May 2nd, Saturday: 3 John - Jude

3 John

John wrote this letter to his friend, Gaius, to encourage him in a difficult situation in his local church.

Again, he concentrated on making God's truth a vital part of life.

Walking in truth.

People could see the truth in Gaius because he loved it and walked in obedience to it, and that brought great joy to John.

Every Christian parent can echo this verse and can even make it a prayer.

Working for truth.

When you assist and encourage God's servants, you become a fellow worker with them in spreading the truth.

Christian hospitality was important in those days and ought to be revived today.

Welcoming the truth.

Can you imagine Diotrephes rejecting a message from the apostle John?

He was so separated that he did not even receive John's friends.

When we welcome God's people, we welcome God's truth.

Witnessing for the truth.

Not all church members are like Diotrephes.

There are like people like Demetrius who love the truth and live it.

They're the ones who make the local church healthy.

Jude

Jude, like James, was a half-brother of the Lord Jesus.

His letter focuses on false teachers, and echoes Peter's warnings in 2 Peter 2.

Who they are.

Jude wanted to write about salvation, but the Lord directed him to write about invasion instead.

False teachers were creeping into the church, and going undetected.

These are unsaved people, ungodly people and unprincipled people, who used grace as an excuse for sin.

What they do.

Like the Jews in the wilderness, the fallen angels and the evil cities of the plain, they reject the authority of God.

Their words are defiant and defiling.

Like Cain, they have no saving faith.

But they do have religion like Balaam.

They use religion as a way to make money.

And like Korah, they defied the word of God and the authority of God's chosen servants.

What they are.

False teachers promised much, but produce little.

Like rainless clouds and fruitless trees, Enoch had the best word for them: ungodly!

What we must do.

Remember the Word and build yourself up in your Christian faith.

True believers are preserved in Jesus Christ.

And they prove this by keeping themselves in God's love.

Therefore God can keep them from fallings.