P2 - A Biographical Sketch Of The Apostle John, The Man Who Loved Jesus: He Had Fervancy For Jesus

Luke 9:51-56 "When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village."

Introduction:

I can recall in my childhood days hearing my parents tell me:

"Mahlon, you are sometimes like a bull in a china closet".

Admittedly, they were more than justified in their assertions. I was (and still can be) strong-willed, stubborn and singular-focused, to a fault. I find it humorous to discover that the Apostle John (and his brother James, known as "James the Son of Zebedee) were together called by Jesus: "sons of thunder". This comical point is highlighted by Mark in Mark 1:37 - 

"and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”)."

John the Apostle was bold by nature. It is hard to imagine the man who loved Jesus with such strength of grace and courage in his latter years was the sort of man you would rather had avoided in his youth. Yet, as is often the case with all new converts to Christ, the process of sanding off the rough edges must begin with the rough edges. Amazingly, what are often liabilities in our personalities are transfigured into benefits for the Kingdom.

In today's post, we once again take a look at the Apostle John to understand how we can better love the Lord Jesus Christ. We saw last time that, like John, we too must begin this journey of love by following Jesus (for the previous post, click here: http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2018/06/p1-biographical-sketch-of-apostle-john.html ).

In today's post, we will add on a second trait: fervency for Jesus.

John's fervency to follow Jesus

Luke 9:51-56 records an episode where Jesus was transitioning his ministry from primarily focusing upon Galilee to the North to gradual priority upon Judea and Jerusalem to the South. In Luke's version, stretching from chapters 10-17, we find unique material devoted to Jesus' ministry in Perea along the Western side of the Jordon River. Jesus and his disciples were looking to lodge in Samaria for the night before continuing their journeys (see map below):

As Luke's narrative reports, Jesus sent a couple of his disciples to inquire about lodging. Their request was denied due to the animosities between the Samaritans and the Jews. As a historian, Luke then reports the responses of the disciples, especially a then young apostle John. As a "son of thunder", John makes the astonishing suggestion in Luke 9:54 -

 "When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

Wow! One would think that the man "whom Jesus loved" would never had made such a radical suggestion. John expressed untampered zeal. Yet, John did. How many of us, in our Christian walks, have made those impetuous choices or inserted our foot in the mouth? John's statement is met with a rebuke from Jesus, reminding him in Luke 9:55-56 - 

"But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village."

A.B. Bruce's classic study on the disciples: "The Training Of The Twelve", page 234, give the following insight:

"It shows how slow the best are to learn the heavenly doctrine and practice of charity. How startling, again, to think of the same John, a year or two after the date of this savage suggestion, going down from Jerusalem and preaching the Gospel of Jesus the crucified in 'many of the villages of the Samaritans', possibly in this very village which he desired to see destroyed!"

Bruce's reference to John's change of heart is found in Acts 8:14-17 - 

"Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit."

John's fervent temperament spilled-over in those early days of his conversion. In the hands of Jesus, John's fervency in the flesh was ever-slowly transformed into a fervency of love for Him. For sure, John and his brother both exhibited strong passion in their life. At one point in their journey's with Jesus, they request of Jesus to sit at his right and left hand in the kingdom (compare Mark 10:35-40). Jesus tells them that they are ignorant of the manner of their request, and warns them of the possible implications (namely, martyrdom). John and James both assert they're able to take whatever consequences, if it will mean the granting of their request. 

We may look at John's behavior and cast a swift verdict. However, how many times have any of us, even after walking with the Lord for many years, who name "the name of Christ", gotten wobbly, excessive or out-of-turn? Thankfully, the Lord Jesus Christ is merciful. Patient.

Like all Christians, John bore the left-over remnants of the old nature. Like rust on a car, the fragments of that old way of thinking clung to the newly regenerated nature.  Excesses are traced to the flesh - or "old man" (see Colossians 2-3). John had his boxing ring, set in the heart, with the new nature duking-it-out with his old-ways. Still, the fervor characterizing John's temperament became useful in Jesus' hands.

Fervency of the flesh gradually gives way to fervent love for Jesus

Whenever we look at John's progression in discipleship, we witness transformation. The fervency of the flesh is slowly melting away to the fervency of God's love coursing through his heart. The scenes of John with Peter and James upon the Mount of Transfiguration gives us a glimpse into the beginnings of such changes (see Matthew 17; 2 Peter 1:16-21). While Peter is peppering Jesus with frantic questions and excitement, we hear not a word from John's lips (compare Matthew 17:1-13).

