We live in a culture that is increasingly uncomfortable with truth claims. In 2016, many assert, "Sure, you can claim personal truth, but your truth may not be my truth."
Claims to objective truth on doctrine, morals, or ethics appear old-fashioned today. Truth has been discarded and replaced by tolerance and personal preference.
Yet, these cultural values clash with the historic teaching of the Word of God.
In 2 John, the Apostle writes to Christians dealing with false teaching. Although this letter is short (less than 300 words in Greek), John makes it clear that believing truth is eternally important. In the first 3 verses he uses the word "truth" 4x to emphasize the importance of believing what is true and rejecting what is false.
Further, John writes, "I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father."
3 things are important to notice in this verse:
1. The Apostle John believes in objective truth.
The Christian church had to battle moral relativism and religious pluralism in the 1st century just as it does in the 21st century. However, John does not instruct Christians to discover their own personal truth; rather, John affirms that objective truth exists and is given to us by the Father.
2. Truth is to be believed and followed.
John rejoices that they believe the truth and continue in it. It is not enough merely to intellectually assent to truth; you must continue in truth without cultural compromise or capitulation.
3. God has revealed truth and commands us to follow it.
Many people are uncomfortable with taking orders from another person. But God has not only revealed truth in his Word, he has commanded us to follow it.
Christians in Mt. Pleasant and Charleston need to read John's words on truth and apply them in a postmodern world that has lost truth in world polluted by relativism.
God has revealed truth to us in his Word - it leads to forgiveness of sin and peace with God because of Jesus Christ. Moreover, those who are forgiven by the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrate their fidelity to him by obeying his commands which are revealed in Scripture.