There’s a little group out in Burlington, Wisconsin, that calls itself the Liars Club. And to get in? All you need is a dollar... and a lie.

One guy claimed his wife’s feet were so cold that every time she took her shoes off, the furnace kicked on. Another said he went fishing where the fish were biting so fast, he had to hide behind a tree to bait his hook. And my personal favorite: a man cut down a tree on a day so foggy it didn’t fall over until the fog lifted.

Of course, these aren’t really lies. They’re tall tales. No one’s actually deceived, and that’s the fun of it.

But real lies? The ones meant to deceive? Those are dangerous. And that’s exactly why the Apostle John opens his little postcard epistle—2 John—with a strong reminder: we need the truth.

And we need love.

Who Is the Elder Writing To?

2 John is short, but it packs a punch. John refers to himself simply as “the elder,” a title that shows age, experience, and spiritual authority. He’s writing to “the elect lady and her children.”

So who’s that?

Some say it’s an actual woman. Others believe it’s a poetic way of referring to a local church and its members. I lean toward the latter. The language feels like John is speaking to a congregation and perhaps referencing another nearby church when he mentions her “sister.”

Whatever the case, the message is clear. And in verses one through six, one word shows up again and again: truth.

Walk in Truth

• John says he loves them “in the truth.”
• Others love them too—for the truth’s sake.
• Grace, mercy, and peace come “in truth and love.”
• He rejoices to find them “walking in truth.”

Truth isn’t just something to believe. It’s something to live. It’s something you walk in.

And John immediately ties that truth to something else.

Live in Love

The road of truth, John tells us, should be paved with love.

That may sound easy. But we know better.

Some people are just hard to love. Some are prickly. Some feel like they drink vinegar for breakfast and see the world through a lens of frustration. But truth doesn’t give us permission to withhold love.

John reminds us: this isn’t a new commandment. It’s the one we’ve had all along. Love one another. Period.

There’s no footnote that says:

Love them unless they’re annoying.

Love them unless they’re too loud.

Love them unless they sit in your seat.

No. It’s a command, not a suggestion. And commands take effort.

Love That’s More Than a Feeling

Let’s visit the honest planet for a minute.🌎

Some folks are hard to love. And truthfully, we’re not always easy to love either. I’ve had moments lately where I’ve been short, cranky, and defensive. I don’t like it, and I’m grateful God loves me anyway.

Grateful that my wife loves me anyway.

Grateful that you all do too.

That kind of love—gritty, real, unconditional—is exactly what the early church was known for. Lucian, a Greek writer in the second century, observed the way Christians cared for each other and said, “It is incredible to see the fervor with which the people of that religion help each other in their wants... Their first legislator [Jesus] has put it into their heads that they are all brethren.”

Would Lucian say the same thing today?

In many churches, yes. And I want to commend you—our church—for how well you care. Hospital bills, car repairs, housing needs, meals, notes, texts, prayers. We’re not perfect, but the vast majority of needs are met with genuine, sacrificial love.

Why do we love like that? Because we’ve experienced a love like that.

The Love That Changes Everything

1 John 4:10–11 says: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

You can’t be hit by the love of God and walk away unchanged.

Imagine someone says they were hit by a semi going 75 mph on the way to church, but they show up looking just fine. You’d think they were lying. Why? Because something that powerful would leave a mark.

God’s love is far weightier than a semi truck. If you’ve truly encountered it, it changes how you walk, how you talk, how you love.

Truth and Love Belong Together

Our culture often separates them. Truth gets labeled as harsh or outdated. Love becomes a soft, sentimental thing that means little and demands nothing. But the Bible never pulls them apart. Truth without love is cold and harsh. Love without truth is shallow and empty.

But truth with love? That’s the kind of Christianity that changes the world.

So speak the truth—but do it with love.

And love deeply—but anchor it in truth.

We don’t have to compromise either.

We will not give up truth. And we will not stop loving.

Let’s live both.