A Daily Walk

John Randall: How can you experience peace even as the world around you is in turmoil? This world is not at peace. You go outside of these walls and it's absolute chaos. How can you have peace in the midst of the storm? How can you have peace when everything is chaotic and upside down? Because I'm experiencing the grace and the mercy of God on my life, and His peace is sustaining me.

Guest (Male): Glad you made it today. This is A Daily Walk, and we'll hand things over to our teacher, Pastor John Randall, in a second. We're in 2nd John, if you want to head over there now. As we learned last time, this is a letter all about truth and love, two things that are desperately needed right now. Our daily walk needs this balance of truth and love, and it's modeled beautifully for us by Christ.

John Randall: Love and truth is the love of God revealed in the truth of God's word. John would give some warnings to this church. John would give some instructions to this church that may have been difficult to receive. But before he measures out any instructions, he tells them of his love for them.

When you know that someone genuinely cares about you, truly loves you, and that what they're sharing with you is the truth, if you know that they love you, you are far more open to receive it than you would be if they didn't speak that truth in love. The Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 15, the Apostle Paul said this, speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ.

By the way, it's good to be reminded of how much the Lord loves you and loves me, loves us. I don't ever grow tired of hearing that God loves me. Don't tell me that, I don't need to hear that again, everyone knows that. No, tell me again. I open up my Bible and I love to read that God loves me, even though He knows everything about me.

God loves you. The Bible says in Jeremiah chapter 31, verse 3, "The Lord has appeared to me of old, saying, 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love, and therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" In Ephesians chapter 2, verse 4, it says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He has loved us."

In Romans 8, it says, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." In 1st John chapter 4, verse 10, it says, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Friend, know this tonight, God loves you. That just settles it. That's the way it is. You can be stinky from time to time, but God still loves you, and He still loves me. I'm amazed at it.

His love, you can't quantify it. You can't measure it out. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, and he said, "This is my prayer for you, that you might know the height, the depth, the length, the breadth of God's love for you." It goes beyond our ability to measure it, and that's how much God loves us, even with all of our flaws, all of our failures, He loves us.

John begins by expressing the love of God to the members of this church, and he tells them not only did he love them, but also those in other churches loved them as well. You are loved by the church. He said, "Those who have known the truth, they also love you." I love you, but I'm not just speaking for myself. I'm speaking for the body of Christ. They also love you. You're part of a family.

The word that John uses here for those who have known the truth is the word *ginosko*. It means to learn, to come to know, to gain knowledge or perceive, to be intimately acquainted with. It doesn't mean to have a limited knowledge, but it's a knowledge by experience is what I'm trying to communicate to you. The knowledge John writes about is to know in a personal sense, by experience.

Not only an objective revelation from the Father, but also a subjective experience in your personal life. That kind of love, people who are believers in Jesus Christ who are born again, they know the truth. They've experienced it. They know God's truth. They know His love in a personal way. Remember the Bible says in John chapter 8, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

I pray that you know this truth by experience and you are free. Amen. Those who are part of the church know the truth by experience and they, secondly, abide in the truth. It's one thing to know the truth, it's another thing to abide in it. Notice what John says in verse 2, "Because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever."

The word abide means to dwell, living in the truth. The truth of God's word, when it speaks of abiding or dwelling, it means to be at home in one's heart. When you walk with the Lord, when you walk and live according to His word, you've got no problem with the word. It's very at home in your heart. It's not uncomfortable in those places because you know the truth and you abide in it, and it's made a difference in your life.

You are okay with hearing the truth because you seek to live according to it. It has freed you. It has liberated you in Christ. But if you walk in disobedience to God's word, you're going to have a real tough time with hearing the truth. I don't want to hear that. Well, it's the truth. I don't want to hear it. Because it's not abiding in you, you're not dwelling in the word, so it's not at home. It's not at peace. It's not at rest.

