2 John 1:4

"I rejoiced greatly," he continues, "to find some of your children." He says some, not all. Why? Because there may have been one or more of them who had not yet confessed the Saviour and Lord. Possibly one or more might have slipped under the bad influence of the misleaders. For some good reason he goes only so far as to say "some of your children walking in the truth." This is the main point, and there is a necessary limit even here. It is not merely knowing the truth but walking in it — or as the same apostle says in the Gospel, "whoever does what is true" (John 3:21).

Now John records his great joy: he found some of this sister's children walking in truth. He does not say "walking in love," for at this time he had to emphasise the truth. He could not say it of all her children, yet of some it was true, and for each one we may well rejoice. This was according to the Father's commandment — not the legal commandments of the law of God, but the commandments that belong to a Father's living relationship with His children.

We may call walking the simplest and most basic activity of the human race. So it naturally stands for activity. To walk in truth is to have all one's activities — one's thinking, speaking, going, doing, every movement of mind or body — governed by one whole world of reality, and in keeping with it. That reality has its centre in God Himself revealed in the Lord Jesus, and its outer edge in the furthest reaches of His will and word. This is a high standard, truly, yet not too high, and not out of reach. We may walk through a world of unrealities governed by realities which are divine.

Walking in truth is the result of having the truth. The truth produces truthfulness. The man who has not got the truth cannot possibly walk in truth, and will not keep up the appearance of it for long. Walking like this was the effect of knowing the truth itself: they walked in truth, "just as we were commanded by the Father."

In the next verse, again, we have "from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." "I rejoiced greatly that I found of your children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father." Now he brings in obedience: it is a commandment from the Father. He will have the Son honoured, even as Himself.

Now we thankfully receive a commandment of the Father. Is there anything good that is not based upon divine authority? And the blotting out of divine authority would be an unspeakable loss. No doubt there is more than authority; there is divine love. Love was always in God, and He showed it to us while we were godless and evil. Yet when we are converted we always begin with divine authority and a submissive heart, horrified at our old rebellious spirit.

The positive appreciation of the walk of the children of "the elect lady": they walked in truth (v.4). This seems to confirm that the primary responsibility for a believing mother is the walk of her own children. What joy it is for a mother to see her children walk with and according to the Lord!