Day 336: 2 John 7–13

Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but you may receive a full reward (v. 8).

No sooner does God reveal truth than Satan goes on the warpath with lies. Deception is his specialty, and his obvious goal is to get us to believe the lies. Therefore, they can’t be blatant or we’d recognize them.

Notice John said nothing in this passage about these false teachers refuting every single doctrine concerning Christianity. Some of the false teachers in John’s day did not refute that Jesus was divine, for instance. They simply said He wasn’t man as well as God. John focused on this exact false teaching in his first letter: “Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God.” (1 John 4:2–3 hcsb). The issue of Christ coming in the flesh is so vital because we “enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body” (Heb. 10:19–20). Satan is ever trying to undermine the issue of salvation.

Think about this with me. God created man in His image. John 4:24 says, “God is spirit.” You and I were created in three parts: body, soul, and spirit. I believe the “spirit” part of us is that which is created most pointedly in God’s image. The spirit—when distinguished in Scripture from the soul—is the part of each human being that has the capacity to know and have a relationship with God. Our Maker literally equipped us with an inner longing to find Him.

First Corinthians 6:17 says that “anyone joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (hcsb). When we receive Jesus as our Savior, our spirit (that part of us with the capacity to know God) unites with the Holy Spirit, and they become one. So because I am a believer in Christ, when I refer to the spirit within me, I am talking about the Holy Spirit. But Satan wants to do anything he can to keep people blinded to the truth and lost. He knows all of us are created with a longing for God that we often confuse with a longing for anything “spiritual.” But not every spiritual teaching is Christian, and he knows it.

The good news of Jesus Christ was running rampant all over the Middle Eastern part of the world in John’s day and heading north, south, east, and west. Jesus was a hot topic of conversation. Once Satan established that he couldn’t squelch spiritual hunger or stop the talk about Christ, he determined to supply a new story that made best use of both. He suggested through false teachers that Christ indeed came but not in the flesh. Therefore, the spiritually hungry could still have a belief system involving God but remain, as my relatives would say, as lost as a goose. Why? Because our access to God is through the torn flesh of Jesus Christ. To deny the incarnation is to deny the one and only means of salvation.

I imagine you know someone at work or elsewhere that may be very “spiritual” but doesn’t believe in the incarnate death of Christ as the means to salvation. Do you see what Satan has done? He has tried to feed their need for the spiritual and still keep them blind to the truth. Clever and terribly destructive, isn’t he? Don’t judge them. Pray like mad for them! Pray for the veil to be removed and the torn veil of Jesus’ flesh to be made clear! Just take note that this is Satan at work.

John warned “the chosen lady” not to take any such teacher into her house. In those days, of course, most gatherings of believers met in what we now call “house churches.” In many countries they still do. Though John’s directive is certainly important for any individual believer, you can imagine how vital it would be for an entire church gathering. Traveling teachers were very common. I think John was saying, “Don’t even consider giving anyone who teaches such false doctrine freedom to speak in your gatherings!”

Recently I spoke in a denominational church I haven’t often had the privilege to serve. The pastor stood in the back of the sanctuary and listened to every word I taught. Someone asked me if I was bothered by his presence. I assured them I had nothing but respect for a pastor who watched over his flock so carefully. I also was quite relieved when I passed his test!

Pastors aren’t just the shepherds of the men of the church. I have met pastors who I could tell were totally unconcerned about what their women were studying or to whom they were listening. Some of them think we’re all just sipping tea and talking girl talk. I find myself thinking, “Mister, with all due respect, if your women catch a fire of false doctrine, they can burn down your whole church! Watch who you take into your “house.” Watch me, for heaven’s sake! Watch all of us!” Many would never knowingly teach deception or distortion, but all are dreadfully human.

Well, well, well. In his second letter John certainly said volumes in so few words. If only I could do the same. One of the things I like best about him is his balance. “Love one another!” And while you’re at it, “Test the spirits!” Now that’s a fine teacher.