The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 John 1:10-11, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;

11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”

Long instructions are often unnecessary. Sometimes they actually get in the way of our understanding. John understands that and comes to the closing of this short letter with a solid thought that does not take many words (something from which I could undoubtedly profit). Interestingly, too, is the fact that this first century instruction is still valid for the 21ST Century in which we live.

I cannot guess how many have knocked on my door, pleasantly requesting that I accept their literature and listen to the words they have carefully prepared for me. Those who have walked so long with Christ Jesus know immediately that their message is not of Him. Oh, they say it is; but it is not. It spurns the truth of Holy Scripture and replaces it with words that teach their message, not His.

How are we to react to such persons? First, we must respect their willingness to walk hot streets and knock on doors where they know at many homes they will not be welcome. Do we do that with Christ’s Gospel? I’m afraid we don’t. Second, we must listen attentively, and not be rude. If our faith is immersed in love, we must let that love –HIS LOVE—show through to them whatever the cost in time. Third, we certainly are allowed to respond with Scripture that refutes their faulty doctrine. But that is not to argue, but to take the opportunity to share the LOVE of our LORD with those who are in dire need of the Truth.

Finally, John warns against inviting them “into your house.” One’s home is his last bastion of security. Remember when, as a child, you fell and skinned your knee? Where did you run, crying, except to your home –the place where you felt safe. No, those who peddle untruth (anything contrary to God’s Word), must be denied access to our own place of security. In fact, John instructs us not even to wish them well. Is that being ugly? Absolutely not! Why? Because “the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” Pretty tough cookies, huh? Words like “Have a good day,” or “God bless you,” or “Thank you for coming” are all on the DO NOT SAY LIST! Even the word “Goodbye” has its origin in “God bless.” Words count with people (Try arguing with a cop!); moreover, they count mightily with God.

All of this can be accomplished with courtesy and respect, so long as you never leave them with the thought that their message has found the slightest lodging in your heart. Christ fills our hearts! There’s no room for anyone else!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

2 John 1:6-9, “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

8 Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.

9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.”

If you wonder why the Apostle John talked so much about love, it’s because the culture in which he lived was much like the culture in which we live today. Words don’t have the meaning they used to have. In fact, they seem to change in the blink of an eye! Have you noticed?

I drove onto my street the other day and there was a realtor’s sign in the first yard: White Real Estate! White used to mean white, but it has a biased connotation in today’s culture. Did that mean that only “white” people could live on my street? Hopefully not, because I’m not even white! I’m kind of a pinkish something or other. But I’m definitely NOT WHITE!

John’s not really concerned about color. He’s concerned about the Gospel. He knows that there are some who call themselves “Christians,” but they are not! He knows that we are Christians and he doesn’t want us to buy into teaching that leads us astray. Deceivers abound, and if we start listening to them, we can even lose what was have gained. No, we cannot lose our salvation, but we can lose the love that it produces within us –the love that we could and should share with others.

The final warning in these verses is that we cannot play games with our faith! If we “go too far” and stop allowing Christ’s teaching to warm and bless our lives, we just might not be the believers that we’ve thought ourselves to be! In fact, John says that if we fall away from faith in Christ, we can lose the reward that the LORD has planned for us. Check out Josh Harris!

So, live daily in the Word of God, and pray for His guidance. And if what you hear is not from Christ, point your ears in another direction! Don’t let anyone stop you! You are in my prayers. Please keep me in yours.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

2 John 1:1-3, “The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth,

2 for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

Have you ever received a letter that failed to have an address? Did you ever receive a letter where the designated recipient was in doubt? “Greetings to you” doesn’t really say to whom the letter is addressed, does it? Well, this is somewhat our dilemma with John’s Second Letter. John, of course, is the “elder,” but who is “the chosen lady and her children?” Maybe we don’t need to know; otherwise, John would have named the person to whom it is sent.

More importantly, John is writing “for the sake of the truth,” which involves you and me. The truth of which he speaks is the truth of God’s Word which “abides (makes its home in our hearts and lives)” and will never leave us.

