LETTER FOR ENCOURAGEMENT

BACK TO THE BASICS: AN EXPOSITION OF 1 JOHN

This morning we are going to read a Letter for Encouragement. That is, as John is writing this letter to believers, one of his many goals is to encourage believers.

Life can be discouraging. We aren’t in the career we thought we would be. Our financial nest egg is almost non-existent. We struggle with health problems. Our children are a mess. Our marriages are on the rocks. While these are more significant, there a smaller aspects of life that be produce encouragement as well. Our car breaks down. We forgot our debit card at home while grocery shopping. This is life in general. All of these afflict humanity generally.

There are challenges to the believer as well. The Christian faces discouragement over the brokenness of our world. Watching the news and hearing about friends and loved ones dealing with the sinful actions of others is discouraging. Handling their own sins is discouraging as well. Perhaps a particular sin has afflicted us, and we face discouragement at falling again.

Discouragement, then, abounds. And as John is writing this letter to draw believers back to the basics, one of the basics of the Christian faith is the encouragement we can enjoy in Christ.

Have you ever been around an encouraging person? I enjoy lifting weights, and while I work out alone, I enjoy watching videos of professional body builders. They typically have a partner who is encouraging them on, to push one more rep out. Encouragers have a way of pushing us through the dark and difficult times. They have a way of helping us accomplish more. And this morning we are going to be encouraged by John.

Now, John’s focus is not that we are encouraged in our jobs, our marriages, our goals, or our happiness. While what John is discussing does affect that, it is primarily focused on our relationship with God.

This is because our relationship with God is the primary relationship we can have. That is, every other relationship extends from our relationship with God. Our vertical relationship is our most important relationship, and it is from this vertical relationship that our horizontal relationships

However, our relationship with God is as varied as the people in this room. That is, our maturity is at different levels. John addresses three stages of maturity: new believers (little children), maturing believers (young men), and mature believers (fathers). That is, God wants believers of all ages (think maturity) to be encouraged. And John has a specific message for each stage.

I. ENCOURAGEMENT FOR NEW CONVERTS- ,

John’s first address of encouragement focuses primarily on new believers. He calls them “little children,” and due to the inclusion of “fathers” and “young men” we can tell that John is using a different idea that that of 2:1. Here John is focused on new converts, irrespective of age. That is, you can be a young new convert (teenager) or an old new convert (60s). So, how does John encourage new converts? He brings them to focus on two things: salvation and fellowship.

A. Encouragement in Salvation-

John writes some of the most amazing words in Scripture. “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” John is speaking of salvation. In other words, John writes, “I write to you because you are saved!”

New believers, John says, need to focus on their salvation. And really all believers need to do this. We need to think about who God is. He created everything. He is the Ruler of the universe. He gives us the rules of life, and we are to submit to them. As many of you know, we have failed to obey our Creator. Adam, representing all humanity, was given a choice to obey God or to disobey and eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He chose the fruit, and now we are in a desperate plight. Paul describes our state in , “That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Jesus says in that we are “condemned already,” and in that “the wrath of God abides on” us.

The question may be asked, “Why?” Why are we so hopeless and in such a desperate plight? Because our Creator is also holy. In fact, Scripture declares God to be holy, holy, holy (see and ). God’s holiness, His absolute purity, separates us in an imaginable way. We have so offended God that the only possible judgment that fits is an eternity in hell.

You may say, “Bobby, this isn’t encouraging!” And you would be right if we stopped right here. But there is more to this picture. We see that there is a Creator, and that because He is incomprehensibly holy we are faced with an unimaginable punishment, but we see one phrase. John says, “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.”

Your sins are forgiven. They have been forgiven. On the basis of this Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Brothers and sisters of all maturity levels, is this not the most amazing statement? Those sins which separated you from the very Author of Life, which doomed you to an eternity in torment under the righteous wrath of the infinitely holy are forgiven! What an encouragement this is to all believers, but particularly to new converts. The Christian life can be especially hard at first. The excitement of this new life can cause a zeal for holiness. And this zeal can spill over into the lives of others and bring discouragement. Think about finding a new restaurant. You cannot believe how good that burger is. And so you go and tell your friends and family about it. You urge them to go. And when you find out your friend had a Burger King burger, you get upset. Why is he wasting his time with Burger King? Doesn’t he know how amazing my restaurant is!? We get frustrated because people don’t follow us in that burger. That is how many new Christians are with others: both for those who follow Jesus and those who do not. The focus, then, is on our restored relationship with the glorious God. Your sins, little children, are forgiven.

