Preschool
And be ye kind one to another. Ephesians 4:32
Truth and Falsehood
Memory Verses
Primary
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. Ephesians 4:32
Junior
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
Background Scripture: 2 John
Lesson Scripture: 2 John 1–11
Introduction
Truth has its foundation in God’s word. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). We believe truth is absolute; therefore, everything must be measured or judged by it.
All falsehood is a lie. The devil is the father of all lies and should he tell a seeming truth, it is only to deceive. Some of his temptations include half-truths. In our study of truth and falsehood, may we be fully settled that truth is worth dying for, while falsehood has no worth.
Key Verse
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth (John 16:13).
Lesson Scripture
2 John 1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
7 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.
8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Studying the Lesson
The apostle John was perhaps ninety years old when he wrote this epistle. It is addressed to a lady who is introduced with little detail. Most commentators believe she was an older matron, possibly a widow, with her children. The church may have been a house church in her home. Whether John was writing to an individual or to a congregation is not important; his message is enduring and addresses all Christian people.
This lady, or sister in the faith, loved the truth and apparently had transmitted this to her children. When parents are fully convinced that the faith they embrace is in fact the truth, they have a great advantage in inculcating their children with doctrinal truth. Parents find joy as they see the younger generation learn the truth and discover its foundation.
Peter writes about the devil coming as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Paul warns of him transforming himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). Satan works through humans as his agents; John’s warning of there being many deceivers is timeless. These deceivers have many methods; some with sincerity preach a gospel that is modified to suit current taste, taking away the need to crucify the flesh. Some seek to nullify the authority and deity of Jesus by denying that He is indeed the Son of God. They gainsay that He was born into this world, crucified for our salvation, and that He resurrected with all power. This deception is antichrist.
We are warned through John’s letter to be careful to not lose our salvation, the “pearl of great price” that we received when we first met the Lord. In the Christian classic Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian loses his scroll, which was the proof of his standing with God, because he fell into a deep sleep. It illustrates how vitally important this treasure is if we want to enter heaven one day. Because of a little carelessness, we can forfeit the truth for a season of fleshly indulgence.
Truth, because it is absolute, is unbending, plain, and to the point. Those who resist the truth start down the path of deception. Unless there is a course correction, they soon embrace a modified gospel, and eventually they lose their connection with the heavenly Father. If they do not heed the church, they become purveyors of false doctrine and are to be avoided. John writes that there are many false prophets in the world (1 John 4:1) who come in sheep’s clothing. Jesus warned that the false Christs would show signs and wonders and seek to “deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24). When those teaching a false religion come to our door, we are not to invite them in lest they pervert our understanding of the truth. By denying them entrance, we hope they understand that we are not in agreement with their doctrine. In our stand for truth, our demeanor and answers should reflect the Spirit of Christ so that they know we are followers of Jesus.
Practical Truths for Today
Peter’s confession (Matt. 16:16) that Jesus is the Son of God is a foundational truth. Jesus said He would build his church on this truth, calling this declaration a rock. Several times in the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the chief cornerstone. All the doctrines of the Bible, which are also the doctrines of the church, are based on what Jesus and his apostles taught. They are unchanged from the beginning of the gospel era.
An adage says, “A sermon in shoes speaks louder than words.” Faithful obedience to the teaching and doctrine of Jesus is complementary to the truth. Much of Christendom has lost the saltiness it may have had at one time and is flavorless and powerless, bringing disrepute to the name of Christ. This Christian profession is in fact an antichrist and a parody to the truth of the gospel. Apostasy begins when individuals or congregations become careless, accepting carnal, casual living as harmless.
Nonconformity to the world is a clear gospel teaching. To faithfully stay unspotted from the world requires sincere self-denial born in the heart. When nonconformity is a heart matter, there is clear direction what things of the world the Christian can use and what things he must avoid. He must deny himself of all worldly lusts that war against the soul and live for Jesus, not being ashamed of Him or his church in a very ungodly world.
Nonresistance is a major doctrine in the gospel. To be nonresistant in practice may require patient endurance of unjust accusations and sometimes loss of property. Suffering for righteousness’ sake to please Him who first loved us is a good example for our families and bodes well in our child nurture—it shows our children that our first love belongs to God. Nonresistance includes respecting those in authority, not speaking evil of them. The way of nonresistance is the way of love that Jesus and the apostles taught. It is the way of showing love in all our human relationships, leaving a clear testimony to the world that we are Christ’s disciples. First Corinthians 13 helps us understand that love is the cornerstone of truth.
The love we have for fellow believers is a prominent mark of the true faith. We manifest this love in caring for one another as brothers and sisters in the church, reproving and admonishing those who stray from the truth. To faithfully and lovingly keep the scriptural avoidance of excommunicated members also bears witness to the truth that we love the Lord with all our heart.
When first love for God and truth wanes, our spiritual resolve is weakened, opening the door for falsehood to enter our heart. Falsehoods may include speaking much of love while being insistent and intolerant of those who disagree. Some nurture an all-inclusive care and compassion that has the appearance of a gospel outreach while disregarding the need for living in obedience to the will of God. A hard and rigorous approach to Christian life, enlisting a set of rules with lifeless formalities can be a covering for falsehoods. Teachings of unconditional eternal security, Old Testament Sabbath-day adherence, or a literal reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years are false. These teachings are an antichrist in that they do not give Christ his rightful place as Lord of all.
Jesus, together with the apostles, taught the doctrine of the church being a visible body of believers. Very few Christian professors deny the idea of a church, but many resist the doctrine of a true, united, undivided, and visible church of God. Those who resist this teaching resist the truth of the Bible. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and is vital to maintaining our salvation. The church proves by the Holy Ghost whether someone is leaving the truth and drifting into falsehood.
The conviction of this foundational, doctrinal truth of God’s church is well documented in the writings of the fathers of faith. Though these fathers, or elders, who have written in the past were not the popular writers of modern Christianity, they held a deep conviction of loving truth more than anything else. They were willing to die for their faith.
The elders of today are spiritual parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents of those younger ones who are reading and studying this lesson. The elders are concerned that the truth will be kept and practiced in everyday life. Perhaps too many of this older generation feel their concerns and views are not appreciated and therefore have become quiet, saying little. The younger generation will do well to ask, “Where are the good, old paths?” and then listen attentively, taking to heart the wisdom God has given the older ones through their years of experience. The truths of God’s Word are revealed to those who sincerely seek them in humility with study and prayer and a resigned will.
Let those who fill the pulpits of the church continue to teach and preach the whole counsel of God, defining truth and error. Unclear teaching and “itchy-ear” preaching bring unrest and confusion to the congregants. Permissiveness of the flesh and disobedience to truth that has already been revealed bring deception.
“The abounding of iniquity, love waxing cold (Matt. 24:12), evil men and seducers waxing worse and worse (2 Tim. 3:13), and the hardness of hearts (Mark 10:5) will cause Christian people to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit less clearly and to be more influenced by other spirits than God’s Spirit, for they are those spirits that appeal to the flesh. Those people who are most vocal about being led by the Holy Spirit are clearly being led away from the teaching of the Word of God and the interpretations of the Scriptures by the forefathers. Herein is spiritual deception.” 1
Questions
- Does the study of other beliefs help or hinder us in proving between truth and falsehood?
- In this age of technology, what are ways to become more interested in a diligent study of the elders’ writings?
- Much is gained when youth leaders and youth teachers for Sunday school and Bible study are enthused about the study of doctrine. Discuss how such enthusiasm can be fostered.
- 1 Rueben Koehn, Selected Editorials, “The Spirit and the Spirits,” p. 512
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).