Hello, wishing you a fine day and Thanksgiving holiday, as we look to God for His blessing! Let's give attention to the next of the Ten Commandments, the eighth about stealing. Then we may continue with 2John 1.

Let’s consider next Exodus 20:15: “You must not steal.”

IMAGINE A WORLD. Perhaps among the people you dwell with, stealing is uncommon—how fine! But for many, it is a grim reality that must be coped with, perhaps daily. Imagine a world in which you never have to worry whether your neighbor is going to try to take something of value from you—your cell phone, tablet or laptop, your money, your heart, or the affection of your spouse. No one would dare try to steal such things from you because they have come to treasure true love, peace, and friendships with compassion, and therefore they know it would hurt their relationship with you, and their relationship with Jehovah as well, and cause pain and frustration to you and perhaps others. They also have likely come to value the gifts God has given them in their life, and realize God could easily take away those gifts away if they disrespect the rights of others and His law, especially the royal law of love. They know that Jehovah is a God, not only of love, but also of true justice. As Deuteronomy 32:4 says of Him: “The Rock, perfect is his activity, For all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness who is never unjust; Righteous and upright is he.” It is then understood that God’s law to Israel demanded up to four, even seven times back what someone stole from another. Steal one laptop, God can require you to repent and give back, not only the one you stole if possible, but a total of four or more of the same value. (Exodus 22:1; 2Samu 12:1-6; Levit 26:18,21). The knowledge of God will be abundantly known and understood at that time, just as Isaiah 11:9 says “They will not cause any harm Or any ruin in all my holy mountain, Because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah As the waters cover the sea.”

TRAITS DURING "LAST DAYS." Still, we haven’t reached God’s new world of peace and righteousness yet. We must still cope with the difficulties foretold during the “last days” as described in 2Timothy 3:1-5, called “critical times, hard to deal with.” Reasons are given for the difficulties we must face—the ungodly attitudes and traits of people not knowing and loving the true God, Jehovah. It was foretold that men would be “2...lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away.” It is not only these ungodly traits we must reject, but we are to “turn away” from those who embrace such things, refusing to mend their ways. As 1Corinthians 15:33 warns us, “Bad associations” corrupt good character. Still, out of love, we are to try to reach such ones in a timely, appropriate way. (Prove 25:11). Notice Proverbs 24:10-12: “10 If you become discouraged in the day of distress, Your strength will be meager. 11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death, And hold back those staggering to the slaughter. 12 If you say, “But we did not know about this,” Does not the One who examines hearts discern it? Yes, the One who watches you will know And will repay each man according to his activity.”

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2John 1:1-3 A letter from an aged apostle John, writing to "the chosen lady and to her children," possibly a cryptic reference to the anointed bride of Christ, those dearly loved by John. He speaks also of "all those who have come to know the truth." May we treasure the divine knowledge of God that we have learned and may continue learning! The gaining of this knowledge is no vain pursuit, as John says this truth "will be with us forever." Notice what else will be "with us" as we consider his words: "1 The older man to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I truly love, and not only I but also all those who have come to know the truth, 2 because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever. 3 There will be with us undeserved kindness, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, with truth and love." May we also appreciate God's mercy and undeserved kindness, making possible our journey toward eternal life in peace and happiness before Him, by the many learning to love truth and gaining true love of God and neighbor. May such qualities remain treasured by us, of far greater worth than material things, as Proverbs 4:7 says, "Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom, and with all you acquire, acquire understanding." Such divine wisdom places emphasis on the spiritual man, with prospects of eternal life by God's undeserved kindness.

2John 1:4-7 John writes further to “the chosen lady,” likely the anointed bride of Christ, to rule with him in the Kingdom of God. He continues, acknowledging her “children” as among those “walking in the truth.” Notice his further counsel and insight:

“4 I rejoice very much because I have found some of your children walking in the truth, just as we received commandment from the Father. 5 So now I request you, lady, that we love one another. (I am writing you, not a new commandment, but one that we had from the beginning.) 6 And this is what love means, that we go on walking according to his commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should go on walking in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those not acknowledging Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

Interestingly, at this hour late in the first century, the apostle John rejoices greatly despite that only “some” of her children were walking in the truth. Her “children” may have thus been ones with earthly hopes, rather than anointed ones who “keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes,” and are “without blemish.” (Revel 14:4,5) Nevertheless, anointed ones were to “love one another,” as Jesus had instructed his apostles the night before he died, to love one another just as he had loved them, with a spirit of self-sacrifice. This is largely the spirit the Protestant Reformation was born from, as many risked excommunication from the universal church, and even their lives, to stand up for Bible truth. Their stand, however, did little to “reform” the church. Rather, pockets of Christianity sprang up, in harmony with Bible prophecy. Look for the article elsewhere on this website entitled “The Twelve Tribes of Christianity,” available, though it may continue to be expanded. One fallacy explained in the article “Finding Truth” is the idea that Jesus was not really God’s son, but rather as God himself, among three equal persons forming one. However, God is not “deceptive,” Jesus Christ came as the son of God, “in the flesh.” Thus Christ prayed to “God the Father,” seeking not his own will, but that of the Father. (Phili 2:11; John 6:38; 20:17). May we examine and grasp the truth regarding the nature of God, his son, and the holy spirit, perhaps considering that article if not having done so already. John acknowledges it would be a “deceiver and the antichrist” who would fail to acknowledge the true nature of God’s son, Jesus Christ. May we not be misled along with them.