Truth Come Alive

February 28th, 2026

3 John 1:1-8.

When you hear the word truth, what comes to your mind? Many of us think of truth as a static entity. It’s a statement that is not false or information that we can verify.

In his letter to his dear friend Gaius, the apostle John was deeply concerned about truth; he mentions it seven times in this, the shortest book of the Bible. Yet his concept of truth seems to be radically different from ours.

He loves in the truth (v. 1). Truth is something that we can be faithful to and that we can walk in (vv. 3-4). The aged apostle even says that truth itself is speaking well of Demetrius and his integrity (v. 12). This version of truth is organic and dynamic!

John also says that we must work together for the truth (v. 8). Striving is implicit here, as is unity. Truth has the power to bond us together as we pursue it ardently. Truth is worth fighting for—and together!

Loving, walking, speaking, working, uniting, being faithful. This view of truth is relational! It is even covenantal! A truth that does all of these things must be personified, even incarnate (see John 14:6).

Author: Scott Armstrong