But when you walk in it and you know it and you abide in it, Lord, lay the truth on me. Let me hear Your truth. Speak to me, God. But when you're not walking in obedience, the truth can bring conviction, and hopefully that conviction draws you to repentance. The Bible exhorts us in Colossians chapter 3, verse 16, Paul said, "Let the word of Christ dwell"—same word—"in you richly in wisdom, and teaching, admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

When God's word is dwelling in you richly, when God's word is abiding in your heart and at home within your life, you don't mind singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in your hearts to the Lord, because God's word is at home in your heart. The Bible says in John chapter 15, verse 7, "If you abide in Me," Jesus said, "and My word abides in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

It affects your prayer life, the word of God. In 1st John 2:14, John said, "I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one." Let me ask you this question. Let's just pause for one second. Do you know the truth and are you abiding in the truth?

Because it's possible to know the truth but not abide in it. Do you know it by experience and are you living according to it and in the truth? What a difference that makes in the Christian life. Then he gives a common greeting in verse 3, "Grace, mercy, peace be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love."

Grace, mercy, and peace. Three very important, significant, and encouraging words. Grace, *charis* in the Greek. Grace is a constant theme in the Bible, especially the New Testament, and we find it throughout the word. The word translated grace in the New Testament means favor, blessing, or kindness. We can all extend, if we choose, grace to one another.

But when the word grace is used in connection with God, it takes on a more powerful meaning because grace is God choosing to bless us rather than to curse us as our sin deserves. God's going to show me grace. He's going to give me grace, unmerited favor lavished upon me. Someone defined grace as God's riches at Christ's expense. That's what God's given to us.

We're saved by grace. We stand by grace. We serve by grace. We are sustained by the grace of God. If not for the grace of God, we wouldn't be here tonight. If not for the grace of God, we'd be out in the world doing something foolish tonight. But here we are, all because of God's grace. Amen. Thankful for the grace of God.

It's His benevolence to the undeserving. But not just grace, but also mercy. God shows us grace, but He shows us mercy, and they're not the same thing. Mercy withholds punishment that we deserve. I deserve judgment. I deserve the wrath of God. I was a sinner separated from God, and apart from Christ in my life, I would have been separated from Him for eternity.

But God showed me His grace and He showed me His mercy. In mercy, God chose to cancel our sin that was indebted by sacrificing His perfect Son in our place. But He goes even further than mercy and extends grace to His enemies. I find that fascinating. He offers forgiveness, reconciliation, abundant life, His Holy Spirit, a place in heaven with Him someday when we accept His offer and place our faith in Him and in His sacrifice.

All because of His mercy. It's because of His mercy that we are not consumed, the Bible says. His mercies are new every morning. He is a God who shows abundant mercy. He's a merciful God, and I'm so thankful that He has shown me mercy. I don't deserve it, but it's not based upon my performance. It's based upon the performance of Christ on my behalf. He showed me grace, He showed me mercy.

Do you know what grace and mercy leads to? Peace. Peace. Grace, mercy, and peace. When you have experienced the grace of God and you've experienced the mercy of God, I'm at peace with God. I'm at peace. I'm not at war with God anymore. I'm not fighting against the Lord. I have peace. A peace, the Bible says, that surpasses all understanding. This peace, given to me by the Prince of Peace, it guards my heart, it guards my mind, it sustains me.

Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Are you walking in the peace of God tonight? This world is not at peace. You go outside of these walls and it's absolute chaos. How can you have peace in the midst of the storm? How can you have peace when everything is chaotic and upside down?

Because I'm experiencing the grace and the mercy of God on my life, and His peace is sustaining me. It's His peace. You see, it's peace that surpasses understanding. I often want peace with understanding. God says, "I'm going to give you peace that goes beyond your ability to understand it." You're not going to understand why you have peace, but I'm going to give it to you. It's a peace that you can't find in this world.

Are you at peace with God tonight? I hope you are. If you've experienced His grace and mercy, you're at peace with God. If you're not, then you are at war with God, and that's a fight you'll never win. It's better to surrender than to be conquered. Some of us know that by experience. That's why we're clapping.

