealthy persons in the church.
(3) Syncretism: From the false prophets in the Old Testament to modern-day spiritualists, there is a tendency to take a little from contemporary philosophy and add it to the gospel message.
The meshing of these concepts is called syncretism, and the result is false and deceptive teaching.
In his warning to the church, John exposed the false teachers and presented a means of avoiding their deceit.
Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist!
Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for but may receive a full reward.
Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son (2 John 7-9).
In the second century, Gnostic Christians appeared in full force. They blended Greek philosophy with Christian thought.
The several Gnostic teachings had one thing in common. They denied the physical nature of Jesus.
John cautioned the church and said that these people were “anti-Christ” or “anti-the-Messiah.”
Living in an abiding relationship with Jesus is the best way to guard against deceptive teaching both then and now. I meet with Jesus using the Lectio Divina method and find that obeying what God reveals to me is very helpful in living a life that reflects Jesus.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss the second letter of John today. The video can be found on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
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