Or consider how few of words he is at the final meal between Jesus and his disciples in John 13:22-25. It is at this juncture that we find John reclined on Jesus. The practice of leaning on one another at an oriental meal, on the ground, would explain why John was pressed in on Jesus' side. Once Jesus reveals that He is going to undergo betrayal, John (described in John 13:23 as "the one whom Jesus loved) asks Jesus in 13:25 - "Lord, who is it?" John's listening and watching of the Master takes over those earlier episodes where he would boldly stride in like the proverbial "bull in a china-closet".

John's fervency is reined in by an ever-increasing Christ-like humility. The forging together of fervency and humility yields that Biblical alloy of meekness (compare Moses in Numbers 12:3, KJV). By the time we arrive at the foot of the cross in John 19:25-27, we see the fervency of love most poignantly displayed:

"Therefore the soldiers did these things.
But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household."

John's fervent love for Jesus grew despite the pressures and persecutions

John's place at the foot of the cross, beside Jesus' mother according to the flesh, befits this disciple as the man par excellence in matters pertaining to love for Jesus. Jesus knew John was the only one able and willing to care for Mary. None of Jesus' half-brothers per the flesh were given this privilege (besides the fact they were not-yet-followers of Jesus as Messiah). John's fervency of love for His Lord is observed by being the first disciple to reach the empty tomb. John would express faith (albeit, the beginnings of such), that Jesus had risen (John 20:6,8). John was there with the other 120, awaiting for the promise of the Spirit spoken of by Jesus (Acts 1:13).

It was this same John that partnered with Peter in launching out the initial apostolic mission in and around Jerusalem and Judea (see Acts 3:1,3,4,11; 4:13,19; 8:14). John's brother, James, was martyred for his faith in Christ, echoing the fervent love of his brother (Acts 12:12). John's fervent love was so much so that he was known in the early church as a "pillar" of the church (compare Paul's remarks in Galatians 2:9). 

Closing thoughts and applications: fervent love, expressed in John's writings

By the time John reaches his mid-eighties, he has already followed Jesus with fervent love for some 50-60 years. The three epistles that bear this include this term "love" 26x in 1 John, 4x in 2 John and 3 times in 3 John. John's Gospel, penned very shortly before or at the same time as his little letters, mentions love from Christ or towards Christ nearly 40x. The final book John would pen under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, his Apocalypse or Revelation, mentions such fervent love as central to Christian living. Revelation 12:11 states -

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death."

John's fervent love is deeper, higher and wider for Jesus as he pens that glorious book of Revelation on that small Island of Patmos. Life got harsher for this apostle. Yet, the love of Jesus grew only sweeter. Can the same be said of you and me, dear reader. Loving Jesus certainly begins with following Him. However, the fervor of love for Him ought to grow all the more sweeter. Might we consider John's example and by the power of the Spirit, love the Lord Jesus with such fervent love.  

The Greatness of Jesus Christ in the General Epistles

Hebrews 1:1-4 "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they."

Introduction: A quick word on the general Epistles

Michael Harbin in his survey of the Bible entitled: "The Promise and the Blessing", notes - "As we approach the end fo the apostolic age, we note a change in the letters (That is the New Testament Epistles). Outside of James, the letters we have seen thus far were written to individual churches, that is, to all the believers in a given city. By contrast, the letters written in the sixties or later (60 A.D or later) were written either to larger geographical regions or to specific individuals."  Harbin later notes: "Those letters written to larger geographical regions are often called Catholic or General Epistles because they were written to believers in general, not to a specific individual or city."  Harbin's comments relate to the 8 books in our New Testaments we classify as the general epistles, namely: Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter. 1,2,3 John and Jude. These books are many times not read as often as the thirteen letters of Paul (Galatians-2 Timothy), which is to the Christian's detriment. Why? Because in exploring the general epistles, one can better understand for example the relationship of suffering to the Christian life or how the Old Testament and New Testament fit together. Today's post is about briefly considering the most important person and topic that could be pondered - Jesus Christ. What I aim to do in this post is list one text from each of the general letters of the New Testament that shows to us the greatness of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that this post edifies and encourages every reader.

1. Jesus Christ is Supreme - Book of Hebrews

Hebrews 1:1-4 "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they." The theme of "better" occurs over a dozen references in Hebrews, all pointing to how Jesus Christ is supreme above all things. 

2. Jesus Christ's authority - Book of James

James 5:7-9  "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door." Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28:18 that all power and authority had been given to Him in heaven and on earth. He is the judge, having authority and Divine power. 