John then says in verse 4, "I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we have received commandment from the Father." In writing to the elect lady, the Apostle John, the elder, rejoiced over the fact—notice this—that some, doesn't say all, but he said some of her children were walking in the truth.

Having been a pastor now for over two and a half decades—that sounds so long, and it is, but it's a blessing—but having been a pastor for over two and a half decades, I've seen and had the privilege of watching generations grow and develop. I've seen couples who weren't couples when they came into the church get married, and then I saw them have children and then dedicate their children, and watched their children grow up.

It's just like this wonderful experience. It's one of the greatest blessings to see these families develop and watch as generations develop. And even being here now thirteen years this month, it's just been awesome to look around and there's so many stories and so many things that I've observed. I love my job. But one of the blessings is seeing successive generations go on and serve the Lord.

John says here in this epistle, "I rejoice greatly and I praise the Lord when I see successive generations—your sons, your daughters—going on to serve the Lord, following in your footsteps." You've raised them, you've poured into them, you've prayed over them, you've done everything you possibly can to see them walk with the Lord. John says some of them are walking with the Lord and I rejoice in it.

On the other hand, I've seen those raised in the Lord only to wander off the path—prodigal sons, daughters. I've seen those same parents that I was there or heard the day after or thereafter when their son or daughter came into the world, watched them, dedicated them, watched them grow up through children's ministry and saw them come through, saw them into their teenage years, and then watch them veer off the path.

Then have the parents come back and get on their knees and cry out to God that He would bring them back. Even now, praying that same prayer for many in this fellowship. We don't dwell on those who have taken a detour, but we do pray for their return to the Lord. John says something that just causes my heart to rejoice is to see not only you, elect lady, walking with the Lord, but your children going on and serving the Lord.

I can think of no greater blessing in all of the earth, and more important to me than anything else, is that my children will walk with the Lord. I want to see them in heaven. That's my greatest desire. And there comes a point you can lead them and you can direct them as far as you can take them, and at some point they have to make that decision whether or not they're going to serve Jesus.

You'll have sleepless nights and you'll shed tears and you'll weep and you'll agonize in prayer that they would walk with the Lord. It should be the greatest desire of every parent. If your greatest desire for your child is that he would graduate from college and go on to be—that's a great desire, but it shouldn't be the greatest desire because that degree doesn't matter at all in heaven.

No one gets in because of that. I don't know if you know this or not, but nobody cares up there. What matters is if their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. That's what matters. And if you have prodigal sons or daughters, don't stop praying. Don't stop, don't give up. You pray until you can't pray anymore.

Well, here John says in verse 5, "And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I write a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another." And this is love, 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.

The Apostle John ministered alongside of Jesus. He heard the words of Jesus on the subject of love. He was there when the lawyer came and said, "What's the greatest commandment?" and Jesus said, "This is the greatest commandment, that you should love God and love your neighbor as yourself." John heard that. John was there when Jesus spoke the words on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5, verse 46, when Jesus said, "If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet the brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" John heard that.

John wrote in John chapter 13, verse 34, the words of Jesus, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, you also ought to love one another." John heard Jesus say those words. In John 15, he heard Jesus say, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." In John 15:17, he heard Jesus say, "These things I command you, that you love one another."

You get the idea, John learned this whole lesson of love from Jesus. And so now John is writing, and he's saying the very same thing to the believers there in the church. He's saying, "I'm not giving you a new commandment. This isn't something new, this is something that's been around. This is something I learned from Him, from Jesus. Love one another. Love one another."

What does that look like? Can you define that for me? Because I'm confused about it. What does that actually mean? Again, here comes the balance between truth and love because the very next verse John says, "This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. And this is the commandment, that as you heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."

So the commandment is to love one another, and this is what love looks like when we're walking according to His commandments. You see John putting truth and love together. They go together. "Well, I love God, but I don't listen to the word and I don't follow what Jesus said." Then something's wrong. We read it in 1st John, we went through it together. John said if that's the case, you actually lie to yourself and you lie to God.

