LOVE: Daily Reading Plan #2
2 John 1:6
"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."
2 John 1:4–6 summarizes the theme of this letter: true Christian love. John is pleased to hear that “some” of the members of this church are walking in truth. This implies that some are not, and in later verses, John will warn about following false teachers. Here, John reminds the reader that showing love is the first and primary commandment given to a Christian believer.
Verse 6 defines the kind of love John speaks of. Here, it means obeying God's commandments. Love is not merely an emotion, but requires actions based on truth. Here, the exact Greek word is agape, translated as "love," specifically meaning a selfless focus on other people. John's use of it here certainly includes emotional aspects, but is much more specific than most modern definitions of love. The primary example of this kind of love is Jesus, who showed it through His life and actions. It includes loving one another as well as walking in obedience to God's truth.
John re-emphasizes that this command is one the reader should already be familiar with. He repeats that loving one another is not optional; it is a command. Because it is a fundamental command connected to Jesus Himself, believers are to "walk in it" or obey it. Attempting to love, apart from God's truth, is not legitimate, according to this letter.
Reflection Questions
- What does this verse say about loving God?
- What does this verse call me to do as a result of taking them to heart?
