2 John 4–6
4 4I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 5And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 6And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
Section Overview
John commends the love demonstrated by this church and urges them to continue in it. He continues to show how love and truth are intertwined by defining love as obedience to God’s commands, which are truth.
Response
Loving fellow believers is central to the gospel. Real love for truth always leads to love for others who likewise love the truth. Furthermore, this love among believers should lead us to rejoice greatly in the obedience of other believers. Does the faithfulness of other believers move you to deep joy? If not, your loves are out of order. This deep affection for one another, and the resulting pleasure in one another’s obedience, is what creates a thriving church community where people care for, help, and encourage one another, seeking our joy in obedience to God.
Additionally, John’s pastoral joy comes not from some sort of recognition from others but from the faithful obedience of his people. If pastors find their satisfaction in recognition by the broader world (culturally or denominationally), they will focus on what outsiders see or hear. If we derive our satisfaction from the faithful obedience of our people, however, our gaze will be settled more upon them, producing interest in and concern for their daily lives. Thus counseling, caring, discipling, and spending time with them will no longer be a hindrance from “more important work” but will be a pathway to joy.
This text is vital in a day in which many declare it to be unloving to name sin as sin, a day in which many define love as indulgence, simply letting people do as they please. It is loving to affirm people in obedience, to call people to obedience, and to rebuke disobedience. As Matthew Henry stated, “It is a sign that our friends are faithful indeed if, in love to our souls, they will not suffer sin upon us, nor let us alone in it.”1 Of course, this rebuke should be given graciously, but if we fail to give it, we fail to love.
The reality of grace does not negate the necessity of obedience. Some well-meaning people claim that “Christianity is not about rules but about relationship.” This phrase, however, is misguided. One cannot read the NT long without realizing that commands and rules occur frequently. God is King and therefore has every right to tell his creatures how to live. We err seriously when suggesting that rules and relationships do not go together. In fact, any healthy relationship includes rules. Of course, Christianity is not merely a list of rules; it is a relationship—a relationship with God the Father Almighty, whose commands must be obeyed.