Growing in Your Spiritual Walk 05/25/24

Over the last few weeks we’ve looked at series of tests given by John in order to answer the age old question: How can I know that I’m saved? The first test was theological. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? (and) Do you believe that Christ came in the flesh? If your beliefs are wrong about the person and works of Jesus Christ, then you are not saved. The second test was the moral. Are we obeying God’s commandments? It is not the one who says they know God who knows God, but the one who keeps His Word. The third test is the social test where our love for our neighbor proves that we abide in Jesus Christ. I’m sure John is thinking, I know my teachings have been difficult, but they were meant to confirm your salvation and expose faulty believers. So John takes a step back this week for a time of encouraging and a time for the building up of the saints.

If you have your Bible and I hope you do, please join me for the Reading of God’s Word:

1 John 2:12–14 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 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. 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.”

This is the Word of God. Let us Pray.

The main point of today’s sermon is to show how John motivates the church to move towards sanctification in Christ by providing five encouraging truths.

1. Encouragement for the Children

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

1 John 2:13c “I write to you, children, because you know the Father.”

First of all, John says that he is writing to us “little children” (all believers) because our sins have been forgiven and its because of Jesus that we can now walk in the newness of life. (v. 12)

Purpose: John assures “all believers” of their justification in Christ and adoption by the Father.

Here John addresses “little children” in reference to “all believers” because the sins of “all believers” have been forgiven in Christ. It is good to be forgiven in Christ regardless of one’s level of spiritual maturity, so John starts off with this general encouragement. John also addresses “children” in reference to “new believers” in that their sins have been forgiven in Christ and they’re beginning to grow in their saving knowledge of the Father.

Also notice how quickly John gives all the glory to Jesus Christ. This should not be surprising to us because John is just restating what he has already said.

1 John 1:7–8 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

The forgiveness of sins is a fundamental truth of the gospel. The basis of this forgiveness rests solely on the person and works of Jesus Christ. This forgiveness is based on Christ’s finished work on the cross, where we are rendered “not guilty” before God—for past, present, and future sins. This is what John means when he says, “your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.” You’re not forgiven because you’re a good person or because you’re in church every time the door is opened, or that you’ve tried your best and since God is love he will forgive you. Our confidence rests in the person and works of Jesus Christ on the cross and it is for His glory, His honor, and the praise of His name that we are forgiven of our sins.

Martin Lloyd Jones wrote, “Christians know that their sins are forgiven, not because they bank loosely and vaguely upon the love of God, still less because they rest upon the hope of their own good lives and merits or their own good works. Rather, we know that we are forgiven “because of the perfect, the finished, the full work of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf.”

Secondly, John says that he is writing to us “children” (new converts) because we have a saving knowledge of God the Father. (v. 13c)

Purpose: John assures “new converts” of their justification in Christ and adoption by the Father.

John addresses these “children” or newborns because it is a Gospel-term that emphasizes both the freshness and humility of their faith and their utter dependence they now have on their Lord. 

I must note here that one’s age and years of being a Christian are flawed, fleshly indicators of one’s spiritual maturity. John is referencing both new believers in the faith and those who haven’t progressed in their spiritual maturity. In other words, those who have just got saved and also those who have been saved for awhile but have settled for pew sitting instead of growing up into serving the body of Christ.

These believers’ sins have been forgiven and they know it but they’re still limited in their understanding of the full character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Children represent the church’s reaching hand and the church’s tender love. One of the weaknesses of children in the faith are prone to make too much of what they feel. So, to these newborns John gives the pure milk of the Gospel, from one side the forgiveness of sins and from the other side the fatherhood of God. Let me first say a few words about the fatherhood of God.

Through faith in Christ, we are adopted into God’s family.  John Calvin said, “We are all like orphans until we reach the grace of adoption by the Gospel.” We were once distant from God.  But through Jesus we have been brought near and brought into a relationship with God.  And like most children, our first words of faith are, “Daddy, Abba, Father.”  Jesus taught His disciples to pray, saying, “Our Father….” And Paul taught us in Romans 8:15 that we “have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba!  Father!”

So, here John comforts these “newborn babes” in Christ reminding them of the unique fact of the Christian faith:  that God is their father, which means, He will lovingly provide, protect, nourish and nurture.  I am sure no little child here this morning is thinking, “Oh, I wonder if my father will disown me.  I wonder if my father will stop loving me.”  John says, “Be comforted, dear Christian, and know that God’s fatherly love in upon you, a love that will never leave or forsake you.”

Why is John writing this to the church? The early church much like today’s church struggled with how we deal with sin. Instead of bringing our sins to Jesus who stands at the right hand of our Father as our Advocate who continually intercedes to the Father on our behalf, we attempt to advocate for ourselves minimizing our sins and excusing our sins. It is for this reason that I personally believe that many Christians are living ineffective lives as soldiers for Christ because they’re still trying to carry the weight of their sins which has already been paid for in full by Christ at the cross of Calvary.

Much like Christians today who are bogged down by the weight of their sins which is creating unnecessary resistance in our Christian lives.

The lessons for us today from these verses, first is that we all including myself still sin and we all need to be constantly reassured that our sins have been forgiven for Jesus’ name sake. What this practically means for us as the church is that we need to ‘confess our sins to Jesus’ and ‘let go of our sins to Jesus.’ Its time to cut lose the unnecessary resistance that is bogging down our Christian lives.

Second, we are to be encouraged because of our justification in Christ and adoption by the Father. What better assurance is there that we know the Father and our Father knows us.

