Thoughts From 3John - Part 2

 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3John 3,4

        There are 4 progressive responses to the Truth, and I believe all must be necessary for salvation. The first is knowing the Truth. Romans 1 says that the truth has gone out to the whole world through revelation of God in nature and Romans 2 says it has gone out to all mankind in a moral awareness. In other words, all mankind knows that we aren't a cosmic accident and there must be a cause behind our existence and you can either acknowledge that it's God or make up some other non-sensical cause. Then Romans 2 says we know there is a right and wrong and we violate it and we can either acknowledge we don't measure up or deny responsibility and evilness. This is the first part of knowing the truth but knowing the remedy must come through specific revelation from messengers of the gospel, that Christ came to take on our moral guilt and introduce us to the creator. We follow the Great Commission so people might know the Truth.

       The 2nd part is acknowledging that this is the truth. However, even the Devil acknowledges this to be true so that doesn't save you.

       Third is humbly receiving the Truth. I know the truth, I acknowledge this is the truth and I humbly admit I'm a sinner in need of forgiveness through Christ's sacrificial death for my sins. I said there are 4 responses necessary when in actuality, it's 3 that save you but the 4th flows from a genuine 3rd response. 4th is walking in the truth - the walk or footsteps of faith as described in Romans 4. As John would say in his first epistle, if we say that we have received Christ in salvation but don't walk in love or obedience, we really didn't get saved because we aren't transformed by the Holy Spirit living inside us.

      I have no greater joy to see my children and their children building marriages, homes, families with Christ at the center.

This is the highlight of my life, and with 11 grandchildren, it's vital that my wife and I

continue to help them walk in the Truth which is lifelong process.