Our Daily Homily - 2 John
The sermon emphasizes the importance of obedience and sincerity in loving God and others.
F.B. Meyer emphasizes the profound connection between love and obedience in his sermon on 2 John, illustrating that true love manifests through walking in God's commandments. He suggests that our feelings of distance towards others often stem from a lack of sincerity and transparency in our relationships. Meyer highlights that perfect love is rooted in truth, and that by removing insincerity, we can deepen our love for God. He encourages believers to recognize that genuine love is not merely an emotion but is demonstrated through obedience to God's will. The sermon concludes with a powerful reminder that those who truly love are those who obey.
Text
This is love, that we should walk after his commandments - 2 John 1:6
Here is a solution to many difficulties, and given so easily and naturally by this beloved elder to the elect lady and her children. He had been laying much emphasis on truth, and combining truth and love in an exquisite unity. Probably we can never love perfectly, till we are perfectly true. If you examine yourself in the feelings of distance and dislike, which you have toward some individual, it is almost certain that you will come on some want of transparency and sincerity in your dealings with them. It is also the case that if we put away all insincerity, and want of consecration, as between us and God, we shall come to love God more perfectly.
What deep, sweet rhythm of meaning there is in the first three verses of this letter! One reads them over and over again. Oh that that grace, mercy, and peace, may be with us, from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
The difficulty that you feel is that you do not love enough. You would like to love with a strong, undying flame, burning steadily toward Jesus Christ, cleansing you with its heat, constraining you with its love. But perhaps you fail to distinguish between love and the emotion of love. They are not the same. We may love without being directly conscious of love, or being able to estimate its strength and passion. Here is the solution to many of our questionings: They love who obey.
It is recorded of Dr. Chalmers that when a Scotch girl applied to be admitted to the sacrament, her testimony was so halting that it seemed as though she must stand back; but as she was leaving his room she turned back and said, "I canna speak for the Lord Jesus, but I could die for Him."
Sermon Outline
- The Definition of Love
- The Difficulty of Loving
- The Solution to Loving
- Love is walking after God's commandments
- Truth and love are united
- We may not love perfectly without being true
- Insincerity hinders our love for God
- Distinguish between love and the emotion of love
- Love is obedience to God's commandments
Key Quotes
“It is recorded of Dr. Chalmers that when a Scotch girl applied to be admitted to the sacrament, her testimony was so halting that it seemed as though she must stand back; but as she was leaving his room she turned back and said, 'I canna speak for the Lord Jesus, but I could die for Him.'” — F.B. Meyer
“Probably we can never love perfectly, till we are perfectly true.” — F.B. Meyer
“They love who obey.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- We must distinguish between love and the emotion of love, and focus on obeying God's commandments.
- Sincerity and transparency are essential in our dealings with others and with God.
- We can love God more perfectly by putting away all insincerity and want of consecration.