3 John 1:1-4

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.  Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.  For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers 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.

John writes this personal letter to a church leader named Gaius.  We really don’t know who this man is or where he ministered.  This introduction to the letter teaches us some valuable lessons about relationships between brothers in Christ and the ministry of encouragement.

LOVING THROUGH PRAYER: It is a blessing to see John practice his preaching.  He communicates his love for Gaius in the introduction to this letter and demonstrates that love through prayer.  We don’t really know who Gaius is or where this letter was sent.  We just know that Gaius was a leader in his local church and that John loved him.  John describes his love as being in truth.  This likely speaks to both his love being genuine but more specifically to the love being based on the truth of the Gospel.  This is the unconditional and sacrificial love demonstrated by Jesus to John and now by John to Gaius.  John makes is a point to pray for Gaius.  His prayer is instructive as he prays for his circumstances of life to “go well”, he prays for good health, and he prays for spiritual well-being.  God cares deeply about all three of these areas and we should pray regularly for our family, friends, church body, and those to whom we minister in this way.

WALKING IN THE TRUTH: John has great joy in his heart because he has received work of Gaius’s faithfulness and commitment to walk in the truth.  It truly is the greatest joy to see our physical and spiritual children walking in the truth.  Walking in truth while living in a sin-cursed world is not always easy.  It is a great help when other recognize and appreciate it when we do so.  Walking in truth involves both believing and defending the truth as well as living in accordance with that truth.  In a day when false teachers were swarming and hypocritical living was common; Gaius walking in truth was a source of blessing to John and the entire body of Christ.  We tend to notice and criticize those who do things wrong.  We are less likely to encourage those who do things right.

APPLICATION: Communicate our love to a person that we see living out the truth of the Gospel and assure them of our prayers for their physical and spiritual well-being.  Defend the Gospel and walk in accordance with the Gospel.  Intentionally encourage those who are doing the same.

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