Love "truthfully" - 3 John

I love this little book. You could write hundreds of devotionals out of these 15 verses. John is publically commending two men in the Church and warning them to beware of another. That is the essence of the book. He opens the book by writing a salutation to Gaius, whom he "loves in the truth." In my reading these words I couldn't get past them this morning. What does it mean to love in the truth? In 1 John 3:18 John tells us to love not in word and tongue but in deed and in truth. I get the "love in deed" part. That is simple ... do it as you say it. But, I struggle with the "love in truth" part. I supposed the meaning is as easy as loving without hypocrisy or without holding back because you are suspicious of motives. I must mean loving with "complete" trust. I should mean loving without any of your own alternative motives. I can see how you can love your wife, children, parents or family this way. I can even see how you can love some close and long time friends this way. But, how do you love another brother in Christ this way? How do you love "all brothers in Christ" this way. John loved Gauis in "truth." I think the meaning must include some aspects that Christ is the Truth (John 14:6). John, like us, was a mere man. He struggled with sin and would have a hard time love others, just like us. But, in Truth (in Christ) we can love others. Our prayer should be, "God, let me love them through you and you love them through me." We are to love in truth ... both honestly and IN Christ. That is true Biblically love. The former we do what we can as the later loves through us. That is the true Biblical meaning of Love for the Holidays. Merry Christmas.