1 John 2:12-14: Who We Are Now

Recap

Welcome back guys! Tonight we are diving back in to 1 John. We took a break from the book to address a few important things for you guys to know about God and the Bible:

This year we have talked about:

we talked about the trinity

we talked about how Jesus is fully God and fully man

we talked about Jesus walking on the water and seeing us

we talked about the prodigal son

last week we answered some questions one of you had about the Bible and Christian living.

We return to the book of 1 John, asking the question: what does it mean to have a relationship with God?

To know Him, to talk with Him. Is this like any other relationship?

Let’s turn to 1 John 2:12. We will be reading 12-14 tonight. Would someone be able to read for me please?

1 John 2:12 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.”

1 John 2:13 “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.”

1 John 2:14 “I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

Do you guys see anything strange about this passage compared to the passages around it?

Who are the three groups John is addressing? Children, Young men, and Fathers.

John actually has previously referred to the readers as his children, showcasing the fondness he has for the church. Can someone tell me who John was? Yes an apostle, one of the first.

Now, you might be thinking, okay what does this have to do with me? What does this mean about today?

John writes this letter to the church in his day, but the truths remain the same for the church in our day, okay.

A few people have talked about what young men and fathers mean. Most scholars believe they are talking about spiritual maturity or physical maturity. The truths remain the same for all Christians though.

In this passage, John reminds us of who we are:

Forgiven

If you have accepted God’s gift of salvation through what Jesus did on the cross, you are forgiven. You are forgiven for all things in the past, present, and future! You are at peace with God now, nothing stands between you and Him. You will always be forgiven in Him! You are free from guilt and condemnation!

We know the Son/Father

You can know God! Father/Son/Spirit you can know Him! He wants you to know Him. What’s a great way to get to know someone? You spend time with them! You can spend time with God every day, at anytime.

Overcome the Evil One

If you believe in Jesus, you have overcome the evil one! The enemy’s defeat is certain because of Christ’s victory!

There will be struggle with the enemy in life, but through anything we can know that Jesus has won!

Strong

God gives strength to those who are His and trust Him. Simply knowing Him and relying on Him, believing and walking in His truth. He provides for all of our needs and strengthens us for the things He has placed in our lives.

God’s Word Abides

We are called to abide in the word of God. Remaining in it. Now you might be thinking, Charles we can’t be reading the Bible all day! Jesus didn’t do that. You are right. But we can think about what it says and strive to live it out. God’s word is a gift to us from God, so we can know Him and have a relationship with Him!

Prayer