3. Jesus Christ's comings - 1 & 2 Peter

1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."

2 Peter 3:9-10  "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in whichthe heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up."

4. Jesus Christ as Savior - 1,2,3 John

1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." Jesus as Savior provides assurance of salvation for everyone who responds by grace alone through faith alone in Him alone.

2 John 1:9 "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." It is not enough to say one believes in a Jesus, but in the right Jesus. The Jesus that saves people from their sins is the One revealed in the Bible, the Word of God.

3 John 1:7 "For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles." The term "Name" is shorthand for everything that Jesus is and accomplished and is still doing today. Acts 4:12 reminds us that no other "name" is given under heaven to people whereby they can be saved. 

5. Jesus Christ is the God of mercy - Book of Jude

Jude 1:21 - "keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." Jesus Christ is "Lord", which is a title of Deity, and He is merciful, which reminds us of the fact He is the God of mercy. Jude closes out his book and our study of the greatness of Jesus Christ in the General Epistles with these words from Jude 1:24-25 - "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

The Christian walk of faith in Daniel 9-10 & 2 John

Daniel 9:24-27 24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, tofinish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision andprophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

How a major Bible prophecy strengthened Daniel in His walk with the Lord

Daniel 9 is perhaps the most incredible chapter in the book of Daniel, being that it contains the most amazing and sweeping prophecy in the Bible: Daniel 9:23-27 is the golden gateway to the remainder of Daniel's prophecies that will speak of history up until Christ's return. For seventy years Daniel had been living in Babylon, as was by now in his mid-eighties by the time he composed Daniel 9. 

The chapter begins with him reading the words of the inspired book of Jeremiah. Having read the promises of the captivity lasting for seventy years in Jeremiah 29:10-14, Daniel's eyes and faith must have widened, for in his way of reckoning, only two to three years would remain until God's discipline of the Jews was finished. The prayer that flows from Daniel's heart in Daniel 9:1-22, as well as the strengthening ministry of angel Gabriel makes this chapter gleam even more. 

Daniel 9:23-27 predicts a 490 year period of time prescribed for the Jews by God that will begin as soon as they return and re-construction of their then damaged temple begins. We know from reading the historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah that such a project was undertaken. Daniel's prophecy also predicts the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, again an event that was completed in 396 b.c right after the closing of the Old Testament canon. Then the third major event predicted at the end of Daniel deals with the coming and crucifixion of Jesus, which in the timing of Daniel 9:23-27 was to occur 483 years after the decree to build the temple in Jerusalem had been made. From that decree to rebuild on March 14, 445 b.c until Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to present Himself as Israel's King in April 6, 33 A.D is exactly the 483 years that Daniel predicted. 

The remaining seven years of Daniel's "seventy weeks" has yet to occur in a period of unprecedented judgment on this world called "The Tribulation Period". Daniel 10 teaches the believer about the comfort of Bible prophecy in how we see the Person of Christ (10:1-9); Provisions of grace (10:10-17) and the Promises of scripture (10:18-21). 

What 2 John has to explain about the Christian walk

The Book of 2 John is all about explaining the Christian walk in regards to: The power of the Christian walk (2 John 1-6) and defense of the Christian walk (2 John 7-13). Knowing about the important truths of the Christian walk will aid any Christian in dealing with the great triumphs and often difficult circumstances that attend the Christian life. 

How the Books of Daniel and 2 John can be used together to better understand the Christian walk of faith

Remarkably, when you read Daniel and John's writings together, you are seeing two men who had been walking with God for about the same period of time (Daniel 70 years, John 60 or so years) and who were about the same physical age when they wrote their books (Daniel 85; John at least 85 at the time of 2 John). May you and I walk with the Lord and realize that it is always worth it!

A Biblical survey of Election - 2 John & Revelation

2 John 1:1 "The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth."

We will be bringing our Biblical survey of Sovereign election to a close today as we consider what the Apostle John teaches in his letters and the book of Revelation.  There are over 100 texts throughout scripture that speak on the subject of God's elective purpose of grace.  In this study we have discovered the following five truths:

1. Election's purpose - Godliness
2. Election's motive - God's love
3. Election's targets - helpless people
4. Election's blessing - comfort
5. Election's timing - Eternity

We have also labored to understand that when the Bible speaks about the subject of Sovereign election, it also teaches the responsibility of every person to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their sins.  The scripture clearly teaches that anyone who rejects the Gospel does so of their own choice. Likewise anyone who trusts in Jesus does so because of God's elective purpose of grace.  As the Baptist Faith and Message notes: "Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility."

