“WHERE MERCY KISSES TRUTH” (2 John 3)
Oct. 22, 2017 10:30 AM
FBC Earlville, NY J B Stopford, Pastor
TODAY’S SPECIAL #1: “A Support Funny”
The prospective father-in-law asked, “Young man, can you support a family?”
The surprised groom-to-be replied, “Well, no, I was just planning to support your daughter. The rest of you are going to have to fend for yourselves.”
TODAY’S SPECIAL #2: (40 years later from #1) “An Anniversary Funny”
John and Nancy, now ˙married for 40 years, planned a second wedding to renew their vows.
Nancy described to her friend the dress she would wear.
Nancy’s friend asked, “What color shoes?”
Nancy replied, “Silver.”
John chimed in: “Yep, silver … to match her hair.”
With a pointed look at John’s bald spot, Nancy’s friend said: “So, John, I guess you’ll go barefoot.”
INTRODUCTION
In the past month, we have studied “mercy” – God’s giving us what we don’t deserve. That’s what love is! Then last week we studied “truth” – God’s Word is the written truth; Jesus is the living truth. Today, we are going to look at the only passage in the NIV in which “mercy” and “truth” kiss, that is, they appear as influencing each other.
May I share a disappointment with the NIV? The KJV has “mercy and truth” together in 23 verses. The NKJV, 22 times. All but our passage today in 2 John translates “mercy” as “love” and “truth” as “faithfulness” in the NIV. While that is an OK translation, to me it misses the mark of the tenderness of those 2 beloved words together.
2 John is a love letter from the Apostle John to a dear lady saint who has walked with Jesus for years. We are going to look at John’s use of these 2 words in verse 3. And then we are going to look at the challenging applications which John makes. I trust this message is encouraging, uplifting, and challenging to each of us. PRAYER
A. WHERE MERCY KISSES TRUTH (v. 3)
Verse 3 is John’s prayer for the church of his day. We could pray it for First Baptist of Earlville, NY. We could pray it for the church of our day. “Grace, mercy, and peace” are the heart of the sacrifice of the cross, the gift of the Father as seen through His Son becoming my sin on the cross. And as wonderful as those 3 are – grace, mercy, and peace – they are empty and shallow without truth and love. John is praying that every believer of his day – and ours as well – has a foundation in true faith. Not necessarily in church or in religion. But in a living faith which has substance, because it has a foundation which began with the written truth – the Word of God – and the living Truth, the Lord Jesus, as on display through His mercy at the cross. Mercy kisses truth at the cross AND in the heart of every man, woman, boy and girl who is surrendered to the Savior. Has mercy kissed truth in your heart?
B. APPLICATIONS OF MERCY & TRUTH
#1. They are the heart of faith – “The elder” – John is around 80 years of age – is writing and commending a “chosen lady”, a sister in the Lord, and her children. What is the heart of this commendation? Let’s count the number of times John uses “truth” in the first 4 verses (5 times). When mercy strikes the heart, he result is that truth is the heart of one’s life! So…is truth the heart of your life?
#2. “Some” (v. 4) – John doesn’t tell us how many children she has; but he does know that not all are walking in the truth. But some are. Does that sound like your family? Doesn’t that sound like our church? Many are fervent in Church Stuff. Some are fervent in Truth. There’s a difference – shouldn’t be, but there is. Are you one of the “some”?
#3. True love is a true walk (vs. 5-6). “Walk in love”. God wants us to walk with Him. And He wants us to temper our walk with love. How does that show up?
(1) 1 Kings 3:3. Solomon loved the Lord, walked in love, EXCEPT he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. His worship was a mixed worship – the Lord and the world. And the world always wins.
(2) Rom. 14:15 A walk that allows for an inconsistent life, and allows for a mixed worship, is not a walk in love.
(3). Eph. 5:1,2 A walk in love is a walk in mercy, a sacrifice just like our Savior walked! Our walk is our daily offering to Jesus!
#4. Mercy and truth working together identifies those who have no use for mercy and truth. (vs. 7ff). One clearly clings to the foundation that Jesus “came in the flesh” – i.e., He “really became man” (J.B. Phillips translation). Why is that important? Because God becoming man is the heart of the cross, and the heart of the true gospel. In Phil. 2:7, Jesus “took upon Himself the form of man” – I.e., He took upon Himself the very nature of man. He became a man so that He would have a body that He could die for the sin of man which separated man from His Father. And the cry of Ps. 22:1 as recorded in the gospels, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”, should resonate in our hearts that when He took upon Himself my sin, the Father separated Himself from His Son. For me. And you.
#5. Those who don’t hold to that truth are anti-Christ. We don’t hob-nob with them. We don’t let them into our house (home or church). (vs. 10-11) We point them out as anti-Christ. Their doctrine is not of God but of Satan. But remember, even those who are anti-Christ are those who need Jesus. Paul said, (1 Cor. 6:11) “and such were some of you…”. God can change any heart. He changed mine.
#6. Mercy and truth fellowships face to face (vs. 12-13). Paul liked to write – and he said he had much to write. But he really loved to talk face to face. Illustration The other day I counted 10 people on the street of Norwich, and 6 of them were looking at their phones and NOT at other people, the stores, or the oncoming traffic! Paul would have been upset. Do you depend upon your phone to communicate with people? Or have you developed the grace of meeting face to face?
#7. The children send greetings. I was raised to send “thank you” notes. That is a lost art today. Personal letters are a lost cause today. But what has brought Thuvia much joy in recent days? Cards. In the mail! The lady at the desk at Hope Lodge says that Thuvia has received more cards than anyone! Every day! Many have sent greetings. You can say “you’re not alone”. But visible greetings show that. And isn’t it great to know that you are not alone in your walk with the Lord in a world that has no use for Him?
CONCLUSION
“Where mercy kisses truth”. “Mercy” and “truth” have been fun studies. “Mercy” – God’s undeserved love on display in His Son taking what we should be receiving, death for our sin. “Truth” – both the written Word and the Living Word are gifts of God for our daily walk to know Him. And when mercy kisses truth, how does it show up in the one who says he loves Jesus? He is more alive than he ever was before!
One final illustration. My wife, Thuvia, had a bone marrow biopsy the other day. You know what one of the results was? Her bone marrow is no longer present, but her donor’s bone marrow is! That is what the transplant was supposed to do – and it is doing just that! And when mercy kisses truth in your heart, in my heart, it is no longer you who is on display, but the Lord Jesus! Has mercy kissed truth in your life?
Close in prayer