Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Only one chapter long, 2 John carries a weighty reminder for those of us who profess to know, love, and follow Jesus. John writes with both tenderness and urgency: the Christian life is about holding truth and love together. Truth keeps us rooted in Christ, protecting us from false teaching. Love keeps our hearts soft, ensuring our faith is not just words but action.

In verse 4, John emphasizes the importance of walking in truth: embracing God's Word as the ultimate source for wisdom and guidance, and making choices in our lives that fully align with God's commands. But he doesn't stop there. In verse 5, John urges Jesus' followers to love one another. 

It's not enough to know God's truth; we must practice God's love. In verse 6, John says it this way, "This is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command you have heard from the beginning: that you walk in love." True love is not detached from God's commands; nor are God's commands detached from love. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared that He did not come to eliminate the law but to complete it. He was helping people understand that the whole point of the law is LOVE — God's love for them and their love for others. The law highlights our need for God's grace and points us to the only righteous One: Jesus! When this truth takes root deeply in our hearts, it transforms the way we see God, His Kingdom, and the way we live in response.

You see, truth and love aren't binary ideals. They are woven together in faith. And because our faith is meant to be fleshed out in community, it's impossible to walk in both truth and love outside of a relationship with others who share the faith...and those who do not. 

Without relational proximity, truth too easily becomes the primary lens through which we see people and their circumstances. Our perceptions about people influence our posture toward them. When truth is the primary lens and a person or group's beliefs and actions do not align with God's truth, it's much more likely that I'll stand opposed rather than lean in and come alongside. 

But Jesus calls us to walk in love. And while relational proximity doesn't change God's truth, it does offer a more responsive lens. If how I see people and their circumstances influences how I respond to them, being in relationship with others provides a myriad of shades my black-and- white truth lens can't capture alone. Walking alongside someone affords me a greater understanding of their life and choices. Up close, I more clearly see the complexity of another person's beliefs and decisions, and this compels me to lean in (rather than away) with love and humility, suspending judgment for curiosity and compassion. 

This is not to say walking in love is ever out of step with truth; it's never loving to withhold truth! However, walking with others in love helps build the kinds of relationships that bear the weight of truth. I know this has been my experience. I receive the accountability of truth with greater humility in relationship with someone who has walked with me, who knows and loves me. This is what John encourages and what I believe he saw Jesus do so skillfully. 

How can we know we are walking in truth and in love? Here are two indicators from my own walk: 

1. When challenging, polarizing conversations come up (about politics, gender and sexuality, abortion, immigration, money, poverty), certain truths about these topics come to mind first, along with opinions about groups or people I don't know personally who believe or act differently than I do. Feelings of frustration and judgment follow these thoughts. I likely need to lean into relationships with people who believe differently than I do to practice walking in love. Knowing the truth and understanding the realities in which truth is applied are complex matters that only love can mediate. 

2. When I find in my close relationships with other Christians that I withhold the truth for fear of losing a friend, I refuse to take up the responsibility of accountability, and I may need courage to speak up to practice walking in truth. 

Who are you walking with? Are you walking with them in truth? Are you walking with them in love?  

Who are you NOT walking with? Are there people you see only through the lens of truth? Those you walk ahead of in pride or a little behind in judgment? Who might you need to walk with in love? 

Prayer: Lord, thank You for giving me both truth and love in Jesus. Guard me from deception and keep me rooted in Your Word. Teach me to walk in obedience, showing love that reflects Your heart. May my life bear witness to both Your truth and Your love today. Amen.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.

James Weekly Verse Challenge

Want to go beyond just reading God's Word? Want to take action? As we study the Book of James in the "Faith That Works" message series, we encourage you to do more than read the theme verse. Each week, we challenge you to memorize the verse and put it into action. Beginning Monday, October 6, we will text the weekly verse on a downloadable wallpaper on Monday mornings. Download the mobile wallpaper to your phone and memorize the weekly verse as you strive to live it daily. 

Text "JAMES" to 601-299-4493 to receive each week's theme verse.