Between Sisters Blog | The Only Truth, Part Three
How should we respond to false teachers? John tells his readers in verses 10 and 11 to not receive them into your house and not even to give them any greeting. This may initially seem rude. Dig deeper and you may see the foolishness in welcoming for a chat those who deny that Jesus is God in human form. Upon leaving they introduce themselves, as many door-to-door salesmen do, to your neighbors saying, “They let me in and we chatted, and I think you’d love to hear what we talked about!” It is important to remember we are living our lives before a watching world and for the glory of Christ. This isn’t to say that false teachers do not need the gospel, but we must be wise in how we engage with them so that it does not dishonor the Lord. We must listen prayerfully for God’s wisdom as we share the gospel with people who seek to preach another gospel. Those who have firmly rejected the fact that Jesus is God, are not to be welcomed as trusted teachers, but avoided as false teachers.
We must be women who are discerning not only of the messages sent to us by the world, but also by the evangelical sources around us. As we have learned in our Flourish groups, when cultural viewpoints mix loosely with Christian viewpoints, an emulsion appears. It may look similar to Christianity, but placed against biblical Christianity it is seen as being as fraudulent as a 3 dollar bill next to a 1 dollar bill. So through this brief letter, we are reminded that knowing the truth, walking in the truth, and abiding in the truth count in a darkened world that tells you to own your truth. It is how our light is shown in a dark world when we cling to the only truth that counts.
John then seems to stop himself mid-thought, saying he would rather speak to them “mouth to mouth” literally “so that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:4). John’s desire is not just to teach the truth through them via a written letter, but to be with them personally in fellowship. That sweet fellowship and face-to-face communication would lead to completing their joy all around and that is something each of us should look forward to when we join with our brothers and sisters in Christ.