The Gospel for Every Christian

Introduction

A Christian never outgrows the Gospel. There is indeed much to learn in the words of Scripture so that several lifetimes of study would still reveal new things. There are aspects of who God is that make a different impact on us as we grow and mature in our faith. Dr Gentry, my OT professor in seminary, once said that the Bible is for every man, woman, and child of any education level to understand, but the cookies aren’t always on the bottom shelf. There is a lot to gain by intense study of the word of God, especially when combined with meditation and prayer. But the Gospel never stops being the centre of it all. It is the culmination of all the Scriptures, and foundation of our lives as Christians, and the purpose of our study is that we may see it more clearly, preach it more effectively, and live it out more consistently.

In our text this evening, John writes to three distinct demographics in the church. Thee language of children, young men, and fathers refers to different states of the Christian life. John is communicating that his letter is for everyone. The older Christian should not be saying, “this is only for the children, the new believers in the church who are in danger of being deceived.” Not can the young Christian say, “this theology is only for the older Christians, the sages who know much more than I do about the faith.” Nor can the young, heavy lifters of the church think that they are beyond instruction, correction, and teaching. John’s message is for everyone because the Gospel is for everyone, you don’t outgrow it. The same truths that we heard and first believed at our conversion are the same truths we find more and more lovely as we grow in grace. They are also the same truths that will keep us from temptation, protect us from false teaching and present us before God as righteous in Christ.

With that in mind, let’s see what John has to say to the different people reading his letter.

To Children

You might notice a pattern in this short, poetic portion of the text. First he addresses children, then fathers, then young men. He does this twice, lovingly emphasizing the unique situation that each group finds themselves in. I want to emphasize that John is writing to them because these things are already true of them. He’s not writing so that they might be forgiven or might know the father, but because they already do. Faith is based on truth, and he knows that these things have happened in the life of believers.

Sins are forgiven for his name’s sake

First, he speaks to the children in the faith, the babes in Christ. These are those who are new in the faith. The Gospel is still fresh and new and there is an excitement and eagerness in it. The first thing that John has to say about them in verse 12 is that their sins are forgiven. Now, it is important to notice as we read through these descriptions there is a good deal of overlap. Not only are the sins spiritually young children forgiven, all the sins of all Christians are forgiven. But he is reminding and celebrating with the young believers how the blood of Christ has radically changed their lives.

While older Christians may need to remind themselves often as the Gospel can become dangerously normal in our minds, the new Christian has a freshness in the Gospel. They are a gift to older Christians because they remind us of how blessed we are to know and be known by Christ.

So this letter is relevant to new believers because it is relevant to all who have their sins forgiven. a study of the deep theological topics of this book is not merely for the theologically savvy, it is for the one who is still digesting the Gospel and figuring it out in their own lives. It is for the one who is still in awe that their sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus. It is for the one who doesn’t necessarily know all the theological terms and topics. If you have only been a Christian for 10 minutes, this letter is for you.

You know the father

The second point John makes for the spiritual child is that they know the father. Yes, from the moment of Spiritual birth you have a close and intimate relationship with God the father through the righteous blood of Christ. This isn’t something you work towards, this isn’t a reward for good works that you are expected to do, this is available to any Christian at any time. You know the Father, you are loved by the Father. This ties in with having your sins forgiven. There is no level that you need to reach to enter the presence of the Father. It is always available to you.

And because you are known by the Father, you are a priest in the service of the church, even if yesterday you were a slave to sin. That makes all of John’s instructions here relevant to you.

Now, it is important that new believers listen because there are specific dangers to being a young believer that this book will address. The spiritual child must pay close attention to John’s instructions to avoid those dangers.

Primarily a danger of heresy

Danger that the Gospel will be diluted

Danger that the Gospel will be added to

Fellowship with the Father blocked by false teaching

To the Fathers

Next, John speaks to fathers. These are the elders of the church, both in the office and not. The older believers who are looked at by other believers as the sages of the church. They are the examples, the mentors, the experienced, and those who have proved their metal in the spiritual war in which we are engaged. In speaking to these, John is communicating that the message of this letter is for the older believer as well as the new. Christians never outgrow their bible, and like the rest of Scripture, John’s words are relevant for the sage and the babe in Christ alike. There are new treasures to be found, deep truths to be understood, and old truths to be reinforced.

There never comes a time when you’ve graduated from the school of Scripture. While we would never contradict this statement, it can be easy to have a that attitude. Maybe there is a text we have read a hundred times or a sermon on a topic we feel very familiar with and we think to ourselves. “I don’t really need this. I already know about this.” The attitude of an older Christian should still be one of learning from God’s word at all times.

