CHILDREN WALKING IN TRUTH
Children's Stories by J. C. Ryle
"I rejoiced greatly that I found of your children walking in truth." 2 John 4
Beloved Children,
The book from which my text is taken, is the shortest in the Bible. Look at it, when you go home, and you will find it so. It has only thirteen verses. But, as short as it is, it is full of important things, and I think the verse I have just read is one of them.
This book is an Epistle, or Letter, written by the Apostle John. He wrote it to a good Christian lady, whom he knew. This lady had children, and some of them were the children spoken of in the text.
It seems that John found some of this good lady's children at a place where he happened to go; and you see how well he found them behaving. He was able to write a good report of them to their mother, and that is the report of our text: "I rejoiced greatly that I found of your children walking in truth."
Now, dear children, there are only two things I want to tell you about out of this text. Some of you perhaps are thinking this very minute, "What does walking in truth mean?" Others perhaps are thinking, "Why did John rejoice so greatly?" I shall try to answer these two questions.
I. Firstly, I shall try to show you - when can it be said that children walk in truth.
II. Secondly, I shall try to show you - what were the reasons that made the Apostle John rejoice so greatly.
Dear children, let me ask you all one favor - let me ask you all to try to pay close attention. I shall not keep you long. Come then, and listen to what I have to tell you. May the Holy Spirit open all your hearts, and bless what I say.
I. I told you I would first try to show you this - "When can it be said that children walk in truth?" Let me set about it at once.
What does "walking" mean here? You must not think it means walking on our feet, as you have walked here tonight. It means rather our way of behaving ourselves - our way of living. And shall I tell you why the Bible calls this "walking." It calls it so, because a man's life is just like a journey. From the time of our birth to the time of our death, we are always traveling and moving on. Life is a journey from the cradle to the grave, and a person's manner of living is, on that account, often called his "walk."
But what does "walking in truth" mean? It means walking in the ways of true Bible religion, and not in the bad ways of this evil world. The world, I am sorry to tell you, is full of false notions and untruths, and specially full of untruths about religion. They all come from our great enemy, the devil. The devil deceived Adam and Eve in Eden, and made them sin, by telling them an untruth. He told them they would not die if they ate the forbidden fruit - and that was untrue. And the devil is always at the same work now. He is always trying to make men, and women, and children have false notions about God and about religion. He persuades them to believe that what is really evil is good; and what is really good is evil - that God's service is not pleasant - and that sin will do them no great harm. And, I grieve to say, vast numbers of people are deceived by him, and believe these untruths.
But those people who walk in truth are very different. They pay no attention to the false notions there are in the world about religion. They follow the true way which God shows us in the Bible. Whatever others may do - their chief desire is to please God, and be His true servants. Now this was the character of the children spoken of in the text. John writes home to their mother, and says, "I found them walking in truth."
Dear children, would you not like to know whether you are walking in truth yourselves? Would you like to know the marks by which you may find it out? Listen, every one of you, while I try to set these marks before you in order. Let every boy and girl come and hear what I am going to say.
1. I tell you then, for one thing, that children who walk in truth, know the truth about SIN.
What is sin? To break any command of God, is sin. To do anything that God says ought not to be done, is sin. And God is very holy, and very pure; and every sin that is sinned displeases Him exceedingly. But, in spite of all this, most people in the world, both old and young, think very little about sin. Some try to make out they are not great sinners, and do not often break God's commandments. Others say that sin is not so terrible a thing after all, and that God is not so particular and strict as ministers say He is. These are two great and dangerous mistakes.
Children who walk in truth think very differently. They have no such proud and high feelings. They feel themselves to be full of sin - and this grieves and humbles them. They believe that sin is the abominable thing which God hates. They look upon sin as their greatest enemy and plague. They hate it more than anything on earth. There is nothing they so heartily desire to be free from, as sin.
Dear children, there is the first mark of walking in truth. Look at it. Think of it. Do you hate sin?
2. I tell you, for another thing, that children who walk in truth love the true SAVIOR of sinners, and follow Him.
There are few men and women who do not feel they need in some way to be saved. They feel that after death comes the judgment, and from that awful judgment they would like to be saved.
But, alas! few of them will see that the Bible says there is only one Savior, even Jesus Christ; and few go to Jesus Christ and ask Him to save them. They trust rather to their own prayers, or their own repentance, or their own church-going, or their own regular attendance at sacrament, or their own goodness, or something of the kind. But these things, although useful in their place, cannot save any one soul from Hell. These are false ways of salvation. They cannot take away sin. They are not Christ.
Nothing can save you or I but Jesus Christ, who died for sinners on the cross. Those only who trust entirely to Him, have their sins forgiven, and will go to Heaven. These alone will find they have an Almighty Friend in the day of judgment. This is the true way to be saved.
