Bible Text: 2 John | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Abiding in the Lord
Truth is essential for negotiating the difficult challenges of life
Real change requires real grace
John 1:14 …and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
WE NEED TRUTH!
Avoiding Truth
2 John1-3 The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:  Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Proverbs 4:20-27 Pay attention, my child, to what I say. Listen carefully. Don’t lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning.  Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do. Avoid all perverse talk; stay far from corrupt speech.  Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.  NLT
The heart is deceitful above all things
Our self-deception has no limits
All sin involves self-deception
Jeremiah 17:9-10 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
Without thinking about it, we often adopt a perspective and then arrange circumstances around ourselves that will enable our sin
Here is the truth about the truth:
John 8:32 When you know the truth, the truth will set you free. Truth is the key to overcoming sin.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Truth is always timely; it applies yesterday, today and in the future.
Proverbs 12:19 Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed. Truth is changeless.
A Few Good Men
Tom Cruise cross-examining Jack Nicholson
TOM Kaffee Colonel Jessep, did you order the Code Red?
Judge You don’t have to answer that question!
JACK Col. Jessep I’ll answer the question!
JACK Col. Jessep You want answers?
TOM Kaffee I think I’m entitled to answers
JACK Col. Jessep You want answers?
TOM Kaffee I want the truth!
JACK Col. Jessep You can’t handle the truth!
We will lie to the ones we love because we feel like we have the most to lose with them
Often if our honesty means we might face rejection we will lie and deceive one another!
Honesty is the best policy
Honesty and truth telling in your marriage helps bring about marital health and safety
Tell the truth compassionately and hear the truth compassionately
How we speak the truth is critical
Honesty creates “windows” into our souls
Forgetting God
We do many things in order to avoid the truth. We compartmentalize our thoughts in brilliant, skillful ways. We use selective attention. We use procrastination.
Jeremiah 2:32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry? Does a bride hide her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me.
Selective (convenient) memory loss is an amazing dynamic—and we all do it.
Abiding in the Truth in Love
2 John 4-6 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 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. 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.
Walking in the truth refers to Believers abiding in the truth they actively profess
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us (NLT).
To walk in the truth, therefore, involves believing in Jesus Christ as God’s Son (faith) and loving others (action)
The best way to communicate the truth is in love!
Ephesians 4:14-15 We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  Instead, we will speak the truth in love…
Flaming e-mails and posting bombs damage our church community!
How might we allow people to speak the truth in love into our lives?
The best way for a community to do this is by invitation
Ask for permission and give a warning
A Christian community that is not speaking the truth in love is not really a Christian community
Ask God to reveal the truth about our sin, any sin
Remember your words for the last few days or weeks and ask the Lord for insight
Remember your attitudes and where you may have been judgmental in ugly ways
Think about your finances and where you have not been trusting God for security
Remember your behavior and where you have committed sexual sin