Believing and Loving Christianly

2 John 1:1-3

A Story to Illustrate a Point

• Story of the naval captain and his executive officer
• Key takeaway: foundational knowledge and practices

Scripture Reading and Theme Introduction

• 2 John
• The inseparability of truth and love in the Christian life

Explanation and Application of the Theme

• Contemporary evangelicalism's tendency to separate theology and relationships
• The necessity of sound doctrine for authentic Christian love
• Example of a misguided statement about relationships and theology
• Personal model of marriage based on Christology

The Problem in the Church Addressed by John

• Some members not walking in the truth
• Community failing to love one another as commanded
• The importance of obeying the command to love

The Cause of the Problem: False Teachings

• Deceivers denying the incarnation of Christ
• The heresy of Docetism and its impact on the community
• Why denying the incarnation undermines Christian love

The Significance of the Incarnation

• Humility and love demonstrated by Christ's incarnation
• Love requiring humility and self-sacrifice without expecting recognition

Further Scriptural References

• John 1:1-2 and John 1:10-11: Christ’s incarnation and the world's rejection
• John 6:50-51: Christ as the living bread from heaven

Implications for Christian Living

• You cannot love Christianly without believing Christianly
• The relationship between truth and love, doctrine and practice
• Importance of holding to the true doctrine of Christ’s incarnation

Final Exhortations and Warnings

• Watch out for deceivers
• The necessity of continuing in the teaching of Christ
• The consequences of false teachings

Conclusion

• Prayer of thanksgiving and praise for Christ’s incarnation and love

*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.