God, All in All

For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us forever.” (2 John 1:2)

“For the Truth’s sake,” John said. This means for the sake of the Gospel. He wrote to the elect lady and her children. Since this letter has to do with the Gospel, John is writing to this lady and to those to whom she has taught the Gospel. “Little children” was a favorite expression John used for those who are new Christians. (1John 2:1, 13, 18)

John writes to her for the sake of the Gospel because there were deceivers perverting the Gospel. He warns her not to lose the work of the Lord. “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” (2 John 1:7, 8) And though John is writing to a particular person, it also speaks to us.

Today there are many foreign ideas that do not line up with the Gospel.  How will we know what is Truth and what is a lie from the enemy to deceive us? Their rational sounds good, but who gets the glory? That is the litmus test of all things. Who gets the glory? In most religions, the burden is on self, a person or a strategy or process. But in Christianity, it’s all God. He initiates salvation. It’s all a supernatural work of God from the beginning and before He even made the world we live in. It all is about Him. He gets all the glory for His great love, mercy and grace toward us.

He is above all and everything. Everything was created by Him including the expanse of the universe. “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” (Psalms 33:6) With all our technology and advances we have only seen but a part of it. The marvels of the intricacies of our world reveal His nature. There is order in everything. And when things get out of order, they die. Science is discovering things that prophets spoke about ages ago. So, God is worthy of worship and glory. Even nature glorifies the Lord. Job said, “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?” (Job 12:7-9) Paul wrote that there’s no excuse for not knowing God. He has revealed Himself in nature. “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:20)

Many who don’t believe in God, love nature. They don’t realize they are loving the revelation of Who God is, but they are too blind to see it. Their dark spirits are lifted up. They sense the peace of God, but it’s not within their reach. So they worship nature, the creation instead of the Creator. “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:24-25) It is a dangerous thing to take God’s glory for our own or to give it to a creation instead of the Creator.

God is all in all. All things are subject to Him. In this age of mercy and grace, He allows us to choose Him. And He is patient for this time, but it’s not forever. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2Peter 3:9) The time is near when He will stop all foolishness and evil. “And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” (1Corinthians 15:28)

The Godhead, Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit are one, three persons in one God. This is a spiritual truth that does not exist on earth. Therefore, we don’t understand this oneness. But Jesus spoke of it often and extended this oneness with God, to those who believe in Him. “At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20) We will have a part in that oneness with the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

For the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of Truth, watch and guard against deceivers and their lies. It’s so easy today to be led astray. I will give you an example. In our political arena in the United States, we have two major political parties. There are many who say they love God yet cast their vote for baby murderers who stand for aborting babies up to the nineth month. No one is perfect. Those running for office are imperfect and fallible people. They may be crass or even foolish, but what is the policy that will direct them? I mention this because at this time, citizens of the United States have begun to vote. And people are being led astray by their need and their prejudices instead of God’s Truth. God is all in all. And we must look at God’s precepts for our decisions whether it’s to elect a leader of the country or any decision in our daily lives.