Walking in Truth

“I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.” 
2 John 1:4

This beautiful metaphor, “walking in truth,” is found only in the two, one-chapter epistles of John - here in our text and in 3 John 3-4. This principle should indeed characterize our daily lives since our Lord and Savior is Himself “the truth” (John 14:6), the Word of God which we believe is “truth” (John 17:17), and the Holy Spirit who indwells our bodies is the very “Spirit of truth” (John 15:26).

The New Testament also uses other characteristics of the Christian life under this figure of walking. When a person is born again through faith in Christ and testifies of this by following the Lord in baptism, he or she is said to be raised to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

Then, since the Holy Spirit has come to indwell our bodies, to comfort, to guide, and constrain us as needed, we are exhorted to “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). Furthermore, we are commanded to “walk in love, just as Christ also loved you” (Eph. 5:2). This is not erotic love, of course, or even brotherly love, but unselfish “agape” love, that sacrifices its own interests for the needs of others. We are to “walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light” (1 John 1:7).

All of these and other similar admonitions can be summarized as simply following the example of Christ. “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12).

May this Thanksgiving Day be a wonderful day for you!