What John has to say about God's elective purpose
2 John 1:1 refers to the church he wrote as the "elect lady".  Depending upon which interpretation on takes, whether she be an individual lady who was elected or a church full of elected people, the point is that John uses this description of God's people.  We can by this point include the entire counsel of God's word in stating what John is saying here in 2 John.

In Revelation 17:14 stands as quite possibly the final mention of the word "chosen" in the Bible.  John writes in Revelation 17:14 "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” Why would John make mention about the Christian's sovereign election? Again to bring comfort to a people who were under persecution and pressure.  In that final passage we see mentioned together the doctrines of Sovereign election and the Christian's free moral decision making - i.e faithful.  Though God has chosen the Christian unto salvation and godliness, yet it is at the same time the Christian's responsibility to live out the Godly life. (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13)  

Conclusion
As we draw our study to a close, we have discovered, in the course of surveying the entire Bible's treatment on Sovereign election, the following five truths and crucial observation:

1. Election's purpose - Godliness
2. Election's motive - God's love
3. Election's targets - helpless people
4. Election's blessing - comfort
5. Election's timing - Eternity

The crucial observation of course has been that only God can design a salvation wherein there is no contradiction between Sovereign election and human responsibility in salvation.  This means then that election does not quench the need for evangelism, but only heightens it, since God ordains the ends and has so included the means (soul-winning Christians) to accomplish His ends.  May we be faithful to go forth in obedience in the domain of the Spirit's sanctifying work and Christ's finished work and bring glory to King Jesus - the purpose for which God chose believers in His Son. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

2 John 1-4 The Truth that empowers the Christian Walk

2 John 1:1 The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth.

In yesterday's post we undertook the effort to explain from the scriptures what John meant by the term "walking".  At the end of the post we discovered from scripture that walking with the Lord has to do with the manner, the motives, the means and the main purpose of Christian living: the pleasure and glory of God in Jesus Christ. In today's post we want to understand from John's second letter what enables a Christian to maintain the Christian walk.

The Truth of God's Word empowers the Christian walk
The key verse of 2 John is verse 4 - "I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father."  Whenever John speaks of the truth, he is referring to the words of scripture. (Psalm 19:7-13; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)  Biblical truth is the concrete of the Christian walk. What is it about Biblical truth that prompts John to highlight it's significance five times in just four verses?  The following observations will demonstrate why Biblical truth alone can enable Christian's to consistently walk with the Lord.  God's truth in these verses has the following six traits:

1. Eternal Truth  2 John 1,2b
These people to whom John wrote to are  referred to as "the chosen lady".  God's act of "electing" His people unto salvation is described in roughly 100 places in God's Word.  Only God could plan salvation wherein there is no contradiction between His Sovereign Grace and human responsibility to believe.  Ephesians 1:4-5 describes God's electing of His people is based entirely upon His Choice to love each believer, whom He saw in Christ in His mind, before the foundation of the world.  The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 explains God's electing purpose of grace: "Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end."  The truth upon which the Christian bases their Christian walk extends back into eternity past.  John then writes in 2 John 2 of how this same truth is that "which abides in us and will be with us forever".  Therefore the truth upon which the believer basis their continued walk of faith is not only rooted in Eternity past, but also Eternity future.  

2. Loving Truth  2 John 1
The Christian is able to walk with the Lord due to eternal truth, but notice also another trait of this truth: it is a lovable truth.  John states that the people to whom he writes are those "whom I love in the truth".  Should not the truth of God's Word impact us in such a way as to stir us up unto love and good deeds? Only with one another, gathered together around the truth of God's Word, can we walk in such a way as to promote love for the truth and within it. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

3. Knowable Truth 2 John 1
By being eternal truth and loving truth, the truth of God that enables the Christian to consistently walk with God grants knowledge of God - i.e it is knowable truth.  To "know the truth" as stated by God refers to knowing it be first hand experience.  The only way you and I can know God is through His Word and the increasing awareness of the Holy Spirit's indwelling power and Presence in our lives.  To "know" God isn't merely head knowledge, but also heart knowledge as well.  Both the head and heart are necessary to "know" the truth.

4. Abiding Truth 2 John 2
This fourth trait of the truth that motivates the Christian walk gives the believer continual power to live.  The fact that the truth of God is that which "abides" or "sticks with us" indicates what is needed to walk with God.  Every morning I try to have oatmeal for breakfast, because I know that oatmeal will "stick with me" until lunch. Candy won't do it nor cake, but wholesome food.  God's Word alone is sufficient as God's truth, since it is about the Savior Jesus Christ Who is The Truth.

