Day 331 – Second John

Today’s reading for study: 2 John

Today we read the second letter of John.  It’s only thirteen verses long but makes some important points.

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. 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. 2 John 5-8

The first point is that the main tenant of Christianity is to love one another.  Most people intuitively understand this.  However, that is not an end in itself.  Rather, it is a call to action.  We must love one another by caring for each other.  Further, we must love God by keeping his commandments.  This conflicts with the idea of salvation by faith alone.  Indeed, John follows this logic implicitly.  To reject the revelation of Jesus has come in flesh is to allow yourself to be deceived and from this, you may “lose what we have worked for”, i.e. Salvation.  In this very short letter, indeed in just a few verses, John establishes that you must of something, “love” and that you could allow yourself to be deceived “free will”, and lose your salvation.

Tomorrow: 3 John