Out of the Darkness: Part 3

Introduction

Rewind

To be in the light, we must accept Jesus as our savior.

We must willingly admit that we sin and seek forgiveness for that sin.

We need to tell others by proclaiming the truth of who Jesus is.

Our actions are important to God

When we know Jesus we experience love like never before.

We must love others. There can’t be room for hate in our heart.

Has anyone ever tried to grow something?

How did it go?

Verse 12-14

Like tending to growing plants, as Christians our spiritual growth is important and how we tend to it matters.

We have some responsibility in our spiritual growth.

Over and over in the bible it talks to us about growing in our relationship with the Lord.

Paul tells us in,

Philippians 3:13–14 ESV

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

We see that need for growth, because the ultimate prize is.......to become like Christ. And to become like Him requires growth. Daily.

Spiritual growth doesn’t

determine the grace you receive

Affect God’s love

There s no timeline

Isn’t based on knowledge

Isn’t based on success

All that to say, John knew that this was important and wanted to reassure believers. That’s the whole point to verse 12-14.

Your sins have been forgiven, you know Him.

In the same way when we get older our attitude and interests change. So, the same is true in our spiritual lives. At first we are good with basic biblical truth, but as we grow, we should desire deeper learner and growth.

1, 2, 3 John: MacArthur New Testament Commentary Assurance to Spiritual Fathers

John’s description of the stages of spiritual growth also challenges believers to “excel still more” (1 Thess. 4:10) in their Christian walks. Spiritual children must move beyond their initial delight in the Father’s love to a sound knowledge of biblical truth. Young men must not rest in their knowledge of biblical truth, but press on to know deeply the God from whom all truth comes and to whom all truth points. And even fathers must continue to expand and deepen their knowledge of the eternal God. As long as saints live on this earth, they are bound to obey the mandate to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Verse 15-17

As John is talking about loving things in the world, what is he referring to?

Real quick-

He’s not saying to hate the physical world- Genesis 1:31

He’s not saying to hate humanity.

He is telling them to not love the system of evil in this world-

Ephesians 2:2 ESV

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

The sin that distracts us from loving God and being obedient to Him.

And the reason we can’t love them is this- because of who we are, what the world does, and whats happening to the world.

1, 2, 3 John: MacArthur New Testament Commentary Because of Where the World Is Going

Like Paul, believers must persevere in sanctification and righteousness by “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead … toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13b–14). By doing this they will demonstrate that they love what God loves and hate what He hates. They will clearly no longer be devoted to the unbelieving world system and will shun its continuous appeal to sin, which comes through the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.

Takeaways

We must be spiritually growing

We should be reassured because of our faith in Jesus

We should hate sin and what it does

How are we doing?