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Love in truth
Text: 3 John 1
The theme of truth runs through 3rd John. Particularly the relationship truth has to the church and individuals in the church. The first time the word truth shows up here in verse 1 it is the thing that binds John and Gaius together in purity.
Love in truth is the result of a common purpose in the LORD
- Gaius was apprehended by the mob in Ephesus in Acts 19:29 during missionary work with Paul.
- Nothing brings people together like a common purpose. We mentioned briefly last week, common interests are one thing, but a common purpose is the next level of fellowship.
- John and Gaius didn’t have the same position, Gaius wasn’t an apostle. John didn’t have a church in his house that we know of. But they were unified in purpose.
- Love in truth was not only solidified with a common purpose but a common purpose of serving the LORD.
- And to take it a step further, this common purpose of serving the LORD had caused each of them trouble that they were faithful through.
Love in truth is active love
- And he accompanied Paul on parts of Paul’s missionary journeys in Acts 20:4.
- 1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
- Jesus Christ modeled God’s love and then commanded us to do what he showed us how to do. 1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Love measured by its sacrifice
- God doesn’t just say love, He tells you how so you don’t go away with the same delusions about love that you came with.
True love has no other motive than the well being of another soul
- Gaius housed Paul at some point according to Romans 16:23.
- Peter and Paul both use the phrase love unfeigned in 1 Peter 1:22 and 2 Corinthians 6:6. Unfeigned: not counterfeit; not hypocritical; real; sincere
- Love unfeigned means there is no other motive here than the well being of a soul. There is no ulterior motive. This isn’t manipulation in order to get something out of someone else.
- True love is not lust. “But we love each other.” Ephesians 5:1-3 Walk in love …but fornication… meaning fornication and love are not the same thing. So walk in love, but have nothing to do with fornication. So obviously those things aren’t the same.
Love in truth hates lies and pride
- Paul told the Corinthians he was glad he didn’t baptize any of them except Gaius and Crispus in 1 Corinthians 1:14 because the church was full of carnal people.
- Now, 35 years later, Gaius’ health is bad according to verse 2, he’s lived a life of service to God supporting the saints and evangelism. John, probably in his eighties, writes to Gaius who’s probably in his seventies. And now, with three or four decades in the LORD’s service, John writes this little letter to Gaius who he loves in truth.