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2. Encouragement for the Fathers

1 John 2:13a “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.”

1 John 2:14a “I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.”

Thirdly, John says that he is writing to us “fathers” (mature believers) because we know Christ. (v. 13a)

Purpose: John assures mature believers of their relationship speaking about mature believers of their relationship with the unchanging eternal God.

Characteristics: “Fathers,” the most mature, have a deep knowledge of the Eternal God. This is the pinnacle of spiritual maturity apart from being in God’s presence in heaven.

Philippians 3:10 “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”

The mature fathers represent the church’s backbone and the church's knowledge because they have sound doctrine.

1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Augustine labels these mature believers as those who for many years have walked with the Saviour and proved the faithfulness of God. One of the weaknesses of fathers is that they are prone to make too much of what they know.

Notice that twice here in these verses John stresses that fathers are deeply concerned with the knowledge of God’s eternality by stating: “because you know him who is from the beginning.”

1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—”

The Gnostics were telling believers that they didn’t know God because they didn’t possess their higher knowledge but John reminds them that all Christians know Jesus Christ at the foundational level but mature believers or “spiritual fathers” know Jesus Christ more intimately. Their faith has been tested by trials and tribulations resulting in them becoming spiritually mature and stable. The spiritual vision of fathers become intentional and outwardly-focused on the betterment of others and most importantly the advancing of God’s kingdom in making disciples that make disciples.

They have experienced how patiently God has borne with their ignorance, how graciously he has pardoned their sins, and how faithfully he has supplied their needs. It is because of Christ’s goodness that moves them to exercise love, obedience, and gratitude. We see this progression in Paul’s writings to the church of Ephesus.

Ephesians 4:13 “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”

Spiritual fathers are indispensable resources to God’s church because of how they impact younger believers in the faith. Paul said to the Corinthian church:

1 Corinthians 4:15 “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

Practically speaking for the church today: we need more fathers in the faith who will pour themselves into younger believers. You’re not done yet, there is still work left to be done.

How do we know if we know Jesus?

1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.”

The point John is making here in these verses is to show that different levels of knowledge exist within believers who are at different levels of spiritual maturity. By way of illustration, you may know of or about your favorite musician but not at a level that they will personally leave front row tickets with backstage passes for you at the ticket booth.

By way of application here with these verses, this stage of maturity should be where we are all striving to be at in our Christian walk. I challenge mature believers in the congregation today, to latch onto younger believers and pour your knowledge into their lives while you still can.

3. Encouragement for the Young Men

1 John 2:13b “I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.”

1 John 2:14b “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.”

Fourthly, John says that he is writing to us “young men” (young believers) because we are strong in the Lord and we must continue to labour in Christ as we wrestle for mastery over sin. (v. 13b)

Purpose: John assures believers striving for holiness of their victory over the Devil (the wicked one).

Characteristics: With any good army, and especially with God’s army, it is good to have strong men and women on the front lines fighting the good fight of faith. The young converts represent the church’s strength, its strong arm. These front line soldiers for Christ are living most of their days in intense spiritual warfare where their faith is being refined like fine gold. One of the weaknesses of that young men are prone to make too much of what they do. Young believers are not content on sitting in the pews but desire to serve, to get plugged in and to go out into the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Now in no way was it John’s intention to create doubt in the church but to help you grow in your walk with God by the testing of your faith. Notice the testing of our faith results in the sanctifying of the believer and the glorifying of Jesus Christ.

James 1:3 “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

1 Peter 1:6–7 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

No Christian will ever grow strong in their faith without their faith being tested. John calls these young believers strong not because of some physical strength derived from within them but because the Word of God abides in them. This is how believers get to the point of where such strength is displayed. Closed bibles for those who profess Christ is a sign of weak Christians.

Lastly, John says that he is writing to us “young men” (young believers) because we are victorious over the devil. (v. 14b)

John notes that these young believers have chosen to fight against the evil powers and principalities of this world.

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

The lesson to be learned for us today from these verses is that yes, the Christian life is about forgiveness, forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Yes, the Christian life is also about fellowship, fellowship with the Father through a saving knowledge of Jesus.  But, the Christian life is also about fighting, fighting the enemy, who John calls “the evil one.”

Church, whether your spiritual maturity level is likened to “little children in the faith,” “children in the faith,” “young men and women in the faith” or “fathers in the faith” each and every born again believer in Christ Jesus is called to fight against the evil one. We rely on God’s power, not our own. So take up the whole armor of God, wield the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Lift up our prayers to God in perserverance and holiness. Submit to God, stand firm in His Word, and resist the ways of the Devil, knowing that the Lord our God is our Protector. Most importantly we know the end of the story. Revelation 12:11 “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” So, whatever your stage of spiritual maturity, you are called to fight, knowing that you can overcome because Jesus overcame.

Concluding Thoughts:

Heres the application this week:

To the Christians here this morning, here is my encouragement for you: 1) You are forgiven in Christ 2) You are known by God and 3) You overcome because of the finished works of Jesus Christ on the cross. God’s will for your life now is to grow in Christ. My question for you this morning is, “Where are you spiritually speaking?” Are you the “children,” “young men,” or “mature fathers?” If you’re not satisfied where you are then what are you going to do about it?

Church, I leave you with three challenges this week:

Challenge:

Commit your life to knowing Jesus.

Knowing about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus and being known by Jesus.

2. Commit your life to growing in Jesus.

To grow in Christ means you must intake His Word and apply His Word. Its time to get off the sideline and get in the game!

3. Commit your life to following Jesus.

Following Jesus means becoming more like Jesus. If you’re here this morning and you’ve stalled in your faith, its not because the Fountain of Life stopped flowing, its because you refuse to drink . PRAYER