Be Reminded

Introduction

PRAY

Read 1 John 2:12-14

If we’re all being honest, how many times do you need to be reminded by your parents to clean your room? Or take out the trash? Or do your homework? Be honest!

If I’m being honest with you, I’ve needed to be reminded by my wife to do several things around the house. Why? Because I’m a forgetful dude! Just like y’all need to be reminded to do different things, we as humans are a forgetful people.

Our minds wander, we drift in an ocean consumed with our own thoughts and selfishness and pleasure, often neglecting to bring to mind things of incredible importance. Or, the worries and trials of this life crowd out our minds from what we should be pondering and meditating on.

That is why the title of my sermon is Be Reminded. We need to be reminded of what matters. We need to be constantly brought to the word of God and reminded of His truth. We need to be strengthened in the truth and power of God regularly.

John is doing exactly that in our text this evening: in light of exhorting believers to not sin, flee from it, walk in the light and love their brothers and sisters, and before commanding believers to love God rather than the world, John uses these verses as a pause to bring to remembrance crucial truths that these believers must not forget.

My hope through this sermon is that we observe what John reminds his audience of and, as a result, are reminded ourselves of these same truths that apply to us even today. And should God be so kind to us, I pray we would leave here, in light of these truths, encouraged, refreshed, and ever more in awe of our God and His precious gospel.

Different Groups

I’m going to handle these verses by addressing them in two different sections: the different groups and the reminders given. We find John addressing three groups here: little children (or children), fathers, and young men.

And notice, as he addresses each group, he begins by saying “I write to you,”. John does this as a sort of pause near the beginning of this letter, forcing the reader to stop and think about what is being written here.

John is doing what he can to force the reader to stop, breath, and really ponder what is being said here. It’s as if to say “reader, be reminded”.

There are some that believe that John is addressing 3 stages of spiritual growth that Christian go through, therefore he didn’t want to leave any particular group of believers out. However, I don’t believe that is what John is doing here.

Rather, I would argue that John is not making a statement on our progression as believers, rather, he is addressing these different groups with specific reminders of biblical truths. And these biblical truths apply to each group, these are not specific reminders for each group exclusively but for all.

John uses the label “little children” as a term of endearment all throughout this letter in reference to believers as a whole.

Is anyone willing to tell me what their parents use as a sort of “pet name” for them? How does that make you feel? Maybe embarrassed, but loved, cared for, known, right? There’s a similar idea here with John using such a term as “little children”.

The fathers are those that are more mature in their faith and the young men are the rest of those within the church. John is clear here that he’s including all believers no matter their age or how long they’ve been a Christian.

But, why does he repeat himself within these verses, addressing each group twice? According to John Piper, the simple answer is to say that he wanted to clearly get his point across and make these reminders stick out. We are a forgetful people, we need to be reminded, regularly.

Reminders Given

There are 8 total reminders given, 2 are repeated here while the other 6 are not. They all have a common theme surrounding the gospel. The initial reminder is that “their sins are forgiven for his name’s sake”.

This is such a good one. Our sins are forgiven! We need this reminder every second of every day! How? Through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Not anything you can do or have done, Christ alone. Repent and believe in this today!

This is true not only of little children, but fathers AND young men! The same is true for every reminder listed.

In light of a not so easy topic, telling believers here not to sin, that their walk must match their talk, to love their brother and be in the light rather then hate them and be in darkness.

John stops and says be reminded, your sins are forgiven. A follower of Jesus does not walk in sin, but in the way in which Christ walked. Remember, you’re forgiven by the blood of Jesus, born again in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, therefore you’re being sanctified, being made more into the image of Christ.

The best part? Our sins are forgiven not because of anything we have done, but for Christ’s name’s sake. “His name is not honored if His forgiveness fails” (Ref Study Bible)!!!

We’re saved, forgiven of our sins, not because of anything found in us, but because of who God is (Guzik). Our sins are forgiven for the glory of God, not for the glory of you. The gospel is about Christ, not us! (Sproul)

The next reminder that gets repeated in these verses is “because you know him who is from the beginning”. If you are a Christian, you know God. That is one of the benefits of the gospel (Van Neste).

What is so sweet about the Christian life is that we have an intimacy with our God as He brings us in through the gospel, and, we enjoy knowing Him more and more as we live with Him, follow Him, pray to Him, and study His word.

Be reminded, beloved, you know Him who is from the beginning, namely God Almighty. And through the gospel, He knows you if you are a follower of Jesus. What great comfort this should cause to fill our hearts.

“because you have overcome the evil one” is the next reminder. 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 says “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Christians have overcome the evil one because we are in Christ. His victory is imputed, applied to us upon our conversion.

The rest of the reminders are either repeats or very similar if not identical in meaning. Except for these last two: “because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,”. Why is a follower of Christ strong? Because their God is strong and strengthens them by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the abiding word of God in them.

God’s word abides in the hearts of His people, which is the believers strength in times of temptation.

Conclusion

John wanted those he was writing to, by God’s grace and providence that includes us, to be reminded of the crucial truths and benefits of the gospel. In the middle of the war on sin that he is laying out, John saw fit to encourage us with these reminders.

So, be reminded my brothers and sisters in Christ: our sins are forgiven for his glory, we know God who is from the beginning, we have overcome the enemy, we know the Father, we are strong because God is strong, and God’s word abides in us!

I pray this encourages you in your walk with the Lord. May this stir you up to preach to others the gospel of Jesus Christ. May this increase your sense of security in Christ, may these reminders lead to an overflow of worship of Him.

Be reminded, He is worthy.

PRAY