NO GREATER JOY
3 JOHN 1-4
(Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday, November 9th, 2025)
You will find the word “joy” in over one hundred and fifty verses in the Holy Scriptures. The Psalmist “shouted to God with loud songs of joy” (Psalm 47:1). Isaiah spoke of “everlasting joy” (Isaiah 51:11). Even in the womb, John the Baptist “leaped for joy” when Mary greeted Elisabeth (Luke 1:44). After the birth of Christ, when the Angels confronted the shepherds they said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Then, when the Magi “saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (Matthew 2:10). Jesus said that there is “joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents…” (Luke 15:10). In His High Priestly Prayer the Savior prayed that His disciples would have His “joy fulfilled in themselves” (John 17:13). Early on Resurrection morning, when the women saw the empty tomb, they were filled with “fear and great joy” (Matthew 28:8).
In our selected text, the Apostle John declares, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Reflecting on this verse, D.A. Carson says: “In a world where many Christians derive their deepest joy from advancement, ease, promotions, financial security, good health, popularity, and a host of other things, it is delightful, not to say challenging, to hear an apostle testify that nothing stirs his joy more than to hear that his children are walking in line with the gospel. That tells us all we need to know of his heart and where we should find our pleasures too.”
Countless people in the world today are actively and even desperately seeking happiness when what they really need is joy. True joy is only found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When someone has this spiritual relationship, the opportunities to experience joy are limitless. We are able to experience joy in our communion with the Lord. We find joy in our service to the Lord. We receive joy when we give to the Lord. We are able to have joy even when we suffer for the Lord. We certainly experience joy when we lead someone to the Lord.
There are a host of other ways that joy is manifested in the Christian life. For this reason, when we read the words “no greater joy”, it should cause us to pay extra close attention to what John has to say. I would like for us to examine his words to his beloved friend Gaius and consider the subject “No Greater Joy”
One of the primary themes in this Epistle is the various relationships in the Church. Let’s begin in verse 1 and examine:
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FELLOW CHRISTIANS
v1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
As in his second Epistle, John begins this letter by identifying himself as “the elder”. This is most likely a reference to his age, at this point, John was the only one of the Lord’s original Apostles who was still alive. The term “elder” could also refer to his being an apostolic eyewitness of Jesus’ life and ministry, and also that he had an official position of authority in the church. John was the writer of the Gospel of John, the Epistles of 1, 2, & 3 John, and the book of Revelation. John was one of the first men whom Jesus chose to be a Disciple, he was the brother of James, a member of Christ’s inner circle, and seemingly the best friend Jesus had here on earth. (You do not entrust the care of your mother to just anyone!)
This letter is addressed to John’s “beloved” friend “Gaius”. Gaius was a Christian of Asia Minor and all we know of him is what John points out in this Epistle. Though we don’t have his complete biography, what we do know is very impressive. John refers to him as “the beloved Gaius”. The designation “beloved” is one that is only used to describe Christians. “Beloved” is a term of endearment that signifies a deep and cherished love. First and foremost, Gaius was “beloved” of the Lord; as with all Christians, God had bestowed His love, mercy, and grace upon this dear brother.
Gaius was also “beloved” by John and the Brethren within the Church. One of the primary reasons is that Gaius was a man who “walked in truth”. The Apostle commends his friend for his compassion and hospitality and goes on to declare that he loves Gaius “in truth”. {“Love in truth “could mean simply “truly love” as a Christian brother, or it could refer to the “truth” of the gospel, in the service of which the lives of John and Gaius are intertwined. ESV Study Bible; Crossway}.
John, the members of the local assembly where Gaius worshipped and served, and even strangers held this man in high esteem due to his Christian character and gracious hospitality.
Though there are vast differences between the people who make up a local congregation of Christ followers, there is one thing that draws us together and keeps us together; I am referring to the fact that we are united by the common bond of Jesus Christ. We are more than associates involved in the same organization, we are brothers and sisters who are part of a special, spiritual, and eternal faith family. As such, we should possess great love for one another; In fact, Jesus demands this! He said His Disciples in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
On the other hand, John wrote in his First Epistle that, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (I John 4:20-21).
It should be our desire to live in a manner similar to Gaius. Since Jesus commands us to “love our neighbor” (which includes everyone), it should go without saying that we should possess an even greater kind of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ!
When reading the New Testament it is clear that Jesus and His Apostles wrote with the assumption that Christians would enjoy special relationships with one another. The Lord commanded His followers to "Love one another" (John 13:34). In his writings, Paul instructed the Saints to "Serve one another", "Bear one another's burdens", "Encourage one another" and to "Bear with each other and forgive one another" (Galatians 5:13, 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Colossians 3:13)
Paul referred to the Church as one body in Christ with many different members, all of whom are dependent on one another. Romans 12:4-5 says, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” It cannot be overstated just how important relationships are in the Christian life.
The relationships within the Church are exceedingly special. We extend love to others and we receive love from others. Furthermore, it is common, expected, and beneficial for us to pray for each other on a regular basis. This leads us to:
THE REQUEST FOR OUR FELLOW CHRISTIANS
v2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
John begins his Letter with a prayer for Gaius’s physical and spiritual well-being. He desired that “that all may go well with him” and that he would experience “good health”. Some commentators are of the opinion that John specifically prayed for Gaius’ physical health because he experienced some sort of ailment. It is clear that even if his physical condition was not the best, this dear brother experienced great spiritual health.
The New Testament makes it clear that we should pray for our fellow Saints; we can pray for their physical health and we should pray for their spiritual well-being. James said, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). Paul said, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).
We have already considered the special bond we have with our fellow Christians; one of the greatest benefits of this relationship is the fact that we have like minded people who genuinely care about us. Such people are willing to go before the Lord in prayer and make requests on our behalf. We should do the same in return.
