John saturates his 3 epistles with the theme of truth, love and obedience.  These are the basis for our fellowship with God and with fellow Christians. Truth, genuine love and obedience are so rare to find that a Christian or a church practising it, is so refreshing like breathing some spiritual fresh air. 

 

John was so encouraged and refreshed by an esteemed Christian lady who with her children were known and loved for practising the truth that he wrote her this epistle.  John commended her and encouraged her to do two things: 

1. To continue practicing the truth or walking in the light, (vv. 4-6). 

There can be no genuine love in the absence of truth. These days, many churches violate God's Word in allowing sins among its members in the name of loving and caring. Refusing to follow God's Word in the name of loving or caring for a fellow Christian is implying that we love and care more than God does. It's being hypocritical and untruthful. If we love God and our brethren, we would follow the truth. 

2. To protect the truth (vv. 7-11). 

John says that there were many false teachers who were at large. Their main aim as it is today was to deceive people from the truth (vs. 7), destroy the truth ( vs. 8), and depart from it (vs. 9). But we God's people are to practice and guard it. He concludes by saying that we are not even to welcome or entertain the false teachers in our houses. Get to know those who come to you in the name of a preachers before you open for them your house or your pocket. 

 

Like it was for John, one of the most encouraging and refreshing things to a genuine Christian and many times to unbelievers is to have or find a Christian, a member, a pastor, a worker, a family or a church that practices, protects and upholds the truth. What are we to those who know and meet us? We can be a fragrance of sweet aroma that draws then to the Saviour or a deathly foul stench that is polluted by this ungodly world which repels people from our wonderful Saviour. We are one of the two!