To say that I love God but I don't live in accordance with His word and I'm consistently, openly rebellious against the scriptures, I don't love God as much as I think that I do. I'm confused, I'm actually deceived is a better way to put it. If we really love Him, then we're going to seek to obey Him because Jesus said that. Jesus said, "If you love Me, then you're going to keep My commandments," in John 14:15.

In John 14:21, Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, not just has them, but keeps them." Truth and love. So important, they go together. Jesus said in John chapter 14, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, We'll make Our home with him. He who does not love Me," Jesus said, "he doesn't keep My words, and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father who sent Me."

So here John says to the elect lady, to her children, the importance of truth and love. Then verse 7, he said, "For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and antichrist." Next time we open up this postcard together, we'll read about what John says and the warnings that he gives concerning deception.

But I will say this, when you know the truth, it helps you to recognize deception. If you don't know the truth, then it's going to be really hard for you to discern. If you don't handle the truth, then when a lie presents itself, you won't know. And let me just give a warning to all of us. All of us. There's so much information right now that you can access. I am sent many things, and I don't watch them all because it's depressing.

But people send me stuff all the time. "Have you seen this?" "No, I didn't see that." "Oh, this is—" and I can't take it. And what is true and what isn't, and what data did you read? Did you see the thing? Well, what about the—? I don't know! I'm not a doctor. I'm a Christian. I'm a pastor. I have a great physician, but I don't know all the answers. I'm seeking to discern just like you, truth from error.

I will say this. I know and you know it too, there's a lot of lies out there being presented as truth, and people have bought into it. They bought into it hook, line, and sinker, man. You see it, and it's disturbing to see. It's frightening. It's sad. So even though I know that, I still need to be loving. I still need to be loving. Truth and love.

In the grocery store, truth and love. I didn't even want to wear this shirt tonight. But the Holy Spirit said, "You better." I'm learning, man, I'm learning. Pray for me, I pray for you. That's why I love coming here. I just feel like every time I come here, I just feel like a human being. I just feel like a normal—I know I'm going to get letters on this.

Listen, if you're at home, it doesn't mean you're not a human being. You understand. I'm just saying. Truth and love, I'm just sharing my heart with you. And it's deceitfully wicked above all else. I know that, the Bible says that. That's why Jesus died for me and you. But the emphasis was truth and love, and I need to have both in this world right now. I need both.

If ever I needed truth and love, it's right now. It's like two pulleys. If you just say, "Well, I'm going to let go of truth" and hold on to love, or "I'm going to hold on to truth"—you've got to have a grip on both in this world. So may God help us. We need Him. You say, "Pastor John, how do I operate in truth and love? What's the answer to that? How am I supposed to do it?" Can I just tell you, live as close to Jesus as possible? That's the way. He modeled truth and love.

Guest (Male): Live as close to Jesus as possible. That's how to walk in truth and love in these difficult days. A good word there for us as we close. We've been in 2nd John today on A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall. You can hear this program again when you visit adailywalk.org, oneplace.com, or wherever you get your podcasts. Pastor John's teachings are also accessible through our app, too. Just search for Calvary South OC in the App Store or Google Play.

Since Mother's Day falls within this month of May, we picked out a special book for you moms. It's A Mom After God's Own Heart, written by Elizabeth George. You'll learn ten powerful ways to love your children. It contains easy-to-implement principles for enjoyable and effective parenting, specific tools for teaching your kids about God's love for them, and biblical insight to encourage you along the way.

The cost is just twelve dollars. Order it today at adailywalk.org or call us at 877-242-0828. And thank you for helping us get the word out on stations like this one all across the country. People today desperately need the hope and encouragement that God's word provides, and your support helps to make that possible. To donate to the ministry, please go to adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828.

By the way, I also want to mention Pastor John is on X and Instagram. If you are, too, start following him on X @PJRandall7 and on Instagram @JohnPRandall. Next time on A Daily Walk, we'll share more helpful insights from 2nd John. We'll be learning how to guard against false teachers on our next two programs.

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