The trilogy John mentions in verse three is also contained in Paul’s Pastoral Epistles. Grace (charis), which someone has termed “God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense,” is what covers man’s sin. Mercy (eleos) is that which takes the hurt out.

And peace (charis) is the rest the heart and soul experience when grace and mercy have been applied. That explains why we

feel better when we have confessed sin and received the LORD’s forgiveness.

It’s vitally important that we remember that grace, mercy and peace all come from God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and that they come wrapped in His matchless love! I do sincerely hope that you have received this gift from the LORD. If you have, you will be assured through the peace that you are experiencing. If you have not received His forgiveness, you can receive it right now! Just pray sincerely to the LORD, asking Him to forgive you of all your sins. You don’t have to beg Him for forgiveness, because He loves you and wants to forgive you more that even you want to be forgiven. You’ll never be sorry for trusting Him as LORD and Savior of your life. I will be praying for you.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 John 5:18-21, “We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”

Don’t get excited about getting a “free ticket” to live like you want when you read verse 18! We are blessed to have the Greek New Testament available to us; otherwise, we might be tempted to slip back into the sinful ways from which our LORD Jesus Christ saved us. Further, if “no one born of God sins” were to mean that Christian believers in Jesus Christ were never fully delivered from sin, then what would be the purpose of Jesus’ death on the cross? No, it reads like this in Greek: “We know that no one who is born of God keeps on sinning (?????????, present active indicative, meaning “continuous activity in the present time”). When one is “born from Above” in Christ, Satan, “the evil one,” does not take hold of the Christian, as he does one who has not been born from Above. It’s another way of saying that a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior cannot ever be spiritually lost as he was before.

True believers are the ones seeking to change the world that currently “lies in the power of the evil one.” The LORD has “given us understanding in order that we might know Him…” He is true, and so is His Son. Our understanding comes from His Word. His Word exists to keep us from evil. When we commence to look like Him, He is glorified! Do you look like Jesus to others? Do I? Your Spirit that indwells us, LORD, is working to make us look like You! May we ever “hold still” and cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. As I was writing this letter, word came that Kevin, a friend whom I’ve never met, has cancer that has

metastasized. He and his wife and family are true, Christian believers. Please pray for Kevin and his family.

These are tough days for all concerned.

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 John 5:12-15, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.

14 And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

Everything in Scripture is there for a purpose. “The life” of which John speaks here is Eternal Life. That’s why the word “the” precedes the word “life.” We all have life, but only those who have believed in the LORD Jesus Christ have Eternal Life. You may not be sure whether you have Eternal Life. Some in John’s day had that insecurity, too. That’s why he wrote the letter.

Those who do possess Eternal Life have that confidence in the LORD Jesus Christ. Furthermore, they have confidence that

“if (they) ask anything according to His will, He hears (them),” that is, He hears their prayers. Notice carefully, that the key to receiving answers to prayers is that we pray “according to His will.” How do we know the LORD’s will? Mostly, I believe, His will is revealed in Scripture, the Bible. The Holy Spirit lives within every true believer, and He often impresses us internally with that which is His will for us. One thing is certain: He always hears us, and His will is always right. He knows things we do not know.

I have experienced praying when what I hardly more than mentioned was answered by the LORD. I have also prayed extensively day after day for weeks and months, only to have the LORD respond as if He had not even heard my prayers. He ultimately answered, but not in the way I had asked. All of us, I am confident, have asked our parents for things that we wanted, but things that were not good for us. They heard what we asked, but gave us something different –something they knew was better for us. God is like that.

If all that I have said above is true, how can John then say, “And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him”? The only precise answer to the question is that the timing of our request is not God’s timing. Prayers of His children are not lost on God. He hears them all, and answers “according to His will.” We have to learn patience; and we have to remember that His will is always best. In time, we will learn this, as He wills to reveal it. It is all a matter of trust, of faith, of confidence in the One who gave us Eternal Life. May we always be found faithful, and may He always be praised!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”