In this book, the shortest in the entire Bible, the inspired apostle addresses two of the single greatest topics in the Bible. And not only does he touch on them, but his epistle is concentrated with them to a high degree. The reason he could address the topics of truth and love to the extent he did is because those to whom he wrote were themselves so committed to them. However, it is the means by which he approaches these great themes that not only was such a compliment to the elect lady and her children, but is so instructive to all who have opportunity to read and study this book.
First, he writes, not to instruct her but to remind her, of a great commandment that was common to all mankind from the very beginning, and that was the commandment of love. And in order to impress upon her, and us, the importance of love John first defines what love is. “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments” (vs. 6a). This mirrors a statement of our Lord that John had earlier recorded in his gospel account where Christ had said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Our love for God is going to itself be determined by whether or not we walk after His counsel and commands. Next, John demands that love in the life of the elect lady as he knows she is already committed to it. “This is the commandment, that, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it” (vs. 6b). It was known, and must be known today, that without absolute commitment to the commandment of love we can easily be steered off the course of righteousness. And then John cites some dangers to our keeping of that command. “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward” (vs. 7-8). The world does not want us to stay committed to the commandments of God, or even to the single commandment of love; but, if we are committed to the degree John demanded, by inspiration, then those evils of the world will not hinder our faithfulness to our God at all. Therefore, John’s address on the topic of love allows us to understand what that love means, how we can show it, and how we can protect it even amidst the harshest of attacks.
Then, second, he writes to address the truth with which she was already intimately familiar. Remember, she had reared her children by strongly emphasizing the principles of truth in their lives, and was so effective in doing so that at whatever stage in life they were when John wrote, they still held strongly to those principles. Thus, John again is not writing in order to instruct her in any area of truth, but to encourage her to stay dedicated to the truth she already knew. In fact, so adamant was John in his hopes that the elect lady would be protected that he told her, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (vs. 10-11). Our souls are far to precious to allow ourselves to fraternize with evil and those who espouse evil, thus John said just have nothing to do with them or their error. But not only would this be beneficial to the elect lady, but could be beneficial to the teacher of error themselves by having their evil pointed out to them. Therefore, knowing her pre-established respect for the truth of God, John tells her to stand strong and withstand against the forces of evil that would continually try to tear her devotion away from righteousness.
I stand in awe of the accomplishments of this great woman, about whom we know nothing else, and hope that I and other Christians could and would commit ourselves to love and truth as did she. However, the themes of truth and love are not only those that are needed in the lives of children of God, but are needed desperately in the lives of those in the world as well. That means one thing: it is up to us to get the word to them just as John did to this lady. Let us take the pattern of John, hoping to speak about these matters face to face (vs. 12) with every soul in this world, that they too might be dedicated to the cause of truth and love.