B. Encouragement in Fellowship-

As if our salvation is not enough, John goes on the encourage new converts: “you have known the Father.” New converts and Christians of any maturity, do not miss what John is saying. You have known the Father. You know Him, the Creator of the universe. You know Him. That is, you have experiential knowledge of God. This moves beyond just a head knowledge. You can know a lot about people and not truly know them. I know about Mike Modano, one of the greatest Dallas Stars player. However, you know what I mean when I say that I don’t really know him. But I know Hannah. I know what she loves, what scares her, when she is struggling with something. That is the kind of knowing John is referring to here.

So, new converts, be encouraged because you are saved and you have fellowship with God. What a glorious encouragement! I feel ready to go conquer the world. But there is more encouragement.

Though it does not follow the progressive nature of maturity, we will follow John’s example and address the Encouragement for the Mature.

II. ENCOURAGEMENT FOR MATURE BELIEVERS- ,

The next group of believers John addresses is mature believers. He calls them fathers, a designation of honor with respect to their age, maturity, and faithfulness. John’s message of encourage to the mature saints is a reminder: you know Him who is from the beginning.

This encourage is deep, it is abiding. John writes, “you have known Him who is from the beginning.” The way that John words this is that you have a solid, thriving relationship with God, and have had it for a long period of time.

Paul gives us a picture of this from his own life in . Paul wanted to know Jesus more than anything else in life. He realized that all of his accomplishments were, when compared to know God, feces. This mindset comes from a thorough knowledge and experience with the incomprehensible God.

Why does John focus his encouragement for fathers in this direction? Mature people are individuals who have solid relationships with God, and typically (though not always) are individuals who have spent years growing in their relationships with God. They are individuals who have fought the battles, and while they have not arrived, but are habitually seeing God change them into the image of His Son.

And life at this point can be discouraging. I mentioned one aspect of newer converts is that the zeal for God can become too much from some. Their intensity can put off people. However, for mature believers, they can face discouragement at the slowness of their growing brothers and sisters. Perhaps they forgot how slow the process of growth is, or maybe they experienced quick growth. Then there is also discouragement with the way the world is. We all have the tendency to view the past as “the good old days” and the present as a hot mess. There is also one more aspect that can discourage us: realizing that we are not where we want to be. We face our own limitations and become discouraged.

At this point, John states in two places: “You have known Him who is from the beginning.” You have experience and knowledge of the eternal God. Be encouraged! Your relationship with God is the most precious truth in your life! Keep pressing on, because the faithful and eternal God, the God who has displayed His faithfulness in Scripture and in your own life, is not finished with you!

The encouragement John gives is God Himself. Think about Him, about His goodness, His sovereign rule of your life, His sweetness. Remember the experiences you had with Him. The absolute joy that you have in His presence. Remember the joy you experienced with a fresh new soul, when God forgave you all your sins. Brothers and sisters, that is encouraging!

And now we come to our third stage, the middle of the road, the maturing.

III. ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE MATURING- ,

One of the beautiful things about youth is the energy they have. As I get older, I realize I do not have the same amount of energy that I used to. And, as my kids run for hours, and hours, and hours, I realize that I do not have the same energy.

John is addressing this middle-road stage, this stage where they have a solid faith and relationship with Jesus, and they have the desire to make changes. They, as John puts it, “have overcome the wicked one.” That is, They have enjoyed the victory we have through Christ. They have faced temptations, and in the power and victory of Jesus Christ, have overcome them. But how? We know they enjoy victory, but how?

These young men, these maturing believers are strong, the Word of God abides in them, and they put it to use. I want to break those thoughts down briefly.

A. Maturing believers are strong

There is a strength in maturing believers. As they grow in their knowledge and practice of the Word of God, they gain strength. This is why it is so vital to maintain consistent time in God’s Word, in prayer, and in church attendance.

B. Maturing believers have the Word abiding in them

The word abide is one constantly used by John. The concept of abiding is to remain, to live, to dwell. Imagine settling down into a comfortable chair with a nice cup of coffee and a great book. That’s the thought here. When we read, memorize, and apply the Scriptures, the Word of God abides in us. The maturing believer draws encouragement as He sees how God uses His Word in His life.

C. Maturing believers enjoy consistent victory

As maturing believers enjoy strength through a growing relationship with God, and continually have God’s Word dwell in them, they enjoy consistent victory. I say consistent, because as we have addressed these basics of the faith we have seen, over and over again, that we will sin. However, maturing believers enjoy victory because of the strength gained through the Word of God abiding in them

Encouragement for new converts- remember your salvation

Encouragement for mature believers- you know God

Encouragement for maturing believers- you have victory because you are strong and God’s Word abides in you