There is no greater example of how we should pray for our fellow Christians than Jesus Himself. In John 17 Jesus prayed for His Disciples; He prayed for their protection, He prayed that they would be unified, and He prayed that they would experience joy. He went on to pray that: they would be sanctified in truth, that they would remain faithful to Him, and that they would see His glory.
We can and should pray for the physical health of our fellow Christians, but we must pray for their spiritual heath as well. We should regularly go before the Lord and request that the Saints remain unified in purpose, devoted to the Scriptures, constant in prayer, faithful in worship, giving, and service; passionate in evangelism, steadfast in times of opposition. and bold in the face of persecution.
When we pray for the spiritual blessings of our fellow Christians, we can rest assured that these prayers are according to the Father’s will and we can trust that they will be answered. John said in his First Letter, “this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
John had a special relationship with his beloved friend Gaius; the love that he possessed for this brother caused him to pray for him. This relationship also brought the Apostle great joy. Verse three shows us a specific aspect of this relationship that contributed to this joy. Let’s examine:
THE REPUTATION OF CHRISTIAN SERVANTS
v3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.
Certain “brothers” (perhaps men from Gaius’ own church) came to where John was and “testified” to the truth that was abiding in Gaius; they declared that he was “indeed walking in the truth”. Truth here refers to faithfulness to Christ and His commands. The truth was not just in Gaius; it shined brightly through his character and was seen in his actions. Gaius’ walk matched his talk; he was a man who practiced what he preached, and his reputation among the brethren caused John to “rejoice greatly”.
It should be our aim to have a testimony similar to that of Gaius. However, the motivation should not be for others to speak highly of us; rather, we should seek to live lives that bring honor and glory to the Savior. If we will make Jesus our focus and ensure that we are “walking in truth”, others will take notice and our testimony can be used to further the cause of Christ.
This glowing testimony concerning John’s beloved friend caused him to “rejoice greatly”. Likewise, when we live in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, we will have a reputation among our fellow Christians as being one who is “walking in truth”. This will be reason for those who are truly devoted to the cause of Christ to “rejoice greatly”. This leads us to:
THE REJOICING AMONG CHRISTIAN SERVANTS
v4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
As a result of John’s preaching of the Gospel, he was the spiritual father of many, including Gaius. Obviously all Saints are God’s children, but John, Peter, & Paul all used the metaphor of being the “spiritual father” of certain individuals. As spiritual overseers the Apostles viewed people as their own children.
When God blesses us with such “spiritual children”, it is not only important for us to disciple them, it is vital for us to encourage them when they are “walking in truth” and when they are faithful in their service to the Lord and His Church.
One of the greatest joys in the Christian life is to be a part of someone coming to faith in Christ. It is exciting and encouraging when we have the opportunity to witness the fruits of our evangelism. While it is a tremendous blessing to see someone brought from death unto life, it is exceedingly devastating to see one who once professed to be born again return to the former life.
Here, John points out the indescribable gratification that is experienced when one hears that their spiritual “children are walking in the truth.” Of this great blessing, John says that there is “no greater joy”.
Evangelism is an extremely important part of the Christian life. After all, one of the last conversations that Jesus had with His Disciples was concerning the Great Commission. However, many in the Church are guilty of only focusing on one part of that Commission. While it is vital for us to share the gospel with the lost, we cannot overlook the importance of discipleship in this process. You see, Jesus did not command us to make converts, He has entrusted us with the responsibility of making disciples.
Jesus makes it clear that an important part of making disciples is “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). This involves more than sharing the necessity of repenting and believing in Christ for salvation, it also includes teaching and training others how to live a Christian life. This involves much time, energy, and effort.
The first person that the Lord used me to point to Him was a close friend of mine who was an atheist when I met him. It took years of debate, deep conversations, and prayer but eventually he was miraculously and supernaturally regenerated by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit. The day of his conversion was the beginning of a work that the Lord is continuing to perform in his life. I have been able to watch for the past several years as my beloved friend has grown in his faith and begun to serve the Lord.
As exciting as it was to see his conversion, it has been far more special for me to watch him grow and mature spiritually, lead his family to faith in Christ, serve in the local church, and even preach the Gospel. I can echo the words of John and say, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth”.
There have been countless others throughout my time in ministry who professed faith in Christ, followed up with Believer’s Baptism, joined the church, and began walking with the Lord. Tragically, many of these people have turned away and are currently living lives of wickedness and rebellion. In contrast to the joy of seeing people “walk in truth” there is no greater sorrow than to see someone profess faith and then return to the darkness.
It is my prayer that you can relate to this man named Gaius. I hope that you have repented and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation. If you haven’t, it is important for you to know that salvation is available and if you will surrender to the Savior, you will experience an immediate and eternal transformation.
For those of us who have been born again, we should have a reputation as being one who consistently “walks in truth”. Like Gaius, each of us should be seen by others as being someone who is faithful to Christ and His commands. When we live in such a manner this will bring glory to the Savior.
For every one who is a part of Christ’s Church there are numerous people who have invested in our spiritual lives. First and foremost, it should be our aim to “walk in truth” in an effort to honor our Savior. However, there is an inherent biproduct to this kind of living; when we walk in truth it will cause our spiritual brothers and sisters to rejoice greatly.
There are countless individual in this assembly who cause me to rejoice on a regular basis. I rejoice in their passion for Jesus, their compassion for others, their desire to grow, their devotion to the Church, their giving to missions, and their faithfulness to worship, praise, serve, and glorify the Lord.
We should all seek to walk in truth, honor the Savior, and have a glowing reputation among the Brethren; so much so that some brother or sister could say of us, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”.
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