For I rejoice greatly when the brother came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:3-4 ESV

     Jesus taught that he is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except by him. (John 14:6) Jesus is referring to the salvation of a person’s life, and this salvation will change how that person lives. One of the changes that it will cause is how the fellow believer will walk in love and fellowship with one another. Part of the fellowship for Christians is receiving one another in the love of Christ and encouraging each other to walk in this new life as a believer. It is hospitality with fellow believers, thereby showing the world what a life in Christ should be. You can see in Romans 12: 9-21 the evidences that should be a reality in the life of a believer.

Be A Testimony Of Truth:
     John was happy and encouraged when he heard how Gaius (vs1-3) lived well the Christian life by reflecting the truth of Christ. The truth in which a Christian should live is not a set of rules but acknowledging the grace by which we are saved. When you are aware that you are saved by the mercy and grace of Christ alone, your walk will give evidence of that gospel…. good news… by how you live.

Walk In Truth:
     We must all ask this question concerning the life we say we live as Christians: Does my talk match my walk? Yes, there are marks and evidences in your life as a Christian as taught in Romans 12 but that is not what makes you a Christian. These evidences are the results of becoming a Christian; they don’t make you a Christian. When a person lives trying to be good and thinks that is how they will one day go to heaven, they will use phrases like, “Well at least I don’t do this or that as compared to another.” There is only one person with whom we should compare ourselves …. JESUS. To this comparison You would say, “I could never match up to him,” and you would be so right. When you have this understanding, you are on the first page of understanding why it is called the gospel…. good news. What we could never do on our own, he did for us on the cross…. and took the consequence of our sins. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 ESV  That is why when we say we walk in truth, we are saying Jesus lives in us and the life we have is not our own. Jesus becomes the address of where we live in Christ. In him we live and move and have our being. Acts17:28 ESV  Again …… that should be the life address as a Christian. (Read 1 John chapter one verse 5 to chapter two verse 6)

Truth Brings Joy:
     Not everyone who hears the truth will be drawn to it, but those who do will experience joy and fellowship with other Christians, and most importantly, with God. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortals bodies through his SPIRIT WHO DWELLS IN YOU. Romans 8:11 ESV ….. The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY , peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 ESV  My personal thought on this last verse is that true spiritual fruit will affect each other in the order they are listed.

     The life the Christian experiences is ALL because of Jesus. Fellowship as Christians is totally the result of walking well with him. He gave us every example we need to live life well; and then as a heavenly Father, He teaches us to walk. It doesn’t happen any faster for us than it does for a child learning to walk. But as a child learning how to walk who often holds the hand of another, may we never grow to the point that we ever turn loose of the hand of Jesus. As we hold on to Jesus, and more importantly, as he holds on to us, may we move toward Heaven where we will never again have the stumbling blocks of sin causing us to fall. Remember we are weak, but He is strong! Again, never let go of his hand, and know he will forever hold you….. in sweet fellowship.

Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David