5. Christ's Truth 2 John 3
The reason why the truth of God is necessary for the Christian's walk is due to the source from whence it comes - Jesus Christ.  It is He, in conjunction with God the Father, Who dispenses by His Spirit the necessary strength for Godly living "in truth and love".  

6. Livable Truth 2 John 4
Because John's readers were relying upon eternal, loving, knowable, abiding and Christ sourced truth, they thus were able to live the Christian life.  The truth of the Christian life is that with Spirit's power and His truth, the Christian can walk it out.  No wonder John wrote: "I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father." 

2 John - Explaining what it means to walk with God

2 John 1:4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. 


The audience and theme of 2 John: The Christian Walk
As with the other seven letters designated "The General Epistles", 2 John is written not so much to a specific person but more so to a "general" group of Christians.  John starts out this little letter by identifying his readers collectively as "The Elect Lady and her children".  Although commentators are divided as to whether John is writing to an individual or to a church, I tend for various reasons to favor the latter interpretation. 1

If we were to assign one theme to 2 John, it would be the theme of "The Christian Walk". Being that 2 John is the second shortest book in the Bible, we can more easily see why this theme of "The Christian Walk" fits the book in just two verses:

2 John 1:4  I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. 

2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

This concept of "walking with God" is so important that it merits explanation.  The remainder of today's post will attempt to explain what it means to "walk with God" and why John was so thrilled to find this church doing so.

Explaining what it means to "walk with God"
John is so thrilled over this church, the "chosen elect lady", to be "walking in the truth". Why? All New Testament doctrines have at least one concrete example in the Old Testament to help us picture the teaching.  Whenever you survey the subject of "walking with God", you find a goldmine of truth in the 50 or so places that the idea is mentioned.  Some of the more noteworthy examples are:

1. Genesis 5:24 "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." This is the Bible's first mention of a man "walking with God".  In Genesis 3:8 we see God coming down to Eden to "walk", indicating that His desire had been and still is to walk with man, even though fallen man apart from His grace had hid from Him.  Only when God begins to walk with man will man in turn walk with Him.  For 300 years Enoch walked with God, and then was snatched away by God so as to avoid death.  

2. Genesis 6:9 We see Noah walking with God in righteousness

3. Genesis 17:1 Abraham's walk with God meant He relied upon the righteousness of God

4. Leviticus 26:12 spells out the fact that walking with God means I walk with God and He with me

5. Joshua 22:5 states: "Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 

6. Psalm 23:4 has the Holy Spirit saying through David: "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." (KJV)

7. Isaiah 40:31 the Holy Ghost speaks: "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

The New Testament continues on with this theme of "walking" with an even greater emphasis on the manner and character of one's Christian life...

1. Galatians 5:16 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."

2. Ephesians 4:1 "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called."

3. 1 John 2:6 "the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."

Then of course we see the final mention of "walk" in the Bible as picturing the saints of God living in eternity and conducting their existence around the light of God's glory in Jesus Christ shining in the New Jerusalem.  We read the same author, the Apostle John, writing these words in Revelation 21:24 - "The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it."

In sum, walking with the Lord has to do with the manner, the motives, the means and the main purpose of Christian living: the pleasure and glory of God in Jesus Christ.  There is to be "onward" and "upward" movement in the Christian life as they strive to "walk with God".  Whenever you and I are walking with God, we are fulfilling God's design and desire: to be a people who walk with Him and He with us. (Genesis 3:8; 2 Samuel 7:7)

This amazing truth of "walking with God" is why John is so thrilled to not only find individual believers, but an entire church "walking with God" in love of the truth.  May you and I be so characterized as having a very visible Christian walk with the Lord.  

End Notes:                             

1. The Jamieson-Faussett-Brown Commentary notes: "As Peter in Babylon had sent the salutations of the elect Church in the then Parthian (see above on Clement of Alexandria) Babylon to her elect sister in Asia, so John, the metropolitan president of the elect Church in Asia, writes to the elect lady, that is, Church, in Babylon."   The just quoted commentary cross-references Peter's remarks in 1 Peter 5:13 which reads -  "She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark." We know also too that the Apostle Paul refers to churches as God's elect people in Ephesians 1:4-5 and Colossians 3:12, further lending support to the notion that John is most likely writing to a church, rather than an individual.  John himself speaks elsewhere of church members being likened unto "children" in 1 John 2:12-14.