You know him who is from the beginning

What does God specifically tell the fathers in this passage? Twice he says the same thing, you know him who is from the beginning. What does that mean? Just like the spiritual children, the fathers in the church know God. The term, “him who is from the beginning” is an interesting title for God. Yes, they know God who was from the beginning of everything, the beginning of creation, the beginning of salvation, but also the beginning of their own Christian walk. Yes, the same God you know as a baby Christian is there, accessible through the blood of Christ. You have not moved beyond him, you have not earned a close spot to him.

And there is something really beautiful about living a life in the presence of God and feeling the sweetness of that presence just as much at the end of your life as the day you were saved, or more. But there is a danger for the older Christian, a familiarity with the presence of God. Prayer can become stale, ministry can become hum drum, and the passion and love we once felt can easily vaporize over time. It can lead us to a point where we look down on the zeal of a new believer rather than using their passion to reignite our own. We can become so tied to our traditions and habits that discount the need for refreshing life from the spirit even as we age in the faith. How else do we expect to grow?

There is also the temptation to look for something new. To often Christians have become bored, it seems, with the same old Gospel and look for something new and exciting. Whether it be from a hyper charismatic bent or a change in how we view the cross or the person of Jesus, beware of being bored of the same truth. There is newness, there is refreshing life to be found in prayer when we come looking for more of him, but that refreshing life will always be based on the same solid rock foundation of the Gospel of Christ.

To the Young men

Finally, John speaks to the young men. These may be seen as those in the church who are not new believers, but also not the sages with the spiritual experience of the fathers. These are often the muscle of the church, the ones excited about theology and theological discussion. They are zealous about missions, they are the ones who like to volunteer. These are those in seminary or right out of seminary, who are reading a lot, or who simply want to do more in the church. They have the maturity of those who are not new to the faith, but also the energy of someone who is still learning many new things.

Overcome the evil one

The first thing the young man is told is that John is writing to them because they have overcome the evil one. This means that they have survived the early days of initial temptation. The devil works on new believers to lead them away early through doubts and false teaching, but these believers have overcome those tests. They have faced temptation and conquered it. They have been led by the Spirit to discern between truth and error. They have built the healthy spiritual habits of prayer and Scripture reading. They go to church and love those in it. Most importantly, they have gained a strong grasp of the Gospel and made it the centre of their life.

Strong, the word of God abides

The second time he addresses the young men in verse 14 he repeats their overcoming the evil one and adds to it that they are strong and the word of God abides in them.

They are strong in the faith and they know their Bibles. They can give a reason for the hope that is in them. Not only that, but their character speaks for itself. They not only know their bibles, but the Scripture abides in them and bears the fruit of consistent Christian living. While a new believer may have a few lingering sins in their lives that takes some time to put to death, the consistent life of the young man is known for its integrity. Again, not perfection. The struggle of sin goes on for the true believer, but there is consistency and active spiritual warfare against the temptation that the devil throws their way.

This balance of maturity and youthful zeal makes these strong in the church. They are on the front lines in evangelism, service, and defence against false teachers. But there are spiritual dangers that the face as well, which makes this letter important for them.

Frustration with other Christians (a temptation not to love)

The immaturity of the children

The traditions of the fathers

Theological disagreements

An over-confidence in their ability (trusting themselves rather than Christ)

Conclusion

The beauty of this passage is in the confidence John has in his readers. Yes there are many dangers in the Christian life, yes letters of teaching, correction, and reproof and needed from time to time, but the Apostle assumes and rejoices in the work that God has done in their lives. He isn’t pessimistic about these believers despite the false teaching he knows they have been exposed to. They have had their sins forgiven, they do know God, they are strong in God’s strength, and the Word of God abides in them. It is because the work of God is so real in their lives that the Apostle feels the need to write to them. It is these genuine believers that will feel the fury of the enemy. It is those who know God that John claims fellowship with, and if he can deepen that fellowship through his letter they will all be edified in it.

We are all in different places in our Christian walks. Our struggles are different, some are more mature than others, some have more faith, some in a spiritual dry season and some feel closeness to God every day. But all of us who have tasted and seen that God is good, who have recieved the great riches of heaven by faith know that the Gospel is for us. May that open our hearts to receive the Word and open us to each other, to seek God together as we delve deeper into the gloriously simple depths of the Gospel.