Truth or Love?

DAY 344
9-13-10
2 & 3 JOHN


Good Morning!

Christians are not always as spiritually “well-rounded” as we need to be – we’re often all one thing or another. We need more balance in our lives. We concentrate on certain aspects of our spiritual life that we like and are comfortable with; and what does not come naturally or easy, we often give much less attention to.

Case in point is the relationship between truth and love. We desire and demand truth…biblical truth and the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. We don’t abide error (good!); but we also don’t abide doubt, struggle, or honest disagreement (not so good).

If we give all our attention to truth and neglect love are we better off? Of course not. Now the opposite is true as well. If we pursue love without truth, we’re still out balance. God will not give us a pass on truth no matter how much we love each other.

In John’s 2nd and 3rd short letters to his “children” he writes of the connection of truth and love. They go together. They compliment each other. They work together. They are a package deal.

(2 John 4-6) It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

Yours in Truth and Love,

Barry




Good Morning!



Christians are not always as spiritually “well-rounded” as we need to be – we’re often all one thing or another. We need more balance in our lives. We concentrate on certain aspects of our spiritual life that we like and are comfortable with; and what does not come naturally or easy, we often give much less attention to.



Case in point is the relationship between truth and love. We desire and demand truth…biblical truth and the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. We don’t abide error (good!); but we also don’t abide doubt, struggle, or honest disagreement (not so good).



If we give all our attention to truth and neglect love are we better off? Of course not. Now the opposite is true as well. If we pursue love without truth, we’re still out balance. God will not give us a pass on truth no matter how much we love each other.



In John’s 2nd and 3rd short letters to his “children” he writes of the connection of truth and love. They go together. They compliment each other. They work together. They are a package deal.



2 John 4-6 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.



Yours in Truth and Love,



Barry