What of Our past? What of our present? What of our future? The Incredible Defense of Love

2 John
The Elder: To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth-- and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth--because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. So now I urge you, lady-- not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning-- that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love. Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves so that you don't lose what we have worked for, but you may receive a full reward. Anyone who does not remain in the teaching about Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and don't say, "Welcome," to him; for the one who says, "Welcome," to him shares in his evil works. Though I have many things to write to you, I don't want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face so that our joy may be complete. The children of your elect sister send you greetings.
(2Jo 1:1-13 HCSB)

LOVE is the greatest defense believers have. When that defense is gone, they become highly vulnerable to corruption. People who do not love God or each other get bored with church and become cold, religious, dutiful church-goers. They think they do well when in reality they may strongly be on their way to absolute corruption. History will show you that this has happened continually, and still happens today. When people stop loving God, they stop loving His people, and they stop loving His truth. Motives shift for why they do what they do and the warmth of their relationship with God leaves them. Those who are saved become indistinguishable from those who are not saved. Views rise from within the church itself that are not well caught because discernment is low. What a Christian looks like has morphed from a loving, obedient servant to a well-dressed, good-mannered person who can jump through all the right hoops. Churches that are not committed to pure truth and love for one another are churches that are filled with people who DO NOT LOVE GOD!!! Don’t kid yourself. Don’t be fooled, either. Ephesus ended because love for God, for truth, for each other had left them. Revelation 2:1-7 gives the warning:

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: "The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you: you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place-- unless you repent. Yet you do have this: you hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. "Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

History will show you that the church and the town both died out. There are only a handful of believers known to be even close to this town today. Whether or not the books in 1, 2, and 3 John were dealing with people in Ephesus is secondary to the fact that the message of 2 John is crucial for both churches filled with believers and individual believers alike if they are to stay true to the Lord and to walk in a fashion that won't die out. If you want a church that still preaches the gospel or grandkids that want anything to do with God in a relational way, you'd better learn to love. It's a lesson for us all.